Chief Medical Officer, Senior Vice President of Medical Services and Medical Director of Urgent Care, UR Medicine Thompson Health
With the organization since: 1987.
In current position since: 2014.
Education: Albany Medical College, medical degree; University of Rochester Medical Center, internship and residency; Cornell University Law School, law degree.
Career Highlights: “Becoming involved in the medical staff executive leadership at Thompson and working with the former and current administrators to engage medical staff in a meaningful quality improvement process.”
Current affiliations: Attending emergency department physician, F.F. Thompson Hospital.
Skills that make you an effective leader? “The chief skill of any leader is to engage his or her staff and motivate them to be a part of a team with the goal of problem-solving difficult issues.”
How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “I believe that hiring capable, competent and self-motivated managers and directors is the solid foundation on which to build an organization. I give them substantial independence to formulate and execute their plans to address an issue or develop a project. I am always in the background but avoid a micro-managing approach that stifles innovation and creativity.”
How do you personally demonstrate leadership and inspire your staff? “I never ask my staff to do what I would not ask of myself. I always put forth a positive disposition and show respect to every member of the organization. I go out of my way to engage our frontline staff in brief conversations in the hallways that sends a powerful message that I am a willing listener. Many years ago, I worked for US Sen. Daniel Moynihan who told me, ‘Listening is an artform.’”
How do you see the healthcare industry changing in the next few years, and how will you prepare the organization for those changes? “The big catalysts are artificial intelligence and the ever-increasing cost of health insurance. AI could have a profound impact in making healthcare more efficient that eliminates wasteful duplication of medical services and procedures. If so, the cost of health care could decline. The stratospheric increase in insurance premiums threatens the existing health insurance model. Commercial health insurance is modeled on profit, often at the expense of good patient care. Hospitals will need to prepare for a system that is based on a single payer model. Alternatively, we may pivot to another direction and have individuals start health savings accounts (HSA) that are funded by a combination of funding from the government, a person’s employer and the individual. Prospective patients would need to be their own advocate and spend their HSA funds wisely with price and quality transparency being an important linchpin of this model.”
What are your top three priorities for your organization this year? “I continue to emphasize the importance of delivering high quality healthcare. I want the community members to have the highest level of confidence that their care will be unsurpassed and that they and their families will be safe in our care. Our leadership will continue to grow vital services so patients can be provided care in a timely fashion. We will continue our mission to hire and retain exceptional physicians and providers to our staff.”
How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “At Thompson Health, we identified that there was a great need to develop a strong primary care network. We continue that successful model to allow patients to have access to highly qualified physicians and their advanced practice providers. The great benefit in creating a strong primary care network is the emphasis on preventive medicine — keeping patients healthy and free of chronic disease.”
Tell us one thing about you that people generally don’t know “I am a huge baseball fan and the Yankees are my team! Nothing is better than attending a Yankees game in the Bronx and sitting behind home plate (upper deck due to cost) with my $15 flat beer and $12 bag of overly salted popcorn!”