Marjorie Bessel, MD, serves as Chief Clinical Officer at Banner Health.
On May 2nd, Dr. Bessel will give the presentation "The Best Business and Clinical Technology for Healthcare" at Becker's Health IT + Clinical Leadership + Pharmacy conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place May 2-4, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Bessel's session, click here.
Question: Healthcare takes a lot of heat for not innovating quickly. What's your take on this?
Marjorie Bessel: Healthcare has something of a dual nature. It is driven by goals of innovation and improvement, so that every day we can do better at serving patients and keeping them healthier. However, healthcare is a highly complex field, with a fair amount of fragmentation. That fragmentation may stem from a history in our industry of allowing silos to develop. With that in mind, I think integration is an incredibly meaningful innovation in healthcare. Services that are not connected in some way to a bigger overall picture are not really benefiting the patient, the healthcare industry, or the broader community’s needs. We have many specialties in medicine and many places where patients can receive care, but without integration, we are not practicing truly patient-centered care.
Q: Tell us about the last meaningful interaction you had with a patient.
MB: The instance that comes to mind was with a patient who had a very complex condition. Like so many other interactions of this nature, its value wasn’t about saving a life, making an amazing diagnosis, or knowing the best new treatment. It was meaningful because the patient thanked me for just listening and being empathic. We must make time and space for clinicians to do more of this, for the benefit of patients and physicians alike.
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?
MB: Greatness comes in so many forms. I believe the key to good leadership is to recognize that fact and to praise greatness when you see it, in all its forms. On my team, I see greatness when someone asks a question that no one else will. I see greatness when someone is incredibly proactive in a situation. Sometimes it’s when someone tells the leader information that the leader has no other way of knowing. Sometimes greatness happens when someone brings fun into the workplace. I am fortunate to work with a team that embodies greatness in all of these forms and more. My team makes what I do more meaningful, and I regularly find inspiration from them.