On October 11th, Dr. Brown will give a presentation on “Serving Those Who Have Served Us: Why and How to Market Veterans’ Healthcare to Your Community” at Becker’s Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle 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 October 9-12, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Brown’s session, click here.
Question: What is the No. 1 principle you uphold and practice to effectively lead a team?
Jeffrey Brown: Leaders should be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. No one leadership style works best for everyone in every circumstance. Some of us lead best by getting “down and dirty” i.e. working side by side with group members; others lead best by maintaining distance and delegating in a benevolent way. So, be wary of copying someone else’s style when it doesn’t match your own personality. Regardless of leadership style, group members should be made to feel that providing quality care and implementing needed change is in their best interest, not just the best interest of the institution and administration.
Q: What is one topic or issue you’ve been investing time in to better understand as of late?
JB: There is under-awareness that almost ten percent of patients 18 years and older have served in the military and that 80 percent of them receive most of their healthcare from civilian providers rather than from the Veterans Administration. (Most are insured through their employer or spouses’ employers, Medicare, and Medicaid.) Unfortunately, most providers do not routinely identify those patients who have served, nor do they know what questions to ask them or why. Recent legislation (The VA Mission Act) and some outsourcing of VA services will allow larger numbers of veterans to visit civilian providers – who do not have proper training.
Q: What contributes to better conversations between a health system’s financial and clinical leaders?
JB: Communication between clinical and financial personnel is hindered by the same problem as communication between insurer, finance, and patient: Lack of transparency. The billing system is so obtuse and seems so arbitrary that no one can predict what or if they will be charged and paid for a single item or service.
What contributes to better conversations between a health system’s financial and clinical leaders?
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.
