On October 11th, Sue will give a presentation on “Valuing the Bottom-Line: Patient Excellence in the Ambulatory Settings” 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 Sue’s session, click here.
Question: What is the No. 1 principle you uphold and practice to effectively lead a team?
Sue Brown: I have found that being a good listener is the fundamental building block to any team. By intentionally listening to the individuals on your team, you are able to share with them the greatest gift a leader can, that of feeling valued.
Q: What is one topic or issue you’ve been investing time in to better understand as of late?
SB: My recent focus has involved the benefits of medical groups or hospitals derive from creating an environment of service excellence in the organization. This culture must permeate every aspect of the organization’s environment, from the pre-visit phone call to the post-visit evaluation. When working to improve the patient’s experience, an interesting phenomenon also occurs throughout the work environment; all staff and physicians build an increased trust, benefit from the optimal environment, and begin to treat one another with the same respect and excellence they are now extending to their patients.
Q: What contributes to better conversations between a health system’s financial and clinical leaders?
SB: When addressing these meetings it is important to realize that every individual may come into the meeting with different objectives. It is extremely important that those ultimate goals are taken into account prior to the meeting.
Often the clinical team benefits best if they expand on how increasing dollars for their project may ultimately increase revenue for the whole organization, even if it is via an indirect pathway. The financial team benefits when they can fully understand that the investment will bring new or expanded business to the organization. Ultimately a thorough and yet succinct dialogue is the key to success.
