From Silos to Influence: How One Leader Found His Voice in a Matrixed World

“I’m a better leader, a better husband, and a better father because of what I’ve learned.”

At The Leadership Development Group (TLD Group), our coaching engagements often begin with a clear objective—enhancing a leader’s presence, communication, or strategic influence. In a recent engagement, TLD Group senior coach, Jenifer Hill, collaborated with a senior executive at a global foodservice distribution organization.

Operating within a complex matrix structure, the leader was charged with driving results across fragmented, under-resourced business segments while aligning with multiple stakeholders across the enterprise. The organization’s work—delivering essential food and nutrition services to hospitals and care settings—adds another layer of urgency and coordination, making the ability to lead through influence, not just authority, a critical skill.

This engagement centered on helping the leader break through internal silos, build cross-functional alignment, and step into a more strategic, empowered leadership voice.

Unlocking Leadership Potential: Coaching Emerging Talent to Step into the Future

In today’s fast-paced global marketplace, the success of an organization hinges on its ability to develop future-ready leaders. For TLD Group executive coach Mark J. Williams, that means meeting emerging leaders where they are—and pushing them to where they need to go.

Helping Leaders Navigate Conflict to Build Stronger Collaboration 

What happens when a leader’s growth vision is overshadowed by their strained organizational relationships? This was the core challenge facing Dr. Lilian Abrams, TLD Group Faculty Member, when she began coaching a physician leader in a rapidly expanding southeastern US healthcare system. This leader's strategic vision was clear, but the challenging interpersonal dynamics he had with his direct manager threatened not only implementation of his vision, but his own tenure as a leader. In this edition of our Faculty Highlight Series, we explore how Lilian guided this leader from conflict to collaboration, transforming both his professional impact and his team’s growth trajectory.

Guiding Leaders Through Growth, Grit, and Gut Instinct

What happens when brilliance outpaces connection? That was the core question Ted Witherell, TLD Group Faculty Member, set out to explore with one of his recent coaching clients—a high-performing scientist at a Boston-based pharmaceutical organization, whose strategic mind had carried him far but whose interpersonal approach was holding him back. In this edition of our Faculty Highlight Series, we dive into how Ted helped this leader evolve from an individual contributor with vision into a senior executive who could inspire, influence, and elevate others across a rapidly expanding organization.

From Direct Care to Executive Leadership: A Nurse’s Journey

At TLD Group, we are proud to highlight the expertise of our faculty members, whose deep experience and strategic insights empower leaders across the health ecosystem. This month, we feature Marsha Hughes-Rease, MSN, MSOD, PCC, an executive coach and tenured TLD Group Faculty Member dedicated to supporting senior leaders and executives in navigating complex transitions and enhancing their leadership impact.

Navigating Leadership Transitions in Healthcare

Leadership transitions are pivotal moments for any organization, requiring a thoughtful and strategic approach to ensure continuity and success. For OSF HealthCare, founded by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, supporting leadership succession during a period of significant growth was a top priority. With operations spanning 16 hospitals across Illinois and Michigan and more than 24,000 Mission Partners, OSF HealthCare partnered with TLD Group to prepare for these transitions. Paul Erdahl, PhD, LP, a seasoned TLD Group executive coach and succession expert, guided this complex process to help ensure long-term leadership effectiveness.

A funny thing is happening among senior leadership teams in health systems (and other sectors as well). More and more clients are telling us that multiple members of their senior leadership teams, starting with the CEO on down, could retire if they wanted to. Then they are quick to say “But of course, no one has any immediate plans to retire,--and that’s a good thing because we really don’t have any real successors.” That statement is often followed by some nervous laughter, and maybe someone muttering “We really need to do something about a succession plan.” Then it’s usually onto the next subject.

Focus on your Talent : The Importance of Succession Management

Developing strong talent and building bench strength within an organization’s workforce enhances the financial value of an organization.¹ However, the market has been faced with a talent shortage, leaving key roles unfilled or filled with personnel not fit for the position.^2,3 This requires a strategic approach to succession management, that includes:

There’s a new war for talent upon us as organizations face both planned and unplanned retirements coming out of the pandemic. We know that those companies with formalized succession plans are better prepared to respond to the increasingly competitive landscape for recruiting new talent and retaining existing talent.  

Building a High-Performing Team in a Global Pharmaceutical Company

Leadership transitions, particularly in highly specialized industries like pharmaceuticals, can present unique challenges. When our client, a global pharmaceutical company, hired a new R&D global regulatory affairs head, they reached out to TLD Group for assimilation and team development support. The new leader chose Janet Polach, a seasoned TLD Group  leadership executive coach, to assist her in assimilating to the organization’s culture and creating a high performing team.   

In the complex and ever-changing world of healthcare, HR leaders face immense pressure to cultivate leadership that can navigate uncertainty, drive innovation, and foster resilience. Balancing these demands while managing day-to-day responsibilities can be overwhelming. That’s why many forward-thinking healthcare systems are turning to trusted partners like TLD Group to outsource their leadership development needs. Here’s why it’s a smart move for your organization:

As the year comes to a close, we’re proud to highlight some of the incredible work we’ve accomplished with our clients. From developing diverse global leaders to fostering collaboration and engagement, these success stories reflect the power of partnership and innovation in leadership development. 

Navigating Leadership Transitions in Healthcare

In today’s fast-paced healthcare landscape, leadership transitions present both opportunities and risks. With Forbes reporting that 50-70% of newly hired CEOs fail within their first 18 months, the need for strong, strategic leadership is more critical than ever. Kimberly McNally, MN, RN, BCC, Senior Consultant with TLD Group, recently partnered with a CEO of a state hospital association as she navigated the complexities of stepping into the CEO role after a long-serving predecessor.

Embracing the Future by Leading with Vision and Resilience 

2025 is poised to be a year of substantial transformation.  Policy changes resulting from a new incoming administration, new technologies reshaping the industry, and patient/consumer expectations intensifying will no doubt require leaders to lead with courage, adaptability, and focus. A clear challenge emerges for leaders: how will you rise to meet this moment?

A Catalyst for Culture Change in Organizations

Meet Kathy F. Bernhard, a leader in succession planning and leadership development, whose work with TLD Group has transformed how healthcare organizations navigate leadership transitions.

Elevating Healthcare Leadership through Emotional Intelligence

In this edition of the Faculty Highlight Series, we feature Greg Carlson, an expert action learning facilitator, OD consultant, and executive coach. In this blog, Greg explores how to leverage Action Learning to help leaders execute strategies while navigating the complexities of today's rapidly changing business environment. His work focuses on empowering teams to thrive amid ambiguity while fostering a culture of continuous learning.

