In this special Speaker Series, Becker's Healthcare caught up with Patrice Weiss, MD, CMO and executive vice president of Carilion Clinic, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, both based in Roanoke, Va.
Dr. Weiss will give a presentation at Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable titled, "An Organizational Culture of Emotional Intelligence: The Impact on Patient Experience, Quality Outcomes and Employee Satisfaction," at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Dr. Weiss will present with her colleague Jonathan L. Gleason, MD, the vice president of clinical advancement and chief of patient safety in the female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery department at Carilion Clinic. Learn more about the event and register to attend in Chicago.
Question: What keeps you excited and motivated to come to work each day?
Dr. Patrice Weiss: What keeps me excited as CMO is the same thing that kept me excited as a departmental chair and as a fully practicing physician for two decades — the thought that I impact patient care and outcomes. This can be difficult to appreciate in a primarily administrative role. But I know the decisions I participate in making and the organizational influence I have DOES impact our patients, their experience and their outcomes. No matter what the role, the patient is the center and the focus.
Q: If you could pass along one piece of advice to another hospital executive, what would it be?
PW: People are your most valuable resource and asset: always treat them as such. Healthcare is a team sport and all members of the team play an integral role.
Q: What initially piqued your interest in healthcare?
PW: As a child, I seemed to be a patient and recipient of healthcare often, thanks to many sports injuries. I was always intrigued by the knowledge and caring of the doctors and nurses. I also was so amazed by the human body and its ability to heal. There was nothing — and still to me there is nothing — more fascinating than the human body.
Q: How can hospital executives and physicians ensure they're aligned around the same strategic goals?
PW: End all discussions and decisions with: "What does this mean to our patients?"
Q: What is one piece of professional advice you would give to your younger self?
PW: Things are never as bad as they seem. Things are never as good as they seem.