Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1460433
35 CEO / STRATEGY CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards' leadership approach: 'Distort nothing' By Kelly Gooch F or a glimpse into the leadership style of Steve Edwards and his ap- proach to communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, look no further than his Twitter page. On the Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth CEO's page is a pinned tweet from Nov. 13, 2020 — a quote from John Barry, author of books on the 1918 flu pandemic and the 1927 Great Mississippi Flood. e quote: "ose in authority must retain the public's trust. e way to do that is to dis- tort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. ... A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart." Mr. Edwards held to that philosophy as his leadership style changed during the pan- demic. He said his style shied from "being very diplomatic to becoming more flat-foot- ed to tell the hard truth, to manipulate noth- ing, to distort nothing." That philosophy seeps into how he com- municates with the public through his own Twitter page. His goal has been to make posts about COVID-19 apolitical and purely factual. "During the pandemic, I continued to share facts thinking information can save lives," Mr. Edwards said. "I feel very fortunate. is is the town I grew up in. When we are treating pa- tients, it is not market share. [ese are] my friend's parents and grandparents and cousins and people I know — so we've been very dedi- cated in telling the flat-footed truth." Still, he acknowledged that his Twitter page is not perfect. He is dyslexic, and there may be occasional spelling errors, he said. e content of his tweets have, at times, been controversial, too. In a July 1, 2021, tweet, Mr. Edwards said, "If you are making wildly disparaging com- ments about the vaccine, and have no public health expertise, you may be responsible for someone's death. Shut up." He was also sued in July by the mother of a young patient over a tweet he made and its "COVID" promo code for complimentary telehealth visits. e woman did not want her son associated with the word "COVID." Mr. Edwards tweeted Aug. 2, 2021, that his organization "decided to provide free COVID telemedicine to address the un- insured and reduce exposure risk. In the soware, a coupon code had to be chosen instead of [the] insurance field, 'COVID.' It was a public service. I regret [that] anyone would think it is part of a conspiracy theory." e CEO told Becker's that he stands behind his tweets and his goal of communicating accurate information. "I tend to no longer communicate [with people] if they push misinformation. If they have a legitimate question, I'll stay up all night to try to answer questions." Mr. Edwards noted that this approach has drawn mixed reactions — from the "occasional unhinged person," but also community mem- bers who are grateful that he's being outspoken. His openness included his COVID-19 diag- nosis as well. Mr. Edwards, who is fully vac- cinated and boosted, tested positive for the virus in January. He worked from home as he recovered and reported mild symptoms. Now, he is out of isolation and back at work — but only until May, when we will retire as CoxHealth CEO altogether. "I think it is rare that a CEO can be high- ly effective beyond 10 years," Mr. Edwards said in a Nov. 19 letter to staff. "It's easy to become rigid, recalcitrant and inadvertent- ly thwart progress, which are things I never want to do." Mr. Edwards' healthcare career spans near- ly three decades. He originally joined Cox- Health in 1982, beginning on the grounds crew and later working as an orderly until 1984. Aer college, graduate school and a residency, he returned to CoxHealth in 1992 and moved up the ranks to become president and CEO in 2012. roughout his career, a gi his father gave him aer he completed graduate school has stayed with him. e gi was a subscription to Money, which began in 1972 as a print magazine covering topics related to retire- ment and personal finance strategies. It is now an American personal finance brand and website. "He kept renewing [the magazine subscrip- tion] until it set home with me that the best way to plan for your future is to have enough money saved that you have the courage to be a good leader. I've seen too many leaders make decisions guarding their employment, guard- ing their career, their future, and maybe not making the most courageous decision." Mr. Edwards' advice for young leaders: "Have enough money in the bank that you don't worry about keeping your job, but fo- cus on doing your job." n Memorial Sloan Kettering CEO to step down By Georgina Gonzalez C raig Thompson, MD, is step- ping down from his role as president and CEO of New York City-based Memorial Sloan Ket- tering Cancer Center, according to a Feb. 3 news release. He will continue serving in the posi- tion until the board of trustees and governing trustees find his replace- ment. He took the helm of the orga- nization in November 2010, where it went on to expand its care network and double its workforce. "It has been a tremendous honor to lead this amazing organization over the last decade. I couldn't be proud- er of our progress," Dr. Thompson said in the news release. "As I look to the future, I believe this is the right time to begin the search for a new leader who will guide us through the next phase of executing on our stra- tegic vision and mission." Following his retirement from CEO, Dr. Thompson will stay on at the cen- ter as head of his laboratory and will devote his time to research. n