The Role of Physician Leadership Development in Healthcare Transformation

In our Faculty Highlight Series, we shine a spotlight on the impactful work of our coaches and consultants through client case studies. Today, we feature Amer Kaissi, PhD, whose concept of 'Humbitious Leadership' is revolutionizing healthcare leadership. His work exemplifies the transformative power of TLD Group’s faculty in fostering emotional intelligence and effective leadership.

In our Faculty Highlight Series, we shine a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of our cadre of coaches and consultants through specific client case studies. Today we are featuring Jill Perrin, whose exceptional work within the discipline of global pharmaceutical leadership coaching exemplifies the impact and expertise of TLD Group’s faculty.

Learn the importance of and essential strategies for succession planning in healthcare. Discover practical guidance, and best practices to ensure seamless leadership transitions during times of succession.

Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

Key Steps for Developing and Maintaining High-Performance Teams

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, the role of leadership has become increasingly critical. Transformational leadership, which drives change and innovation, is more essential than ever.

The health ecosystem, encompassing both providers and pharmaceutical sectors, presents unique leadership challenges. Navigating complex stakeholder relationships, regulatory environments, and rapid technological advancements requires a robust set of leadership skills. As a leadership development firm specializing in coaching senior leaders within this ecosystem, we examined the coaching goals of nearly 100 TLD Group coaching clients across 13 unique provider and pharmaceutical clients, exploring patterns and trends that could inform targeted coaching interventions. To view the study in its entirety including research methods and limitations, click here.

The end of each year brings opportunities for reflection and planning for what’s next. This year-end is a special one for TLD Group: the celebration of our 15-year anniversary. As we close out this milestone year, we look back on the lessons we’ve learned over the last fifteen years creating leadership development solutions, recommit to the values and mission that fuel our work, and show appreciation for the team members and clients who have helped us reach our milestone. 

When considering our work over the past 15 years, one major theme comes to mind as the key to leadership success: aligning passion with purpose. Leaders in our industry are, more often than not, drawn to serve in healthcare because of a pivotal personal experience or a desire to improve health and wellbeing for others. We know that in order for work to be meaningful, passion (something that excites you) must be aligned with purpose (deep-seated motivation behind doing something). 

Insights from TLD Group on our growth and transformation over the past 15 years developing leaders across the health ecosystem.

Dust off your competency model and learn simple techniques to reap the rewards of your leadership success factors.

Imagine this: you are the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of a large health plan and you’ve just been told that the CEO has announced, unexpectedly, that they’ll be retiring in six months. You have no successor in place, nor a plan for any of their incumbents. Soon, there will be an empty executive role to fill, and even the most qualified internal candidate would require months of time to ramp up to adjust to the new job. 

Despite all the talk about burnout - what causes it and its impact on health and wellness -  reports of employees and leaders experiencing feelings of fatigue, lack of productivity, and disengagement are on the rise. In this recent study, over 50 percent of the survey’s respondents reported burnout with the highest levels found among healthcare workers.

In the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, innovation is a key driver of progress and improved patient outcomes. While traditional healthcare organizations continue to play a crucial role in care delivery, disruptors — healthcare adjacent companies that are shifting the healthcare industry by making big changes that significantly redefine the way care is delivered — are projected to represent an increasingly larger share of the market. According to a report from McKinsey & Company on what to expect from disruptors in the future, retail clinics, AI and wearable devices, telehealth, and digital platforms within HST (Health and Services Technology) are expected to grow significantly over the next few years. 

At The Leadership Development Group, we’re experts in executive coaching. And, we recognize that if you haven’t been fortunate enough to experience coaching yourself, you may fall prey to some common misconceptions. In this blog, we’re debunking some of the most common myths surrounding executive coaching and providing a few ways to maximize your coaching experience.

There’s a reason the American Nurses Association calls nurses the “backbone of healthcare provision in the United States.” Nurses provide critical health care services, are often a patient’s first or primary point of contact throughout their care journey, and help promote overall health and wellness in the communities they serve through education and practice. 

As the world of work changes, organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain optimal talent. In response, healthcare organizations are reviewing — and in some cases, overhauling — their talent strategies to validate leadership competencies and prepare leaders to meet current and future challenges. 

The United States labor market is in a state of transformation, with major shifts taking place in demographics, technology, and the nature of work. Demographically, the workforce is aging, with more people over the age of 75 continuing to work and younger generations entering the workforce with different skills and expectations. Automation, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies are changing the way we work, while remote work and telecommuting are becoming more prevalent than ever before. Finally, the nature of work itself is evolving. As more tasks lend themselves to automation and support from artificial intelligence, more emphasis is placed on workforce creativity, problem solving, and collaboration.  

In our last blog, we discussed the many challenges facing leaders in the life sciences industry in 2023, including heightened consumer awareness, increased competition for talent, and the rapid pace of change in the industry. Now, as a part of our “Making The Case” series, we’re exploring how one of our pharmaceutical clients is stepping up by developing diverse talent capable of succeeding in today’s complex business environment.

At TLD Group, we’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months considering the massive changes that are taking place in the health ecosystem, as well as the leaders whose jobs are changing every day because of these disruptions. This month, we’re honing in on the state of life sciences and its impact on executives, specifically leaders in the pharmaceutical sector, who play a critical role in the health ecosystem through researching, developing, and distributing vital treatments.  

Earlier this month, we exploredTLD Group’s vision of creating a more interconnected and equitable health ecosystem by developing leaders who are collaborative change agents. In our next series of blogs, “Making The Case,” we will explore some specific steps we’re taking to achieve this goal. 

You’ve probably heard the old maxim “can’t see the forest for the trees” being used to describe a person, or an organization, that doesn’t understand a broader situation because they’re only considering individual parts or portions of it. When that person is so focused on a single issue that they forget, or overlook, the real purpose behind what they’re doing, they miss the big picture — often to the detriment of the people and teams around them. 

Consider the changes in the health industry this past year, ranging from an increased focus on health equity, to new collaborations between diverse partners and a search for a solution to the burnout problem. It’s clear that massive shifts are taking place in the health ecosystem and beyond, and leaders across industries are experiencing the shockwaves of disruption. 

As we look back on the past two years and plan for 2023, I am amazed at the significant transformations our clients experienced as they built their capacity to survive, and in many instances thrive, during the pandemic.   

At TLD Group, we’ve spent a lot of time this year thinking about how to drive success in a continually changing, somewhat chaotic health ecosystem. How can leaders drive innovation and promote wellness when barriers to success come up at every turn? 

While Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to reflect on giving thanks. At TLD Group, we believe that gratitude is an important daily practice for individuals and team members. 

