Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/821337
105 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP to sound like. People no longer feel that they have to be associ- ated with any particular practice or health system. It's about who they are comfortable with as healthcare consumers. RW: What elements of leadership do you consider most important for this next generation? DMP: Next generation leaders need to have strong commu- nication skills. Confidence is also important. Leaders need to be able to answer questions with 99.9 percent accuracy, and if they can't, they need the commitment to go research it and come back with an answer. They also need to be accessible, authentic and transparent when they can, while also under- standing that some things are confidential. Young leaders have to present themselves well and be good role models because leadership roles are far more public than they've ever been before. Every decision about where they are, what picture they take and how they post it is front and center. RW: Many healthcare systems across the country are try- ing to navigate this transforming and increasingly unde- fined healthcare landscape. What advice do you have for their leadership teams about preparing the next genera- tion of leaders? DMP: I'm not a huge sports fan — I follow enough to be rel- evant — but I like to look at leaders as coaches. If you look at coaches in the NFL or the NBA, they're constantly active and engaged. They're on their feet, going up and down the court or field. That's how I see leadership. It's active, not passive. People love being on a winning team, and a winning team has an active coach. If there is failure, the coach takes 100 percent responsibility. When there's success, the coach says it was all due to the remarkable team. A coach must also have rules. One of my rules is I don't send emails out after 7 p.m. because people need to have time without me. On Fridays I usually say, "Thank you for a great week. Go enjoy your family." I never say, "Monday at 6:00 a.m., I need a briefing!" The biggest rule is even when you know how to do something, teach the next generation of leaders how to do it, and give them enough space to either be successful or fail. If you've got great talent, keep that coaching until you get to perfection. n 4 questions with The Johns Hopkins Hospital President Dr. Redonda Miller By Erin Dietsche R edonda Miller, MD, MBA, has served as president of Baltimore-based e Johns Hopkins Hospital since July 1, 2016. She is the first female president in the hospital's 128-year history. Most recently, Dr. Miller was senior vice president for medical affairs for e Johns Hopkins Health System and vice presi- dent of medical affairs for e Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Miller earned her MBA from Johns Hopkins University and her medical de- gree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Question: If you could eliminate one of the healthcare in- dustry's problems overnight, which would it be? Dr. Redonda Miller: We have an amazing healthcare system in our country, but addressing significant problems could result in better ef- ficiencies and care for patients. If I could improve one problem over- night, I'd choose the issue of soaring drug costs. We've seen voluminous increases in drug costs, and those increases adversely affect everyone. First and foremost, they affect our patients. Even individuals with "good" insurance are paying increased costs through higher premiums. As hos- pital administrators, we're also impacted. If we treat patients without in- surance, we, naturally, assume at least some of the costs of their care, in- cluding prescription costs. In Maryland, which operates under a unique insurance payment system with fixed annual revenues for hospitals, those increased drug costs also place an extra burden on our budgets as they aren't always compensated appropriately. It's an area that needs to be addressed as we work to rein in our healthcare expenditures. Q: What does it mean to you to be the first female presi- dent of The Johns Hopkins Hospital? RM: My career at e Johns Hopkins Hospital has progressed naturally — from clinical practice to positions of increasing responsibility. So my appointment felt like a natural next step for me, no matter my gender. I do realize women make 80 percent of healthcare decisions in the Unit- ed States, and also that women hold about three-fourths of healthcare jobs. But the number of women who hold healthcare CEO positions is significantly lower. I'm thrilled to join what is a growing number of women CEOs in healthcare and believe my experience will serve as an example for women and girls who are interested in science, healthcare and medicine. I hope my journey offers inspiration for others. Q: What's the best decision you've ever made? What's the worst decision you've ever made? RM: Without a doubt, the best decision I've ever made was the decision to interview at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 29 years ago. I grew up in Ohio and initially planned to attend medical school there, but a friend suggested that, with my grades, I should consider attending Hopkins, one of the preeminent medical schools in the nation. I was accepted and never le. I love Hopkins; it has become my home. e best part of Hopkins is that it is not only collegial, but dedicated to in- novation and the drive for excellence. Both are not only encouraged, but a way of life here. As far as my worst decision, I once was in charge of leading an initia- tive with significant time constraints. I compiled a team and le out the person I knew would be negative. Aer the initiative was complete, it became clear that the person I le out had incredibly valuable com- ments to offer. I learned a great deal from that experience. When you need to compile a team of decision-makers, you need to have a variety of perspectives and points of view at the table. If you do that, you will come to a more intelligent, well-informed decision.