Stephen Motew, MD, serves as Senior Vice President and Market President for Novant Health.
On April 2nd, Dr. Motew 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. Motew's session, click here.
Question: What do innovators/entrepreneurs from outside healthcare need to better understand about hospital and health system leaders?
Stephen Motew: Healthcare leaders are working in a fast moving, dynamic and changing environment where the business models are increasingly exposed to disruption. Core to most healthcare organizations are unwavering commitments to human-based missions, a differentiation at times from other industries. This unrelenting focus on human wellbeing, wellness, reducing suffering and serving the greater good for our communities are paramount to our leadership.
Q: Tell us about the last meaningful interaction you had with a patient.
SM: Every interaction with patients are meaningful as they ground me to our primary mission and focus on improving the care of individuals and communities. Most recently, I had the opportunity to support a patient’s decision to forego surgery so they could lead a meaningful life on their terms, keeping what was most important to them first and foremost. As a surgeon, these are the hardest decisions, that is to not perform surgery, but can be the most rewarding.
Q: Healthcare takes a lot of heat for not innovating quickly. What's your take on this?
SM: The complexity of healthcare delivery that requires attention to regulatory oversight, data privacy and protection, third party payers and reliance on traditional economic models can hinder forward looking innovation. The rapid entry of non-traditional competitors, expanding technology, consumerism and value-based care have significantly upped the game, whereby de novo innovation or strategic partners are mandatory for survival. The necessity of innovating for success has never been more important, and the survivors will learn how to do it well.