Becker's Hospital Review

61 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP emails aer work hours. A substantive amount of litera- ture discusses how a high degree of connectivity or compulsion to re- spond to emails promptly, even aer work, leads to increased stress. For example, in an article in the Harvard Business Review called "Your late- night emails are hurting your team," Maura omas, a TEDx Speaker, au- thor of Personal Productivity Secrets and founder of RegainYourTime. com, says never disconnecting from email causes people to skip out on essential "down time" necessary for rejuvenating and producing fresh insights before returning to work the next morning. "Creativity, inspiration, and motivation are your competitive ad- vantage, but they are also depletable resources that need to be recharged," Ms. omas wrote. Mr. Van Gorder notes that the level of connectedness he practices is not for everyone, but it is what works for him. "For my personality, I'd probably be more stressed if I was out of contact or unavailable." All leaders must determine the standards they hold for themselves for communication, as well as rea- sonable standards for others. Mr. Van Gorder points out that his per- sonal standards for communication do not indicate a lack of trust in his staff or Scripps' internal processes. He simply enjoys corresponding with the people he works with. "To be honest, the greatest joy I get in this job is connecting to pa- tient care and the frontlines of the organization. It's my roots and I find great comfort and motivation being right where the important work is taking place." n 6 Questions with Dr. Imran Andrabi, CEO of Mercy Health- Toledo By Tamara Rosin I mran Andrabi, MD, wears many hats. In March, he became president, CEO and chief network integration officer of Mercy Health-Toledo (Ohio), which serves 20 counties in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. He also serves as board chair for Mercy Health Physi- cians, which represents more than 1,300 providers in Ohio and Kentucky. A physician leader and health system executive, Dr. An- drabi is uniquely poised to bring "frontline" experiences, questions and concerns to the C-suite. He leads the Mercy Health system with a nuanced awareness of the many clinical and administrative perspectives that influence the workings — and ultimately success — of an organization. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: How does being a physician lend you unique capabilities as a hospital leader, as opposed to solely having a business background? Dr. Imran Andrabi: Some of my opinions might seem a little biased, but having the perspective of a practicing physician for the last 23 years is pretty unique. I still see patients and teach residents in our residency clinic, so it makes it very real in terms of seeing what we're doing in the community in Toledo. is perspective helps in working with administrators, as it allows me to contribute first-hand knowledge and stories from physicians on the frontlines. When you can speak [physicians'] language and share experiences, it creates a lot of credibility with respect to other physicians. Many times I hear them say, 'I don't have to explain this to you — you know what I'm saying.' Being a physician administrator allows me to bridge the language between the clinical and administrative. In today's healthcare environment, with the growing emphasis on population health and clinical integration, having a background understanding of how patients and their families traverse the healthcare system brings a unique perspective to the table in terms of strategy, execution and decision making. Q: What are some of the biggest obstacles you've observed regard- ing physician engagement at Mercy Health? Have you identified any tactics that are more effective for promoting engagement than others? Does being a physician yourself help in this regard? IA: I think one of the biggest challenges — and this really isn't an obstacle but an opportunity — is giving the physicians who see patients on a daily basis enough time and space to understand the changes happening in the healthcare environment and THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

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