In healthcare, we are trained to move quickly, solve problems and make decisions. Over time, those habits become second nature, shaping the instincts we rely on when the stakes are high.
But I’ve learned that leadership isn’t always about moving faster. Often, the best path forward comes from something simpler: being curious, asking thoughtful questions and making the time to really listen.
Better leadership begins with curiosity
Rounding is traditionally used by clinicians to review medical status, discuss diagnoses and plan next steps for patient care. While I’m not a clinician, I’ve come to see rounding as a valuable practice, and some of the most meaningful moments in my role have come from spending time with teams across Ochsner Health.
I prioritize time on the floors of our facilities because presence is at the heart of our culture. I round to recognize team members at all levels, across all departments. To celebrate wins. To understand where there are gaps and where there are opportunities. And most importantly, to invite authentic conversation, honest feedback and ideas that can’t be generated around a conference table.
This only works because we have cultivated a culture of safety and curiosity at Ochsner, one where listening is not occasional and optional, but continuous and intentional. As CEO, I am deliberate about modeling these core behaviors and values myself. I recognize that the solutions to many of our most pressing challenges won’t come from the top, but from the people closest to the work.
Our role as leaders is not to solve everything ourselves or apply a one-size-fits-all approach to increasingly complex challenges, but instead to ask open-ended questions and be willing to see our organization as it truly is — not as we hope it to be.
Over the years, I’ve also learned that listening is only half the equation. The other half is being willing to reconsider your own perspective based on what you hear. Some of the most meaningful insights I’ve gained have come from team members who helped me see a challenge differently or better understand what is most important to those making the work happen every day.
In some cases, I’ve heard firsthand how processes designed to improve access or efficiency can sometimes create new barriers for patients and caregivers, reinforcing the importance of listening to the teams delivering and supporting care before deciding what needs to change. When leaders approach conversations with that mindset, listening becomes more than a leadership practice. It becomes a catalyst for better decisions.
Turning listening into action
When rounding, I am mindful that listening alone doesn’t cut it. People want to be heard, but they also want to know that what they say matters. When teams see that their input drives change, trust grows; when they see that their ideas shape decisions, engagement deepens. And when they feel empowered to solve problems in their own environments, our organization becomes stronger.
We’ve witnessed this shift firsthand at Ochsner. Back in 2024, our emergency department teams were experiencing frustration and burnout driven by large numbers of avoidable ED visits. In response, the teams came together to create a solution: the Ochsner Virtual Emergency Department (OvED), a physician-led digital hub offering real-time triage and care navigation for patients with potential emergency needs.
The impact was immediate and significant. In 2025, Ochsner saw 16,408 fewer ED visits compared to the same period in 2024, with 42% of this reduction attributable to OvED.
Just as important, I began hearing from team members across Ochsner about the real difference OvED was making for patients and for each other — a reminder of how listening can lead to action when people feel ownership, connection and accountability.
Measuring meaningful moments
Listening is also key to improving the experience for both our team members and patients. During a visit to one of our campuses for Nurses Week, I paused for a moment to watch a nurse engaging with a young patient undergoing an infusion. The patient sat alone, looking withdrawn.
This nurse walked over and started a conversation, and soon the room was transformed. Laughter and smiles replaced the loneliness. One conversation changed this patient’s day.
But what really struck me was the evident joy the nurse also received from making someone feel seen, heard and valued.
This moment underscored the value of an approach we’ve taken at Ochsner to formally embed cultural behaviors into how we show up for our patients and each other. We see this come to life in simple, everyday moments — how we greet one another, how we show up and how we make space for others to speak up. Built on trust, respect and empowerment, it’s shaping how we work and care for each other.
But we haven’t just encouraged these behaviors — we’ve monitored and measured their progress. Within six months of introducing these behaviors, we saw a 48% increase in kindness as a key theme expressed from our patients in post-visit surveys.
As a leader, these results matter just as much as any financial gain or quality metric.
Listening as the path forward
By spending time with team members, whether they’re at the bedside or supporting care in other ways, I’ve been able to see firsthand what’s possible when we listen with curiosity and partner with our teams to drive us forward.
Despite the rapid influx of innovation and technology that’s poised to transform our industry, healthcare is built on human connection. The most meaningful solutions to healthcare’s most pressing challenges will only come from trusting in the incredible individuals who bring Ochsner’s mission to life every day.
Pete November is the president and CEO of Ochsner Health, the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South with more than 42,000 team members, delivering expert care at 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers.
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