Becker's Hospital Review

73 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Retiring Memorial Healthcare CEO Frank Sacco Shares Advice From His 42-Year Career By Emily Rappleye F eb. 29 is a significant day at Holly- wood, Fla.-based Memorial Health- care System. It marks the last day of Frank Sacco's tenure as president and CEO of MHS, a 28-year stretch of marked growth for what is now one of the largest public health systems by revenue in the country. Mr. Sacco joined MHS in 1974, aer serving in the Army Medical Service Corps. He earned a master's degree in healthcare management from Mi- ami-based Florida International University and worked his way up through several management and administrative positions. When Mr. Sacco took the helm as CEO in 1987, MHS was a very different health system from today. Under Mr. Sacco's leadership, the system has grown from one to six hospitals, a nursing home, home health agency and primary and urgent care centers that col- lectively employ more than 11,000 and work with 1,700 physi- cians. We checked in with Mr. Sacco to glean some advice from his accomplished career. Here, he reflects on the importance of cul- ture in driving growth, transitioning between leaders and what he looks forward to most come Feb. 29. Question: Why did you go into healthcare? Frank Sacco: It's interesting because I never studied for that; sociology was my major in college. I was commissioned through ROTC as an Army Medical Service Corps Officer and I caught the bug. I was stationed at Walson Army Hospital in Fort Dix, N.J. I was a medical supply officer in the Second Infantry Division sta- tioned in the Republic of Korea, and then I served at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. At that point, when I got out, I said, "is is the career I want." I took a job outside of [healthcare] — a management train- ing position — for five months, until I saw an opening at Me- morial Hospital in Florida. I applied and didn't get it, but was offered another. I took the job to get my foot back in the door at the hospital and then went back to school for my master's [in healthcare management]. Q: Looking back on your career, what do you see as your greatest accomplishment? FS: It was the development of both the culture of putting the patient first, as well as developing a high-performing, cohesive executive management team. I don't want to look at bricks and mortar — growing MHS from one to six facilities, including a first-class children's hospital known for heart transplants and soon-to-be doing kidney transplants — because the real accom- plishment is developing this culture where everything we do, we do it around the patient and the patient's family. We define the family broadly, as whoever the patient considers family. Q: As you mentioned, under your leadership MHS grew from one to six hospitals, and you were also able to develop a clinically integrated network of physicians and other hospitals. From your experience, what is your best advice to other administrators also trying to drive growth and clinical integration? FS: e real key is first to define the culture and have that culture embedded in your healthcare system. When you do that, it's a lot easier to grow and expand. You can't ignore strategy, but a lot of people are really good at strategy, and where they break down is implementation. We excel at implementation. You can have a vision or strategy, but you have to be good im- plementers. at's critical. If you have the culture that drives your system, it's easier to get physicians and employees on board as to what you want to accomplish — whether that's building another children's hospital, a re- habilitation hospital, a clinically integrated network or outpatient network — whatev- er it is, it's easier because they buy into the "The real key is first to define the culture and have that culture embedded in your healthcare system. When you do that, it's a lot easier to grow and expand."

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