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15 Health Execs Reveal How They Stay Motivated
Tracey Walker
How do healthcare executives stay passionate about coming to work and keeping things positive and new? Managed Healthcare Executive asked 15 of them, and here’s what they said.
How do healthcare executives stay passionate about coming to work and keeping things positive and new?
Managed Healthcare Executive asked 15 of them, and here’s what they said:
“I make a point of leaving my (business) office and walk around the hospital and clinics. It helps remind me why we are all here-to serve our patients. It also reinforces how thankful and blessed I am that my family and I are healthy.”
-Doug Chaet, chief managed care officer, Cleveland Clinic
“A friend of mine once shared with me the following pithy but incontrovertible observation: ‘When you’re swimming with alligators, it’s hard to remember that your objective was to drain the swamp.’ Many of us have jobs that involve a whole lot of alligators, which are at best annoying and at worst downright dangerous-and it can be hard to remember the objective.
“For those of us who work in healthcare, however, that objective is what motivates us. Wherever in the complex and sometimes murky swamp of healthcare we reside, our motivation for entering it was probably the same: to improve lives. When motivation flags, remembering that objective can be sustaining-and can help make the alligators a bit more bearable.”
-David Bowen, global health lead at Hill+Knowlton Strategies
“I stay motivated in my career by practicing what I preach: I avoid highly addicting prescription pain medication and turn to non-invasive, drug-free approaches first. I reflect on my blessings, express gratitude whenever I can, eat whole foods, and take time for my health.”
-Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
“It’s okay to be wrong. Having a hypothesis, even if it ends up being disproven, can help keep you focused on getting to the right answer quickly.”
- Atul Pathiyal, SVP of product and strategy at CAQH
“I gain inspiration and motivation through what Abraham Lincoln called ‘leadership by walking around.’ I get out of my office and talk to my co-workers as well as clients and prospects, gain insights into the issues and challenges they face, how they solve complex and simple problems, and where we as an organization can create the greatest impact for them.”
-John Specht, vice president of sales and marketing, eQHealth Solutions
“I stay motivated in my career by visiting foreign countries every year and learning about how they deliver and finance healthcare. This is done by attending the TPG International Health Academy Trade/Study missions.”
-Perry Cohen, CEO, The Pharmacy Group
“Listening to people’s experiences and needs is one of the best ways I know to stay motivated. It provides both encouragement for innovation as you hear what people need to do their jobs better and inspiration when what we do helps people access and benefit from higher quality care.”
-Kevin Kickhaefer, president, Consumer Medical
“What motivates me most is overcoming challenges through creative problem-solving and a positive attitude.”
-John Holaday, chairman, founder & CEO of DisposeRx
“I stay motivated by balancing my time between strategizing and ideating, while staying hyper connected with team members and clients. I also find balance in music, travel, exercise, and spending quality time with family and friends.”
-Brian Robertson, founder & CEO, VisiQuate
“The sources of my motivation are continual improvement, because we can never let our own growth stagnate us, and the invaluable relationships we build with passionate, dedicated people along the way.”
-Eric Rock, founder and CEO, Vivify Health
“By attending national telehealth meetings three to four times a year, I enhance my excitement about the virtual health space by networking with colleagues and staying abreast of new technology and use cases.”
-Gigi Sorenson, RN, MSN, chief clinical officer, GlobalMed
“Keeping up with innovations in patient care in industry journals and healthcare business media such as Managed Healthcare Executive is one of the ways I stay motivated. It’s exciting to stay current on all of the different ways that biometric and delivery technology are exploding-and how that’s enabling healthcare to take place in people’s homes and other everyday settings while they live their lives.”
-Harry Soza, CEO, CAREMINDr
“I make sure I’m passionate about the work I do. If you are engaged in something that does not keep you motivated, get out.”
-Matthew Sappern, CEO, PeriGen
“I stay motivated by focusing on the tremendous opportunity we have in front of us: to truly transform healthcare for Americans. This means making the consumer experience simpler, more affordable and more accessible by delivering care when and where they need it: in their homes, in their communities, or in the palm of their hands.
“Also, I lead a healthcare company and advocate for better health so that keeps me motivated to be an example of good health by being physically active and paying attention to my nutrition. I’ve had family members who have struggled with diseases that have been worsened by inactivity and poor lifestyle habits, so I know firsthand the impact that an unhealthy lifestyle can have.”
-Karen S. Lynch, executive vice president, CVS Health president, Aetna
“As a leader in healthcare, I am faced with the ever-changing struggle to control the rapidly inflating cost of care, which is directly associated with poorer outcomes. It is my quest to introduce new resources and initiatives-such as transitional care management, urgent care facilities for chronic patients, community health information exchanges-for my patients that will better lead our system to a patient-centric, value-based model of care.”
- Scott Fowler, MD, president and CEO of Holston Medical Group