Bob Hemker is the former (now retired) President and CEO of Palomar Health, a district health system serving the health needs of the largest health care district in the Northern San Diego region. In addition to three hospitals, namely Palomar Medical Center Escondido, Palomar Medical Center Downtown Campus, and Palomar Medical Center Poway, Palomar Health offers home health care, surgery, skilled nursing, ambulatory care, behavioral health services, wound care, community health education programs and Level II Trauma service. Bob has extensive experience managing the strategic, financial, and operational aspects of healthcare organizations, working closely with communities, physicians, and board representatives.
Key take-aways:
- The biggest opportunity for organizations working across sectors is to play the role of facilitator rather than “leader” or primary “doer.”
- Public-private partnerships that focus on social determinants of health (such as food security) can help connect patients with community resources not necessarily available through traditional hospital services.
- Successful collaborations require engagement and buy-in from front-line stakeholders to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed.
Click here to read the full interview with Bob.