Becker's Hospital Review

33 CEO / STRATEGY Houston Methodist, NewYork-Presbyterian, Penn Medicine CEOs on being excellent By Kelly Gooch I n the aermath of the pandemic, hospital and health systems CEOs must navigate more challenges than ever as they steer their organi- zation with a focus on long-term vision and day-to-day operations. at's why it's crucial to have the best leaders possible at the helm. But, that raises the question: What separates the "excellent" from the "good?" Here, Becker's asked leaders of top health systems to identify the mindset or practices that separate a good CEO from an excellent one. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity. Marc Boom, MD. President and CEO of Houston Methodist: Be- ing transparent isn't always easy, but it's always the right thing to do. Transparency is the key to building trust and respect — major build- ing blocks of great teams. Be the champion and the guardian of your institution's culture. To do this you must be ready to set the example you want others to follow. If you're doing a good job, eventually you'll start following others' exam- ples. at's when you know your culture has taken root. Lead with passion around the institution's reason for being, which in healthcare is putting patients at the center of everything. Bring out the best in everyone, creating a cohesive team with an "ev- eryone wins" mentality. If you want to win the World Cup you've got to start with World Cup caliber players, but it is the job of the leader to ensure these highly skilled players perform together as a team. Steven J. Corwin, MD. President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyteri- an (New York City): You have to adapt, and course correct when nec- essary. At the height of the pandemic, the biggest challenge our health system faced was being able to create enough ICU beds to withstand the high demand by patients. We had to create ICUs out of operating rooms, ICUs out of procedure suites, ICUs out of conference areas. at meant construction. It meant creating negative pressure rooms. It meant piping in oxygen. Our creativity and agility in responding to the urgency of the time is what allowed us to persevere. Diversity is something else I feel strongly about. Diversity of thought, gender, age, race. I truly believe that when teams have diversity, teams do better, which results in better results overall. Additionally, an excellent CEO is one who prioritizes the mental health and well-being of its staff. ese last few years we have expe- rienced one of the worst public health crises that I have seen in my 40-year career. As difficult as the last three years have been, we have made addressing burnout and prioritizing our team's mental, emo- tional and physical well-being our top priority. at can only be done by listening and talking with your employees — it's about hearing both the good and the bad and finding ways to address these issues. At NewYork-Presbyterian, we have instituted a zero harm initiative and have provided well-being and mental health resources to staff and employees (e.g., well-being coaches, psychological symptom tracker, etc.), ensuring a secure and safe environment for all who work at our hospital. Kevin Mahoney. CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System (Philadelphia): You can't approach the world as it is today. You have to imagine it as it will be 10 years from now and advance toward the future you envision. I oen say success is the daily pursuit of a worthy goal. At Penn Medicine, we work toward our goals through strategy, execution, communication and culture — and the only way to execute is by empowering your workforce and building a culture where people want to flourish, develop and advance in their careers. n CEO to depart 1,000-physician medical group By Ayla Ellison T he CEO of Duly Health and Care, a medical group with more than 1,000 physicians, is exiting and a new leader has been appointed. Downers Grove, Ill.-based Duly Health and Care announced Sept. 7 that Steve Nelson is leaving his position as CEO and co-chair. "This was a planned departure and thoughtful transition that Steve will support," a Duly spokesperson told The Chicago Tribune. Duly Health and Care, formerly DuPage Medical Group, appointed Tami Reller as its CEO and co-chair, effective Sept. 16. Ms. Reller, who has more than 20 years of leadership experience, was appointed CEO after serving as Duly Health and Care's president since May 2021. She previously served as chief marketing, digital and experience officer at UnitedHealthcare. "Tami's tenure in health care along with her proven track record in expand ing access to patient care, enhanc ing the expe ri ence, and part ner ing with physi cians to advance the orga ni za tion, is immea sur able," said Paul Merrick, MD, the chief physician executive and co-chair of Duly Health and Care. "Her appoint ment is well-deserved. I look for ward to part ner ing with Tami and our teams to meet peo ple where they are and sup port every step of their health and care jour ney for health i er, hap pi er lives." n

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