Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/674245
53 Executive Briefing "All of these roles focus on transforming healthcare delivery. They're positive and disruptive," said Ms. O'Hare. "But CEOs are bringing these people in and saying they're going to transform the organization without thoughtfully articulating to the rest of the leadership team how to create the infrastructure to support them." Too often, these high-potential leaders are left out to dry. "It's important to remember they're not an island," said Ms. Sime. "They're a catalyst for change, but they're not solely responsi- ble for change." 3. They must be tech-savvy. The CIO is no longer the only ex- ecutive responsible for understanding technology's role in the hospital. "The CEO and the whole executive team need to un- derstand the power of technology and how to innovatively inte- grate it into the organization," said Ms. Sime. For instance, EHRs have a tremendous impact on physicians' daily lives. The arduous process of data entry is a significant contributor to physician dissatisfaction and frustration, yet doc- umentation is integral for maintaining accurate medical records and billing. Therefore, it is in CEOs' best interest to understand how EHRs have systemwide consequences and come up with solutions for improving their use. Another important technology-related competency for CEOs is extracting value from data. They have the tools to produce raw data, but they don't necessarily possess the means to cre- ate valuable, actionable insights from it. "Many organizations say they are swimming in data, but they're not quite sure how to utilize it," said Ms. Sime. "They don't know what information to screen out and what they need to improve. The leadership must take the lead role in defining what is important and what metrics drive strategic planning." 4. They must become comfortable with risk. Healthcare is not known for its ability to change as quickly as other industries, but change is occurring at a faster pace than ever before, ac- cording to Ms. Sime. "It's critical that leadership has the ability to not only see and understand change, but to be decisive in the face of a lot of un- knowns and innovate for future success," said Ms. Sime. Ms. O'Hare, who previously served as senior vice president of specialty hospitals for one health system, recalled the arduous meetings spent analyzing plans and strategies. "Organizations today have to be able to take some risk," she said. "The risk tolerance we had was minimal. We couldn't afford to make a lot of mistakes. A case could be made that in some ways we were actually rewarded for being risk-averse." Transformation requires risk, though striking the right balance can be tricky. "It's hard to be risk tolerant given the standards for compliance with regulations," said Mr. Samuel. "There are con- sequences if a risky decision goes bad." 5. A broader range of experiences will be an asset for new lead- ers. The traditional hospital executive who rose through the ranks of finance or operations and spent an entire career inside hospital walls may not be the prototype for the future, accord- ing to Mr. Samuel. "While core leadership qualities will remain relevant, change leaders need to have different experiences," he said. "Care is no longer concentrated inside hospital. It is expanding, with the help of technology, into wider networks of care that include the ambulatory and post-acute setting." Some hospitals have recruited executives from other industries with the hope that a resume full of different experiences and a fresh perspective on issues in healthcare would spur change and innovation. While this is certainly possible, Ms. Sime, Ms. O'Hare and Mr. Samuel agree these appointments are rarely successful. "Healthcare is a very complex environment that requires knowl- edge of a lot of processes, compliance, and frankly, dealing with people's lives," said Ms. Sime. An outsider inherently lacks the credibility necessary to wage influence over medical staff, according to Mr. Samuel, which is integral to effecting any change in care delivery. Ultimately, if a hospital is seeking someone with different kinds of experiences, a candidate with multi-industry experience that includes health- care is ideal. Conclusion Taking care of the hospital workforce is equally important as tak- ing care of patients, because staff's wellbeing has a direct im- pact on the quality of care they provide. Younger generations of workers have eclipsed the number of working baby boomers and Gen-X'ers, and the younger generation has different ideals when it comes to their lives at work. In many ways, these differ- ences place higher standards on the leadership to improve their communication skills — something that will ultimately benefit them in every capacity of leading the organization. Healthcare leaders of the future also need to develop a bet- ter relationship with technology and understand how to use it to inform strategy. They will need to create support sys- tems for new leaders and become more comfortable with risk. Keeping in mind these important competencies will put hospitals and health systems on the tracks to success. n Sponsored by: For more than 40 years, Integrated Healthcare Strategies (Gallagher Integrated), a division of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc., has provided consultative services and people-based solutions to clients across the healthcare spectrum, including community and children's hospitals, academic medical centers, health networks, clinics, and assisted-care providers. Our Gallagher Integrated consultants and nationally recog- nized thought-leaders help organizations achieve their business goals, by ensuring top talent is attracted, retained and engaged, while measuring and maximizing human and organizational performance. With tailored solutions that extend well beyond single services, Gallagher Integrated offers the knowledge, guidance, and insights that organizations need to not only survive the rapidly changing healthcare environment, but to succeed in it.