On May 26th, Dr. Morice will serve on the panel “Evolving Technology, Disruptors and Regulatory Issues in HIT” 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. Morice’s session, click here.
Question: What’s one lesson you learned early in your career that has helped you lead in healthcare?
William Morice: The one lesson that I, thankfully, learned early is that you can’t do it alone. The challenges facing health care, both in the U.S. and globally, are of such a magnitude that a union of forces among hospitals, health care systems, and providers is needed if we are to successfully address them while keeping the needs of the patient at the center of our focus. The intersection of an ever-increasing pace of innovation, a rapidly expanding body of knowledge, and demographic changes that stress both private and public payers require collaboration and alliances between the providers of health care and others within and outside of our industry if they are to be successfully traversed.
Q: Where do you go for inspiration and fresh ideas?
WM: For inspiration and fresh ideas I go to two places, the past and alternative paradigms in the present. When I say the past, I mean I look to history which is replete with examples of creative individuals and leaders who had the courage to consider new possibilities against what seemed to be, at the time, insurmountable odds. One of the most compelling examples for me is the founding of our country. When I learned American history in grade school, it seemed dry, as if all of the major figures such as George Washington were sure of the outcome. But, now, as an adult, I read about U.S. history and I am able to extract more richness from those facts and marvel at how a small group of diverse individuals from various backgrounds decided to split a global superpower and establish an entirely new form of modern government. Those historical perspectives inspire me to think that any set of conditions can be overcome with the right vision and the strength to persevere.
In regards to alternative paradigms in the present, I like to look at industries outside of health care for new ideas. I grew up in Indianapolis and, as a result, became a fan of auto racing and interested in the auto industry. Clearly, this is an industry that has seen—and continues to see—major disruptions yet provides plenty of fresh ideas from what succeeded….and what didn’t. Looking “outside the box” like this is as important as learning from the past. In fact, it was the foresight/insight of the Mayo brothers to see the power of an egalitarian and inclusive environment from working with the Franciscan sisters and others that led to the creation of the Mayo Clinic as the first integrated medical practice.
Q: What do you see as the most exciting opportunity in healthcare right now?
WM: The most exciting opportunity right now for health care is to get highly engaged in the technologic innovations that will enable more and more health care data to be generated by non-traditional means, such as wearable devices. On the one hand, this innovation threatens to render elements of our health care infrastructure obsolete; yet, on the other hand, it presents a tremendous opportunity. Mayo Clinic has the opportunity to leverage data to better identify which individuals are in most need of our care, and then make that care more accessible by preventing the consumption of health care resources by individuals who don’t. Mayo Clinic Laboratories will continue to play a critical role in this opportunity for our institution because technology, data and innovation all impact multiple aspects of clinical reference laboratory testing and operations—and must be incorporated and adapted to all while maintaining the singular goal of informing the right diagnosis to the right patient at the right time.
Q: Healthcare has had calls for disruption, innovation and transformation for years now. Do you feel we are seeing that change? Why or why not?
WM: We are seeing these changes, but they are more at the periphery of health care rather than at the center. The way that hospitals and providers deliver care has not fundamentally changed in the 32 years since I graduated from medical school. The reasons for this are multifactorial, but fundamentally, it is because the major potential disruptors reside outside of health care and this is a difficult industry to penetrate. That is why I believe alliances and partnerships between those in health care, and those outside of it, particularly as it pertains to artificial intelligence and big data, will be critical. Once these tools are embraced and deployed by those within health care, we will start to see major changes that will ultimately reshape not only health care but medical education and research.
“What’s one lesson you learned early in your career that has helped you lead in healthcare?
The greatest lessons I learned in healthcare were three things on my first day of medical school: “listen to your patients they will tell you what is wrong, don’t be over-enamored with technology, and give every patient something for their time of need”. More true today!
What do you see as the most exciting opportunity in healthcare right now?
With society’s obsession with technology, now is the time to harness cutting edge technology to facilitate the human interaction, not replace it.
Healthcare has had calls for disruption, innovation and transformation for years now. Do you feel we are seeing that change? Why or why not?
As the saying goes, “One person’s innovation is another person’s disruption”. Transformation may be the most over-used word in healthcare today. True transformation (dramatic change) will come from a grass roots movement (outside the corporate walls) and led by synthetical thinkers who by doing what is best for patients will find it is best for business.”
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.
