On April 9th, Matt will give a presentation on “Leveraging Engagement: Aligning a Divergent Team to Defeat Any Giant” at Becker’s Hospital Review 11th 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 on April 6-9, 2020 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Matt’s session, click here.
Question: What, from your perspective, is the biggest challenge about the future of work for hospitals, and what can they do about it? (i.e. automation, desire for more flexibility, clinician shortages, etc.)
Matt Troup: This is a difficult question to answer as challenges can and have come from so many different directions. It seems as if this question is perennial in our industry. The temptation is to refer to categories or topics—revenue cycle, information technology, regulation, recruiting, population health, quality, etc.—but these answers don’t truly address the question. My biggest concern isn’t in the individual challenge but in the sheer breadth and depth of challenges and the impact that has on an organization’s ability to execute its core mission and vision. We are suckers for the “urgency de jour” in our industry, and my biggest concern is that by chasing the wind, we end up without a core grasp of what truly makes our organizations the great community and population-oriented assets we can be. Our challenge is no different today than it was 100 years ago: to be a good steward of our resources, partnered with physicians and key stakeholders to extend a ministry of healing to our patients and community.
Q: How can hospitals reconcile the need to maintain inpatient volumes with the mission to keep people healthier and out of the hospital?
MT: These are not mutually exclusive endeavors. Our goal is and should be about serving our community and meeting the market demand for our services. The industry and practice of medicine are driving down the number of admissions, and we need to be responsive to that. We do this by diversifying the services we offer, such as increasing clinics in underserved communities, innovating in telemedicine, and enhancing and increasing outpatient services, etc. In so doing, we serve a broader base of patients. Thus, I don’t believe the focus is ever about reconciling one versus another. Our focus should be on increasing healthcare access to the communities we serve. The drive should always be about touching more lives in the right way—ways that drive value to our community.
Q: What’s one lesson you learned early in your career that has helped you lead in healthcare?
MT: Be relatable, likable, and humble. I’ve heard it said many times, “people would rather follow a leader that they know is real rather than one that is always right.” When we’re dealing in an industry as multi-faceted as healthcare, with so many experts and relationships, we have to be keen utilizers of referent power.e my tribe.
Where do you go for inspiration and fresh ideas? Beckers, of course! In all seriousness, the conference speakers are the best in the industry and the sessions are relevant to leaders in hospitals both large and small. And I don’t have to look any further than my inbox daily for the most recent healthcare news and best practices.
What do you see as the most exciting opportunity in healthcare right now? The most exciting opportunity in healthcare today is the move to value-driven care with the patient at the center focusing on wellness and prevention instead of treating signs and symptoms with volume-driven sick visits and hospitalizations. Accountable care, the merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) and value-based payment programs are driving providers from volume to value-based care with incentives to reward both the physician and the patient!
Healthcare has had calls for disruption, innovation and transformation for years now. Do you feel we are seeing that change? Why or why not? Yes, hospitals that are driving change and transformation are receiving high marks in quality and patient-satisfaction. They are investing in technology to coordinate care and making access easier for their patients. At the same time, they are educating and preparing their workforce to be responsive to innovative change. The age of volume-driven fee-for-service medicine is gradually giving way to value-based care. Hospitals must transform to become organizations that reward value instead of volume and develop delivery methods that use evidence-based practices, procedures and technologies to attain optimal outcomes and achieve greater efficiencies. Many primary care providers have heard the call for value and are joining ACO’s and working to meet this demand. Sadly hospitals that haven’t transformed to ensure the highest quality patient-centered care and the most competitive prices are being bypassed by the primary care physicians, the patients and the payers. “
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