On October 20, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new framework on workplace well-being that does more than offer simple guidelines. It demonstrates how the country’s leaders are placing a new emphasis on healthy employees and workplaces as a result of the changing nature of work. 

Leaders, if it feels like guiding your organization is harder than ever right now, you’re not alone. After all, factors including high turnover, increased demand for emotional intelligence in the midst of complicated workforce well-being challenges, and societal unrest are all contributing to making your role more complex — and more draining. 

Leadership turnover has remained high over the past few years in the health ecosystem, with recent research by the American College of Healthcare Executives reporting an 18% turnover rate for CEOs. As executives leave, human resources (HR) leaders are left with tough questions around who will take their place. What does success and growth look like for their organization? How does a company find, and hire, an executive who wants to create the workforce of the future -  diverse, technologically competent, and global? Who, whether they are inside or outside of the company, is in a position to replace the incumbent? 

You’ve likely heard leaders being described as either having or lacking “executive presence.” You might even agree that it’s important to have, yet uncertain about how to define it. If this rings true for you, know you are not alone. In a survey of more than 350 human relations (HR) professionals, 92% agreed that executive presence is an important part of leadership, but 51% of respondents also said that it’s difficult to define. 

Many leaders take a passive approach towards their own development, often waiting for their manager or someone else in the organization to offer the opportunity for professional growth. Why wait? Advocating for your own development demonstrates a core leadership attribute — proactive interest in expanding your skill set in support of your company’s success. And, one of the most proven and efficient ways to enhance your effectiveness as a leader is to partner with an experienced executive coach.

As we grapple with the chaos of the past two years, it’s become clear that strategic decision-making is an important skill for leaders in all industries. The ability to analyze situations, data, and personal experiences to reach a solution keeps leaders prepared for even the most unexpected events — like a global pandemic.

In the new post-pandemic normal, hybrid teams are the new standard. In fact, 53% of job searchers now expect to have a hybrid arrangement. For those in the health industry, finding ways to create hybrid job opportunities — and manage them — can be incredibly difficult. This is especially true for healthcare organizations as the majority of roles require in-person delivery, especially in clinical and research-oriented roles. However, for those roles that can be managed remotely, offering a flexible work schedule is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. It’s time to start building and offering hybrid work to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining top talent.

Organizations across the health ecosystem are continuing to increase their focus on strategies dedicated to population health and community well-being by transforming healthcare delivery models aligned to value-based care. Population health and health equity are inextricably linked — the goal of population health is to improve the quality of care and outcomes for a defined group of people, while the goal of health equity is to ensure that all members of a community have an equitable access to be as healthy as possible. Without systemic change, neither of these goals can be achieved.

To navigate tough workplace challenges and hard decisions, we know that soft skills, aka Emotional Intelligence (EI), often make the difference between success and failure. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with work and with other people. In the workplace, soft skills are considered to be a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person's knowledge and occupational skills. Soft skills have more to do with who people are, rather than what they know. In fact, recent research concluded that 85% of job success stems from soft skills rather than skills and knowledge needed for the job.

It’s a problem we see all too often: someone has an amazing idea, like a program designed to improve community health while reducing overall costs or a plan to retain top talent amidst rising turnover rates, but other stakeholders just aren’t quite on board. Buy-in can be especially difficult for those new to leadership — 4 out of 5 new leaders don’t feel prepared to get buy-in for their vision. Coming up with an amazing idea to instigate change is only part of the process.

We are beginning to see a gradual shift in focus for healthcare organizations, from oversight of sick care to the provision of true health care.  As part of this shift, the role of the Chief Population Health Officer (CPO) is growing in number and importance.

For any organization, change is a natural part of day-to-day work. From employee transitions to industry innovations, change is inevitable. For leaders, adapting to change can be difficult if they don’t have the right mindset, tools, or capabilities to do so. The speed of change has rapidly increased over the years — such as the advent of telehealth and new digital technologies to support healthcare. In fact, the United States boasts the largest growing health industry in the world, consisting now of over 784,626 companies. With a 9.7% annual rate of growth, it’s more important than ever for leaders to master the art of change.

At any organization, change is inevitable — and necessary! Whether team members retire or take on new positions, it’s natural to expect roles to change over time as a product of growth. While change is the only constant, it can still create setbacks for both the individual and organization when those stepping up to take on new responsibilities, and those that will be impacted by the change, are not properly prepared.

Trust is the backbone of any healthy organization. Without trust in self, colleagues, and leadership, organizations are unable to reap the rewards of effective working relationships and collaborations. This is especially true within healthcare organizations, where a lack of trust can result in lower quality patient care.

With the ongoing wave of resignations sweeping the country, healthcare employees are experiencing some of the highest levels of burnout. Nearly 3 of every 10 healthcare workers have plans to leave their jobs in the near future due to burnout. Increased turnover results in lower quality patient care—making employee health and well-being absolutely vital to the well-being of patients. Research suggests that strategically investing in efforts to foster worker well-being not only improves employee health but can also bring about beneficial business outcomes such as improved job performance (including increased productivity), and lower levels of employee burnout. To capitalize on these benefits we invite you to consider the important roles that organizations, leaders, and individuals play in creating workplace health and well-being and strategies for improvements.

In the past year, record numbers of Americans have left their jobs—4.3 million people resigned in January 2022 alone—prompting what economists have dubbed The Great Resignation. Covid left workers re-evaluating their priorities, leading a lot of Americans to seek a healthier work-life balance than their current position, find a job with higher pay or better benefits, and in some cases, switch careers entirely. Industries that experienced extreme demand during the pandemic have been hit hardest by The Great Resignation, with a 3.6% increase in healthcare resignations from the previous year. The wave of resignations shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, so finding ways to decrease turnover is imperative for leadership.

One of the defining aspects of effective leadership lies in how well your team performs on a regular basis. As a direct reflection on management, high-performing teams who consistently accomplish their goals on time with minimal problems are intensely sought after. High-performing teams collaborate well together, deliver quality work in a timely manner, and remain consistent in their execution and ability to adapt to new circumstances. Creating and maintaining a high-performing team is the key to success in any business.

In this timely article, we are sharing the unique and triumphant story of how Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS)  cultivated physician engagement despite the myriad challenges of COVID-19 by leveraging our Applied Physician Leadership Academy (APLA).

By Bob Sachs, PhD, Board Member of TLD Group & We Care Services for Children, formerly Vice President of National Learning and Development, Kaiser Permanente

As the board chair of a not-for-profit agency, We Care Services for Children, that provides mental health and developmental services for young children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am acutely aware that since the pandemic began, there has been an increase in the number of children and young adults with behavioral and mental health issues. 

