Becker's Hospital Review

24 POPULATION HEALTH 24 CEO / STRATEGY New Sanford Health CEO shakes up leadership team By Ayla Ellison S ioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen made changes to the health system's lead- ership team just a few weeks after be- ing promoted, according to the Grand Forks Herald. Mr. Gassen sent an email to employees Dec. 9 describing the leadership chang- es, and system CMO Allison Suttle, MD, was missing from the list of new lead- ers. She "made the decision to depart Sanford Health to pursue new oppor- tunities," Darren Walker, whose title was changed from chief human resources officer to chief people officer, told the Grand Forks Herald. "Under the new leadership structure, we've transitioned from a CMO to a chief physician role. This position will be filled by Jeremy Cauwels, MD, and is intended to put more direct focus on our physician community and the im- portant role they play in our organiza- tion," Mr. Walker said. The health system's COO, Matt Hocks, will pick up responsibilities for tech- nology services and facilities, and Eri- ca DeBoer, RN, was promoted to chief nursing officer. David Shulkin, MD, is assuming a strategic adviser role with the system. Mr. Gassen's new leadership team will also include: • Micah Aberson, executive vice pres- ident • Bill Marlette, CFO and treasurer • Jennifer Grennan, chief legal officer • Kimber Severson, chief marketing officer • Nathan Peterson, chief of staff Mr. Gassen was promoted to president and CEO of Sanford in November after 12 years with the system. He replaced Kelby Krabbenhoft, who led the 46-hos- pital system for 24 years. n Oak Street Health, Walmart open 3 clinics in Texas By Alia Paavola C hicago-based Oak Street Health, a network of primary care centers, opened clinics at three Walmart supercenters in Texas in December. The clinics are in the cities of Benbrook, Arlington and Carrollton and will offer comprehensive primary care and urgent care. "More than ever, it's crucial for people to have access to affordable, qual- ity healthcare. We are proud to work with Walmart to extend the reach of our innovative primary care model in Dallas-Fort Worth, and are dedicated to improving health outcomes of the patients in the communities that we now serve," said Mike Pykosz, CEO of Oak Street Health, in a Dec. 16 news release. Although all members of the community are welcome at the clinics, Oak Street Health said it is focused on growing its network of more than 70 pri- mary care centers for Medicare patients. n Trust in experts is waning: 4 thoughts for healthcare leaders By Morgan Haefner P ublic trust in experts, not only in the medical field but across sectors, is eroding, according to a report in the Chicago Booth Review, a publication of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Here are four thoughts for healthcare leaders: 1. Part of the shrinking trust in experts, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, may be because experts' knowledge of the situation has changed. For example, Anthony Fauci, MD, the nation's top medical expert on the pandemic, along with other public health of- ficials, first told Americans they shouldn't worry too much about COVID-19 and advised against wearing masks. But as more information about COVID-19 came to light, they called for mask-wearing and social distancing. 2. Research from public relations firm Edelman found that the public's trust in scientists, physicians, and national and international health officials fell slightly between March and May of 2020, according to the Chicago Booth Review. Americans placed even less trust in chief executives, government leaders and journalists, according to Edelman's findings. 3. Polarization is widening the gap between experts and nonexperts, according to anoth- er study cited by the Chicago Booth Review. Researchers who studied trust of economic experts in Europe found when respondents were told about a consensus among experts, they were more likely to agree with experts if it aligned with their interests. If respondents weren't interested in those topics, or had previous distrust in experts, they moved further in the opposite direction. 4. Ultimately, experts should make a greater attempt to remember the human experience when sharing their information, the report said. "e gap between epidemiologists and economists, as between nonexperts and experts, can be wide — but much is to be gained by bridging it. Experts in any field can make mistakes by failing to recognize the reality in which others live, which affects how their advice will land," according to the report. n

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