I often refer to health care as a team sport. I truly believe it is, because no one person can meet the complex needs of a patient.
I was born to a health care team, with my father a primary care physician and my mother a nurse. I vividly remember accompanying my father on weekend house calls.
Those early memories still shape my view of what it means to practice medicine. The patient-centered values imbued in me inform the decisions I make today as I lead the largest health care system in the region.
The patient is still at the center of everything we do, but a lot has changed in the world of medicine. Today, health care is often described as among the most complex industries in the world. Frequently compared to the world of aviation, health care shares many of the same challenges to perform reliably and optimally under high-stress situations. Like other complex industries, failure to do so can have devastating consequences.
Surprisingly, the solution for highly complex organizations is simple, yet powerful. A team of people working together, with the patients' needs at the forefront of everything they do, can meet not only the most challenging technical and medical needs of those patients, but also the emotional needs of patients and their families.
Highly proficient teams that demonstrate camaraderie, trust and respect daily for one another achieve outstanding results, whether at Lifespan or any other enterprise. •