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions and to recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. The term was coined by two researchers, Peter Salavoy and John Mayer, and then later popularized by American psychologist, Daniel Goleman, in his 1996 book, Emotional Intelligence. Essentially, emotional intelligence encompasses the practice of skillfully expressing one’s own emotions and having the ability to manage interpersonal relationships with empathy.

Leaders who communicate with empathy, transparency, and authenticity create positive team dynamics, higher retention, and better team outcomes. In fact, teams that rate their communication as strong, have 4.5x higher retention rates. On top of that, 86% of employees in a recent survey blame company failure on poor communication.

The pandemic has shaken up the very nature of work, making a lasting impact on organizations and business leaders across all industries. The biggest impact, however, has been felt by organizations that comprise the health ecosystem as they stepped up and rallied to respond to the challenges their communities faced during the pandemic. Many key players in the health ecosystem have illustrated what is possible when leaders from different organizations and diverse industry sectors collaborate to meet critical challenges and align around a shared purpose.

Significant societal issues including the pandemic, social injustices, and economic turmoil have forced every organization, its leaders, and its workforce to dive headfirst into a “new normal.” The health ecosystem, in particular, has been hit hard, having to reinvent the very nature of work to support their employees, patients, and communities with compassion — amid limited resources — through one of the most critical periods in our lifetimes. What are organizations doing to build their workforces’ capabilities to embrace the “new normal?”

Cultivating a workplace that embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) is critical to garnering positive organizational outcomes. According to McKinsey, organizations with a diverse and inclusive culture are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Plus, Mclean & Company’s 2022 HR Trends Report states that implementing ED&I solutions is now a crucial role for HR leaders (62%). Recruiting, retaining, and supporting talented and diverse staff who bring unique perspectives to the business is essential to achieving lasting positive change. 

Due to imminent societal and economic challenges, leaders from organizations spanning all industries are shifting their priorities in 2022. According to Gartner, approximately 60% of HR leaders’ number one priority in 2022 is to build critical skills and competencies. Consequently, there are key leadership development trends to stay on top of to ensure success within your organization in this new year and beyond. From the Great Resignation to increasing team effectiveness in hybrid workforces, we’re highlighting the top 11 leadership development trends for 2022. 

The challenges faced by leaders today have dramatically intensified due to the myriad issues created during, and as a result of, the pandemic. Organizations are facing massive changes due to hybrid workforces, excess levels of stress, and the resulting Great Resignation as masses of leaders continue to voluntarily leave their jobs in search of better and more balanced opportunities. Reports state that about 60% of leaders feel worn out at the end of each day, which is likely indicative of burnout — a contributing factor to the Great Resignation.

Traditionally, executive coaching has been used to enhance leadership and organizational performance. However, since the pandemic, we are seeing more companies turn to coaching as a mechanism to reduce burnout, which when ignored can cause lasting effects on employee health and organizational performance. And given the statistics — according to Indeed, 52% of employees experienced burnout in 2021 — burnout has become a serious concern for leaders across all industries. 

We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth. We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.

In this interview, meet Advisory Board member Craig Samitt, the CEO and Founder of ITO Advisors, a healthcare advisory and investment firm.

Imposter syndrome, defined by the Harvard Business Review as “doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud,” impacts high-achieving people as they often find difficulty in accepting their own accomplishments. Essentially, people with imposter syndrome feel as though they’re not qualified enough, not talented enough, or simply not good enough to perform their job well.

But, could this be a case of mind over matter? Or is there more to overcoming imposter syndrome? 

Becoming a successful leader today requires the ability to prioritize learning and continuous development of skills, knowledge, and behavioral competence. To excel in healthcare leadership it’s crucial to take note of certain habits that may be inhibiting your ability to grow and achieve your goals. Are you spending enough time on your own health? Maybe you have a hard time deciphering between being a friend and being a leader. Or maybe your biggest roadblock is your fixed mindset.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all coaching solution. Thankfully, there are multiple options for organizations to consider as they look to develop individuals, teams, and groups. Coaching best practice customizes the approach to fit the exact needs of the organization, individual, group, or team. In this article, we’re lifting the veil on the differences between peer coaching, group coaching, and team coaching and discussing when and how they are best applied. Let’s dive in.

As employees reboard and return to work they are demanding better company culture, supportive leadership, and enhanced opportunities to collaborate. As we know through our work with companies across various sectors, poor company culture leads to inefficient communication, unsatisfied employees, high turnover, and poor team effectiveness. Now, more than ever, leadership teams need to prioritize strengthening their team dynamics to improve the overall success of the organization. In this article, we’re revealing the top 3 steps you can use to bolster your team’s effectiveness and achieve impactful business outcomes as a result.

We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth.  We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.

In this interview, meet Advisory Board member Laura Landy, President & CEO of the Rippel Foundation and the Founder and Chair of ReThink Health, the Foundation’s flagship initiative.

Leadership development empowers leaders, enhances trust, and creates employee and customer engagement resulting in a more aligned and productive workforce. Overall, leadership development:

• Boosts employee and customer engagement and productivity
• Improves the organization’s ability to find and retain high-quality talent
• Reduces issues and costs associated with turnover
• Equips teams with the skills to plan for succession

Health systems are continuing to merge together at an accelerating pace. However, successfully capitalizing on the intended outcomes of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has proven to be no easy task. For newly formed health systems, the failure rate of integration has been estimated at 70% - 90%. Health systems with poor integration of physician services and lack of alignment between executives and physicians tend to experience poor financial performance, higher costs, and lower quality of care.

We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth.  We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.

In this interview, meet Advisory Board member Poonam Alaigh, MD, Research Professor, University of Pittsburgh and President & CEO of Alaigh Care Associates.

Executive coaching is an essential talent development lever that contributes to the success of organizations, especially those in the healthcare industry which faces unprecedented challenges today. According to the Human Resource Executive, healthcare leaders’ top priorities in 2022 are employee wellbeing, leadership development, and overall employee experience. Due to the stressors of the pandemic, healthcare leaders spanning all sectors are experiencing increased feelings of burnout and declining mental health. 

Physician and nurse burnout is a severe issue that’s been plaguing the healthcare industry for years. Recognized by the World Health Organization as a syndrome resulting from chronic distress, physician and nurse burnout is a serious occupational phenomenon that has been accelerated and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leadership development training for leaders in healthcare is crucial to accelerate individual, team, and business performance. During these tumultuous times, effective leadership supports the well-being and morale of teams and patients. In fact, ensuring that healthcare leaders are equipped with the right skills and mindset to be in a position of positive influence is at the forefront of many healthcare organizations’ priorities. Consequently, 52% of these organizations are currently naming physician and leader alignment as their top investment priority. Yet the same Huron survey shows that 21% of respondents report not having a leadership strategy in place.

