President and Chief Executive Officer, UR Medicine Thompson Health
With the organization since: 2011.
In current position since: 2012.
Education: Master of Science in healthcare system leadership, University of Rochester; Bachelor of Science in nursing, St. John Fisher University; Bachelor of Arts in psychology, SUNY Oswego.
Career Highlights: Prior to becoming Thompson Health’s president and CEO served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the health system’s hospital. Previous leadership roles included being CEO of Lakeside Health System in Brockport as well as president of Lakeside Memorial Hospital and chief operating officer, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services for the health system. Prior to that, worked at URMC for more than 13 years in various capacities, including as nurse manager of the burn/trauma ICU and the adult emergency department.
Current affiliations: St. John Fisher University board of trustees, Mercy Flight Central Board, Hillside Family of Agencies Board of Governors, Healthcare Association of New York State Board of Directors.
Skills that make you an effective leader? “I am an authentic, transparent leader. I am very visible, and I meet frequently with associates.”
How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “My approach is very goal-driven and data-driven. We’re very analytical in the decisions we make, and we always make sure we are doing what’s in the best interests of the patients, associates and residents.”
How do you personally demonstrate leadership and inspire your staff? “I like to get to know our associates, so I know what they’re doing and what makes them tick. I form relationships with them, and they know exactly how I feel and where I want us to go. It’s all out there for everyone to see. I send all associates weekly updates written by me, not by corporate communications. It’s authentic.”
How do you see the healthcare industry changing in the next few years, and how will you prepare the organization for those changes? “Healthcare as a whole needs to do a better job of driving down costs. Our country spends approximately 18% of its GDP on health care, and it’s not sustainable. At Thompson, we’re well prepared for this change because we’re knocking the value proposition out of the park, delivering high-quality care at a low cost. We will continue to do that.”
What are your top three priorities for your organization this year? “We will continue to focus on associate satisfaction — you can’t have high patient satisfaction without out it — so we will continue investing in our associates, communicating with them, and recognizing them. We will continue to expand and grow our primary care base. We will also continue to expand and grow our inpatient capacity.”
How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “The number of long-term care beds in this region has not recovered since the pandemic. There are simply not enough, which means it’s harder to discharge people from the hospital and therefore there are back-ups in emergency departments. Our biggest day-to-day challenge is the long-term care crisis. And it is a crisis. At the same time, the healthcare industry in this region can be improved by ensuring accessibility to high-quality care for everyone, with an increased focus on prevention.”
Tell us one thing about you that people generally don’t know? “I am a fanatical Dave Matthews fan. I’ve traveled all across the country to see him and have seen him over 80 times.”