Jim Keller, MD, MHSA, serves as Vice President of Medical Management, Maternal Fetal Medicine for Advocate Children's Hospital.
On April 2nd, Dr. Keller will speak at Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 1-4, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Keller's session, click here.
Question: What do innovators/entrepreneurs from outside healthcare need to better understand about hospital and health system leaders?
Jim Keller: Health system leaders deal with higher stakes in many ways. The quality of the product they produce impacts health and families in a way which is different than many other consumer products. In addition, health systems are often the largest providers of jobs (with benefits) in their communities, some many poor communities, so failure and job cuts have a broader impact htna in other sectors
Q: Tell us about the last meaningful interaction you had with a patient.
JK: I could answer the question the same every day I have a clinical interaction. As a physician leader I am privileged to see patients in a clinical role several days each week. Every interaction is meaningful. So the last meaningful interaction I had with a patient- will always be, the last patient I saw. That is what makes health care not only special but a little more challenging, the realization that no patient interaction can be taken for granted.
Q: Can you share some praise with us about people you work with? What does greatness look like to you when it comes to your team?
JK: Those of us in health care leadership are privileged for the most part to be surrounded by great. People who every day do a little something extra to improve the lives of those we serve. Almost everyone shares a similar skill set, clinically and administratively. Greatness (and unfortunately lack thereof) correlates with the degree of selflessness. Stopping to answer a question, staying a little late so that a patient or patient’s family does not have to worry for another day, listening to what is bothering an associate at home, or what can make their job easier. These do not often translate into Key Result Area improvement , but define greatness in health care.