As we enter the third wave of COVID-19, we are once again facing an uncertain future for leaders at all levels. One thing, though, is certain and that is the enormous impact of the pandemic on physician leaders. Physician leadership, which has always played a role in the alignment between hospital administration, medical staff, and the communities served, has become increasingly important as hospitals and health systems around the country embark on or continue efforts to strategically integrate with physicians. However, developing physician leaders can be a difficult undertaking. As we knew, before COVID-19, the skills that make a physician a fabulous doctor, don't necessarily correlate with being a successful leader.

The challenges resulting from the pandemic have overwhelmed even the most skilled and experienced leaders, whether they are physicians or not. The challenges demand navigating volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous conditions — a situation often referred to as VUCA.  Physician leaders today need to shift constantly and decide in an instant with limited data — to be agile and adaptive. 

Collaboration in healthcare teams is becoming the “go-to” strategy for solving some of the thorniest problems facing the industry.  While critical to success, collaboration is no easy task. Clinical care and medical research have become more complex and specialized, requiring multi-disciplinary teams to come together often from multiple organizations. Healthcare systems, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies, and health technology start-ups are forming, merging, and/or being acquired at an increased pace. Because of this, administrative, clinical, and executive teams are being tasked with collaborating in new and different ways.  

At The Leadership Development Group (TLD Group) we believe workplaces, especially those in the health ecosystem, have entered a pivotal moment in time. COVID-19 has further heightened challenges around employee mental health and well-being in workplaces. Intrigued by the topic, we enlisted the help of expert Z. Colette Edwards, MD, MBA, Humana’s National Medical Director, Associate Health and Well-Being. 

In this blog, Colette shares her insights for leaders looking to open the door to more conversations around stress and mental health within their organizations.

Across the healthcare sector, patient care is at the center of all that we do. Based on our leadership development and executive coaching work with health systems, we know that authentic and collaborative leadership is the key to providing and advancing high-quality, value-based care.

Executive Coaching is designed as a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires leaders to maximize their personal and professional potential. At TLD Group we take our commitment to this philosophy seriously. As a health ecosystem talent development firm, we have designed our coaching solutions specifically with health industry leaders in mind.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and The Leadership Development Group (TLD Group) took an opportunity to interview Laura Marsh, MD, Executive Director, Mental Health Care Line for the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Houston, TX. Dr. Marsh, a geriatric psychiatrist and a neuropsychiatrist whose background is in neurological conditions with psychiatric complications, is also Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

In this blog, Dr. Marsh shares her recommendations for leaders looking to move the needle on mental health initiatives within their own communities. Below is a preview of the longer interview.

We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth.  We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.

In this interview meet Advisory Board member Kent Bottles, MD. Kent is our resident futurist and a thought-leader in healthcare policy and payment reform. At TLD Group we turn to him often for his perspective on health industry transformation and change. 

Interview with TLD Group Advisory Board Member- Kent Bottles

We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth.  We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.

In this inaugural interview meet Advisory Board Chair Bob Sachs, PhD.  Bob has a passion for leadership development and offers timely advice for today's leaders. 

Interview with TLD Group Advisory Board Chair- Bob Sachs

Pre-COVID, many of us viewed our primary care, specialist or hospital-based physicians as trusted and skilled professionals in their crisp white coats with the embroidered logos of their practices or larger, parent health system.

As a firm, we strongly support the notion that diverse leadership is critical for organizational success. A discrepancy between the prevalence of women in the pipeline and absence of equal representation in advanced leadership roles, highlights the need for organizations to correct the strategic, structural, and cultural components which impact diversity, inclusion, and equity.

As a firm, we strongly support the notion that diverse leadership is critical for organizational success. A discrepancy between the prevalence of women in the pipeline and absence of equal representation in advanced leadership roles, highlights the need for organizations to correct the strategic, structural, and cultural components which impact diversity, inclusion, and equity.

As a firm, we strongly support the notion that diverse leadership is critical for organizational success. A discrepancy between the prevalence of women in the pipeline and absence of equal representation in advanced leadership roles, highlights the need for organizations to correct the strategic, structural, and cultural components which impact diversity, inclusion, and equity.

As a firm, we strongly support the notion that diverse leadership is critical for organizational success. A discrepancy between the prevalence of women in the pipeline and absence of equal representation in advanced leadership roles, highlights the need for organizations to correct the strategic, structural, and cultural components which impact diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Gilead were often tagged as “big pharma” putting profit before purpose.

Now, one year later, pharmaceutical companies are being praised for their positive impact resulting from the speed at which they were capable of producing FDA-approved treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

Through its ingenuity, strategic leadership and nimble pipeline management practices, the pharmaceutical industry is meeting a deep and drastic human need: to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy and alive.

When our executive coaching client Jane* was appointed vice president and COO of a large community hospital of an academic health system, her new appointment represented an exciting milestone in her career trajectory.

Last November, three professional healthcare associations co-wrote and published an open letter to the American public. In the letter, the AHA, the ANA and AMA pleaded with us to follow recommended COVID-19 infection control protocols. Back then, eight months into our pandemic, the associations expressed what many of us across the health ecosystem felt and feel: “We are all weary,” they wrote.

The end of Haven Healthcare

When the formation of Haven Healthcare was announced in 2018, Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JP Morgan, one of the sponsoring organizations (Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway were the other two) said, "The three of our companies have extraordinary resources, and our goal is to create solutions that benefit our U.S. employees, their families and, potentially, all Americans."

What will happen to healthcare in the United States when the election is over, the Supreme Court has heard arguments to declare the ACA unconstitutional, the coronavirus is still infecting Americans, and the political landscape is a little less uncertain? No one knows for sure, but Dr. Kent Bottles certainly has his opinions and provides them by looking into his crystal ball and analyzing perspectives from key opinion leaders in the field. As Kent likes to quote, "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future" (Nobel Physics laureate Nils Bohr) and "It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all" (Henri Poincare). In this webinar Kent covers:

1. How the ACA will change in 2021.
2. How the COVID-19 crisis will transform healthcare and society in the future.
3. How the new Congress will legislate in the healthcare arena.
4. How the new political landscape will affect hospitals, doctors, patients, and pharmaceutical companies.

Pre-Pandemic

The problems facing the health industry are too complex for any one organization to solve alone. Improving health outcomes, access and affordability requires collaboration and coordination from diverse sectors, including life sciences, healthcare providers, payers, public health and services, and community resources. Developing the innovative partnerships and the leadership necessary to address issues like where to invest in R&D, how to implement technology solutions, pathways for clinical treatments, best practices in data sharing, etc. is crucial for success. This presentation focuses on the opportunity pharmaceutical leaders have in leading the future health ecosystem by building collaborative partnerships that have the capacity to add tremendous value to promoting health and wellness throughout the globe. We offer strategies for building and demonstrating health ecosystem leadership through case studies and practical learning applications that leaders can implement back on the job, with their teams and their organizations.

