Hospital Industry Leader to Know: Dr. Glenn Steele of Geisinger Health System

Tags: Geisinger Health System | Glenn Steele | hospital leaders

Under the leadership of president and CEO Glenn Steele, MD, Geisinger Health System has become a testing ground for experiments aimed at fixing American healthcare. One of the most revolutionary ideas is ProvenCare, a program that offers a 90-day warranty on bypass surgery.

In an interview with Fast Company magazine, Dr. Steele explained why his hospitals will pay for readmission caused by preventable complications up to 90 days after heart surgery. "We shouldn't get paid if we don't do the right thing," he said. This method replaces the traditional fee-for-service method, in which hospitals benefit more financially if a patient receives six unsuccessful operations rather than one effective one.

Since 2001, Dr. Steele has taken GHS from a shaky system recovering from a bad merger to a state-of-the-art organization on the forefront of healthcare innovation and computerized patient records. He serves on the Geisinger Health System Foundation Board of Directors and is ex-officio of all standing committees of the Board.

In 2010, the Health Research & Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, selected Dr. Steele as the recipient of the TRUST award, which honors individuals for leadership in the healthcare field. About Dr. Steele, HRET president Al Stubblefield said, "The Selection Committee praised Dr. Steele's strong use of research to inform evidence-based practice. The Committee recognized Dr. Steele's leadership as an early adopter of both HIT and patient-centered care, as well as his vision to redesign and implement new payment models."

Dr. Steele came to Geisinger from the University of Chicago, where he served as the Richard T. Crane Professor in the Department of Surgery, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Division of Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine.

In the lab, Dr. Steele has focused on the cell biology of gastrointestinal cancer and pre-cancer. He is recognized for his research into liver cancer treatment and colorectal cancer surgery, as well as his authorship of over 450 scientific and professional articles.

Read more about Glenn Steele and other notable physician leaders.

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