Saria Saccocio, MD, MHA, FAAFP, serves as Ambulatory Chief Medical Officer at Prisma Health.
On May 26th, Dr. Saccocio will serve on the panel "Key Thoughts on ACOs, PHOs and Shared-Savings: What is Working and What’s Not" 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 May 24-26, 2021 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Saccocio'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.)
Saria Saccocio: Hospitals and healthcare systems can reconcile the disparate needs to maintain inpatient volumes while keeping people healthier by implementing two strategies: creating or joining value-based care programs that incentivize maintaining healthier populations, and shifting their focus from acute care to outpatient services.
Q: What's one lesson you learned early in your career that has helped you lead in healthcare?
SS: Early on in my career, I learned that the sum of expertise around the table was so much greater than any one person sitting at the head of the table. If you listen closely, to the spoken and unspoken, the team will provide creativity, diversity, and expertise to identify the best solution(s). It has been a blessing to work with talented people who know their business and are empowered to speak when every voice matters.
Q: What do you see as the most exciting opportunity in healthcare right now?
SS: Delivering care to patients when they want it and how they want is the most exciting challenge for us today. Some may roll their eyes or have a visceral gastric response to this statement. Plain and simple, if we don't meet the needs of the patient then we lose. We lose their trust, engagement, and their business.
Frequent rounding has taught us that there are fewer call lights and falls. Transparency of mistakes when patient harm occurs actually reduces lawsuits. Access to care, whether virtual or face to face, on-demand can minimize illness and offer an opportunity to address wellness. Most patients only ask for help when they need it, so let's listen and deliver.