Disruption continues to challenge our industry. Now more than ever boards are in a unique position to advise leadership on how to best respond to the rapidly changing work environment resulting from the pandemic. Like many of our clients, you may be wondering if you have the right board in place to guide your organization into the future of work. The key to creating a meaningful board starts with assessing and selecting key success factors. 

Originally written for and posted to ACHE’s Early Careerist Newsletter

At TLD Group, we believe that leaders plays an important role in advancing conversations around equity, diversity, and inclusion from awareness to action. Leaders have the platform and influence to ignite the dialogue that leads to meaningful change. In this session of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion series we interview Dr. Ronald L. Copeland, Senior Vice President of National Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Policy and Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Officer for Kaiser Permanente, who has dedicated his platform to doing just that.

During the conversation, led by and TLD Group Advisory Board Chair, Bob Sachs, PhD, they explore Kaiser Permanente’s views on the impact of racial disparities and social determinants on health, and the organization's long term commitment to access to care for all. 

It's no secret that the US health system is in desperate need of repair. Structural inequities such as housing and food insecurity, air and water pollution, and access to educational and economic opportunities — known to the medical community as social determinants have been linked to disparate health outcomes for years. However, never in recent history have we so acutely and rapidly felt their affects as we have during the COVID-19 pandemic. United around the common purpose to improve overall population health, industry leaders must harness their collective power and influence to champion changes that will benefit the health of our nation.  

Improving population health hinges on the ability of organizations from diverse sectors to collaborate. In a recent survey conducted by ORC International and Change Healthcare, which included 120 payers across the country who worked with providers to integrate value-based models, nearly a quarter of them reported cost savings as high as 7.5%. Almost 80% of these payer organizations also cited the quality of care improved, while 64% reported better provider relationships, and 73% reported improvements in patient engagement.  A Commonwealth Fund analysis demonstrated that value-based models lead to fewer emergency hospital visits and downstream cost efficiencies relative to similar markets.

At TLD Group, we believe that we've arrived at a pivotal moment in time, one that we hope will inspire America to engage in a conversation around how we as individuals and organizations and as a nation can and must do better. Centuries of inequality and racism have culminated into acutely horrific consequences for Black Americans in 2020.

TLD Group hosts the first session in their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion series led by Dr. Dale Caldwell, an expert on Influence Leadership and his father, Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell, a “Foot Soldier” in the Civil Rights Movement, who knew and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their presentation connects the Civil Rights Movement to current realities and provides a framework that will help listeners understand the connection between personal influences and diversity, inclusion and equity.

While physicians in some parts of the country are now facing the pandemic head-on, many have started to process what has probably been the most challenging period of their professional careers. Most are still scared, and some are just starting to grieve and feel the emotions of the past months. These emotions can include the struggle with professional identity. Some of us struggled with feeling incompetence; “What did I do? or “How come I couldn’t help more?”. Some of us couldn’t work due to our age or a medical condition that we were forced to disclose.        

During this period of disillusionment, we’re trying to figure out how to right the ship with ongoing worries about many things, including the economy, educational needs, and, what the fall and winter are going to look like¹. Understanding typical physician characteristics can help guide your teams through the storm.

The Role of Leadership in the Journey to Systemic Change

During unprecedented and tumultuous times there is no such thing as ‘simple'.  Crisis Management is complex and difficult.  Now more than ever before strong leadership is an essential factor in mobilizing and motivating teams while working remotely, still aiming to achieve the business objectives front line leaders are still ultimately responsible for delivering. 

Whether working within a team or leading employees, employees are experiencing disorganization, difficulty concentrating, feelings of overwhelm, increased requests for sick time, and increased absenteeism—all of which are normal responses in a crisis. The relevant management and leadership skills take on a different look and feel under these circumstances.  I’ve captured a few leadership actions that I’ve coached others on and have seen used effectively and are proven best practices by many organizations:

Over the past several months communities around the world have seen their healthcare systems pushed to their limits. As the initial shock to our global physical health begins to wane an important second wave of need is becoming more tangible. As physical distancing continues, many are experiencing isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health impacts that will result in a potentially overwhelming curve of its own.

Today's workplaces are responding to never before seen challenges and scenarios, all while adjusting to a virtual work-from-home environment. It's clear that solving these new challenges will require individuals and teams to think differently than they have in the past, which begs the question..How can leaders and teams establish a culture of virtual innovation?

Helping Medical Professionals During COVID-19 

The level of risk in patient care today is higher than most providers ever considered when choosing medicine as a profession. The war metaphors being used in the Covid-19 fight aptly fit the threat doctors are experiencing. To emotionally bolster staff and lessen residual trauma, medical leaders and front line providers can benefit from applying  well refined military crisis leadership strategies.

Routine to remarkable----overnight. That’s what has happened to frontline medical triage with the rapid, unprecedented and unrelenting onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. EMT, ER and ICU staff are well-trained to handle emergency crises of all types, just not of this magnitude, intensity and duration. Medical team leaders face life threatening issues on a regular basis, but not to their own lives at the very same time. Their training and experience prepare them to rapidly assess, execute and adjust medical protocols to fit the needs of a medical crisis, and then usually the crisis ends. Reports from the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic have medical professionals describing themselves as “soldiers in the fog of war” physically exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed.

A Letter to Frontline Responders

Holly Hughson is an OD consultant and change strategist, who has spent almost two decades working in high-stakes crisis response, humanitarian action and civil-military coordination. Holly's current work focuses on the human cost incurred by practitioners working on the frontlines of human suffering and vulnerability, and she serves as project advisor for “Ethics Education for Crisis Medicine” at the Centre for Military Ethics at King’s College London. In a moving tribute she shares her insights and admiration with the frontline responders of COVID-19.

Taking the time for Mindfulness 

With the abundance of uncertainties facing us in present day, it can be challenging to remain focused on one task at a time. Our minds are riddled with thoughts of responsibilities to take care of, meetings to attend, changes and adaptations that need to be made, and the like. When so many thoughts and concerns are circling around our mind all at once, it can feel like we are going through the motions on autopilot without truly experiencing life as it is right now in the present. Taking the time to focus and to mindfully live your best life in both your work and personal life is a critical component of long term satisfaction.

Insights from the Frontlines of COVID-19

Since there was very little time between “rehearsal” and going live with remote working and virtual meetings, now is a good time for a mid-course pause.  Take a moment for some self-reflection:

A Critical Skill in these Unprecedented Times

Restorative practices for frontline medical providers, hospital leaders, and laboratory scientists to bolster themselves during the COVID-19 outbreak

What do each of the three remaining candidates propose for the American health care delivery system?

How to Create Real “Systemness” through Physician Leadership

On-Demand Coaching

Leadership. It's a Team Sport.

Faculty Perspective: Loren Margolis
Creating a Coaching Culture

The beginning of a new year is often a time of great organizational ambition and optimism. After months of year-end planning, new strategies and budgets are in place and teams are ready to hit the ground running on a new set of goals and objectives. Despite this optimism, research shows that most of these strategic goals and objectives will never come to fruition. In fact, the statistics range from a dismal 3% to 33% of companies whose executives say they are successful at executing their strategies. With those odds, many wonder if all the planning is worth the effort. 

 
A Time for Reflection

The holidays are the time of year when loved ones gather together to celebrate festivities, give gifts, and create lasting memories. It’s also a great time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished over the year and think about who you want to be in the new year. 

Coaching and Culture Change

The Power of Gratitude

During this season of giving thanks, we dedicate this month’s themed article to Bernard J Tyson, CEO Kaiser Permanente, who brought a new perspective to healthcare - one that supports a holistic approach to human wellness. His sudden passing was a shock to the industry and especially those who had the good fortune of working with him. Our Advisory Board Chair, Bob Sachs, sums up Bernard’s impact below:

Your Next CEO

Competition, finance reform and the ever-changing demands of the marketplace have put increased pressure on hospital boards to contemplate an important question: What kind of CEO will be most successful in navigating these turbulent times?

 Common Challenges for Newly Hired Executives

• 60% of global executives report it takes, on average, 6 months to reach full impact in their roles, 20% said it took more than 9 months (Harvard Business Review)

Collaboration

To meet the audacious goal of enhancing community health and wellness, organizations both within and outside of the healthcare sector are engaging in collaborative partnerships.  These partnerships are designed to create “conditions to achieve value-based care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and population-focused.” In fact, from 2007 to 2015, provider-provider partnerships nearly doubled among hospitals and health systems.  And, in the past decade, the percentage of nontraditional partnerships, such as CVS Health and Aetna; UnitedHealth and DaVita, and Haven (the joint venture between Amazon, J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway) increased from 7% to 16%.  In addition, today, 84% of Fortune 50 companies have some investment in the health industry, according to a study conducted by PWCⁱ.

Leading Authentically

Being authentic can not only improve the quality of your interpersonal relationships but also your performance as a leader. Someone who is authentic is open and honest, transparent in one’s intentions and expectations, and practices his/her values consistently. Authentic leaders are genuine and true, and have a vision of success that is wholesome and optimistic. They also understand the importance of leading through demonstration and collaboration, rather than barking orders and demanding results. Truly authentic leaders translate words into actions – they stick to their convictions and set forth an operational plan to achieve better business results.

The Current Situation

The under representation of diverse leaders in senior leadership and clinical/research roles within the health industry is a hot topic as the industry responds to the implications of diversity and inclusion initiatives falling short of reaching their intended outcome for senior roles.

Nurse Leadership Development

Nurse turnover is an epidemic, occurring most frequently during the first year of employment when expectations of the work environment are not aligned to the realities of the job. Within the nursing profession, turnover rates exceed the norms set for other professions due to clinician burnout resulting from the demands of extensive work shifts and high patient acuity. In fact, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) reported vacancy rates are as high as 8.3% nationwide among nurse managers. In a research study on organizational commitment and intent to stay, some of the strongest predictors of turnover were related to disempowerment, feelings of inadequacy, and feelings of being ignored. For nurse leaders who do choose to leave, the cost of finding and training a qualified replacement can be upwards of $42,000.

Leading Through Collaboration

A growing focus on partnerships has emerged in the field of leadership development, which emphasizes a new way of leading through collaboration and teaming at all levels within an organization, as well as across organizations. The partnership model has emerged in response to the growing complexities and demands of today’s changing workplace environment.¹ This new leadership model helps to distribute responsibility and engages team members to achieve strategic and operational goals.² All different types of partnerships are essential to an organization’s progress and overall success so the big question is: “How do we establish and maintain effective partnerships?”

Emotional Intelligence

Over the past two and a half decades, researchers have studied the positive impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on enhanced leadership performance. Yet, EI is still often underappreciated because many continue to associate the concept with “soft skills” unrelated to concrete business outcomes. As we leadership development practitioners well know, EI is a characteristic underlying much of the success of top business leaders. In today’s complex business environment, the key differentiator between good and great performers is their strength in social and emotional competencies.¹

The Impact of Coaching on Leadership

As the business environment becomes increasingly complex, executive coaching has gained popularity as an effective method for talent development. This is quite a departure from the past when coaching was viewed as a remedial means of fixing behavioral problems. A growing number of organizations are shifting their perspective as they begin to realize the positive impact of coaching on leadership performance. Executive coaching is a targeted way to significantly impact individual growth and organizational success. The ROI for the organization includes better engagement and productivity, higher profitability and reduction in costs.¹ Coaching also builds a leader’s emotional intelligence, a key driver of performance, and strengthens alignment with the organization’s mission and values.

Building High Performing Teams

It takes great leadership to build great teams. Whether in the workplace, professional sports, or your local community, team building requires a keen understanding of people, their strengths and weaknesses, and what motivates them to work with others. Team building is both an art and a science and the leader who can consistently build high performance teams is worth their weight in gold.

The Value of Knowing: The Role of Psychometric Assessments

Psychometric assessments are becoming a more common tool to support the talent management process. These assessment tools are utilized assessment and selection, succession planning, coaching, and team development. Individual and team assessments are used to identify common group behaviors, demonstrate gaps in perceptions and provide opportunities to think more openly and work together in a manner for a wide range of measurement purposes including that creates shared group understanding and increase effectiveness.

Accountability

Undoubtedly, accountability plays an important role in the workplace to ensure that set goals are being achieved in a timely manner. So, why is it that leaders have trouble holding others’ accountable. The state of accountability today is ambiguous to say the least. More often than not the lines between individuals’ responsibilities are blurred, making it difficult to discern what each person is designated to contribute. And, the rewards and consequences contingent upon performance are frequently ill-defined or misapplied, creating a disjunction between results and recognition.¹ Thus, individuals lack motivation to keep themselves and others accountable for tasks.

Retaining Top Talent: How to Create an Engaged Workforce 

Many business executives are missing the boat when it comes to their organization’s human capital. The mantra, “Our people are our most important resources,” is often touted, yet seldom acted upon. With unemployment rates steadily declining¹, organizations are beginning to find that their best people are looking to the job market for new opportunities. Now more than ever, leaders need to put their words into action and demonstrate that their employees are vital to their organizations.

Joshua J. Ofman, MD, MSHS, is the Senior Vice President, Global Value, Access and Policy at Amgen ensuring the integration of reimbursement needs into the product development and commercialization process. In prior roles, Dr. Ofman was an academic gastroenterologist at Cedars-Sinai Health System and Senior Vice President of Zynx Health Inc., focused on evidence-based clinical information for quality improvement and reimbursement, and health economics strategy for life sciences companies. Dr. Ofman received his advanced medical training in Gastroenterology from UCLA and his Health Services Research training from the RAND/UCLA/VA program.

Carman Ciervo, D.O., FACOFP, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive at Jefferson Health New Jersey (JHNJ). As a member of the senior leadership team since 2010, Carman has played a key role in Jefferson Health of New Jersey’s continued growth and transformation, working directly on hospital and health system initiatives related to the employed-physician model, population health, and clinical excellence. He has also overseen the progressive growth of the Jefferson Health New Jersey (formerly Kennedy) Health Alliance, a consumer-friendly network of primary and specialty medical practices throughout southern New Jersey.

Barry H. Ostrowsky is President and Chief Executive Officer for RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey’s largest not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system and the largest private employer in the state. Mr. Ostrowsky joined Saint Barnabas Medical Center in 1991 as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. He served in the same role at Barnabas Health, when the System was created in 1996. He assumed the title of President and Chief Operating Officer in 2010, and became President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2012. Prior, Mr. Ostrowsky was a Senior Partner in the law firm of Brach Eichler. He received a BA from Rutgers University and a JD from the University of Tennessee School of Law.

Andrew Baskin, MD, is Aetna’s Vice President, National Medical Director for Quality and Clinical Policy and served as the Interim Chief Medical Officer (in 2014). He works on initiatives to measure and improve quality of care, the provision of evidence based care, quality measurement implementation and public reporting, health plan accreditation, and the establishment of performance based networks. Additionally, Andy partners with others to help establish programs which create incentives for more effective and efficient care, influence and assure compliance with healthcare reform regulations, develop products to improve affordability and quality of care, and promote payment reform.

Lorie Shoemaker, DHA, RN, MSN, is the SVP and Chief Nursing Officer at CHI – Texas Division, where she is responsible for the oversight of the quality of nursing care and nursing practice across the acute and post-acute care continuum. Prior to joining CHI St. Luke’s Health, Dr. Shoemaker served in a variety of leadership roles over a 29-year career at Palomar Health in California, including the System Chief Nurse Executive. In this role, Dr. Shoemaker provided oversight for nursing care across the system that included three acute care hospitals, two skilled nursing facilities, as well as ambulatory and home health agencies.

Donna Mills is the Executive Director of Central Oregon Health Council. The Council convenes stakeholders across the health ecosystem to create and implement programs in service to the mission of better health, better care, and better value for healthcare in the Central Oregon Region. As a seasoned healthcare professional with experience in leadership positions in healthcare, finance, and operating management, Donna has a proven track record recommending and executing business and financial solutions and initiatives, ultimately contributing to an organization’s financial results.

Tanisha Carino, Ph.D., serves as Vice President, U.S. public policy at GSK, which is committed to helping people do more, feel better and live longer. In her role, Dr. Carino promotes public policies in the best interest of patients and the public’s health. Prior to GSK, Tanisha served as Executive VP at Avalere Health, a strategic health care advisory company, where she oversaw advisory and research services to the nation’s leading life sciences companies. Dr. Carino brings over 15 years of experience in consulting, management, health policy and strategy development across government, industry and academia. She is a recognized thought leader in the evolving U.S. regulatory environment, market access and commercial trends, as well as health technology and evidence-based medicine.

David Carmouche, MD, is Senior Vice President of Ochsner Health System and President of Ochsner Health Network in Louisiana. In his current role, David is responsible for clinical integration, population health strategies, development of a data and analytics infrastructure, care management, network administration and insurance product development. David joined Ochsner with 19 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience in medicine and operations. Before joining Ochsner, Dr. Carmouche served as the Executive Vice President of External Operations and Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana in Baton Rouge where he successfully led important initiatives designed to organize care, improve quality, and increase affordability.

Craig Samitt, MD, MBA is the EVP and Chief Clinical Officer at Anthem, where he is responsible for establishing, leading, and executing overall clinical vision and strategy for Anthem, the second largest health insurer in the US. In this role, Craig leads all clinical operations and policy as well as Anthem’s diversification strategy, from payer as a benefit-management company to payer as partner, enabler, and convener. An internal medicine physician by training, Craig has worked across multiple sectors within the health ecosystem including providers, payers, and policy makers. His work specializes in turnaround management, growth of physician networks, enhancing integrated delivery systems, and diversifying health plans in competitive markets.

We are pleased to present our Q&A article with Roland Lyon, president of Kaiser Permanente (KP) of Colorado. In this role, Lyon leads the state’s largest nonprofit health plan, providing healthcare to approximately 670,000 members in Denver/Boulder, Southern Colorado, Northern Colorado, and the mountain communities of Summit and Eagle counties. Lyon joined KP in 2002, initially based in California before coming to Colorado in 2006. His roles in California included vice president of consulting and capital planning in KP’s Northern California region, and vice president of strategic planning in KP’s national program offices.

This month, we are pleased to present our Q&A with Matthew Guy, a health ecosystem convener. Matt, President and Owner of Accelerated Transformation Associates, specializes in clinical, community, and population health transformation. Through his work with ReThink Health, he provides great insights on his work to convene groups in systemic changes to positively impact the health of the populations within Sonoma Country, CA; Bend, OR; and Albequerque, NM.

TLD Group President & CEO Tracy Duberman interviewed David Carmouche, who is the current President of Ochsner Health Network, and previously served as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of External Health Plan Operations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana. David's experience leading in the healthcare ecosystem spans both within and across the provider and payer sectors. In this interview, David discusses how he had developed and implemented cross-sector initiatives designed to organize care, improve quality, and increase affordability.

With the tsunami of changes occurring in the healthcare industry today – ranging from increasing cost of care, shifting government regulations, technological advances, and the move from volume- to value-based care, the need to focus on population health holds utmost importance. Undeniably, all healthcare sectors hold the same shared goal of providing the best care to consumers, but each of the different (and often competing) sectors also holds varying interests, values, and points of view. In order to be best positioned to meet that shared goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life, industry leaders must foster an ecosystem view, which prioritizes population and community health through cross-sector collaboration.