Dr. Mark Deitch, an orthopedic surgeon, joined The Miriam Hospital in September as senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer. He arrived in Rhode Island after serving as vice president of the orthopedic service line at WellSpan Health, a nonprofit health system in south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland.
Deitch discusses why he decided to make the jump back to Rhode Island after graduating from Brown University, and how the medical staff at The Miriam is faring amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
PBN: Why did you decide to come to The Miriam?
DEITCH: After years working for a variety of health systems and having attended Brown University, I was well aware of The Miriam Hospital’s outstanding reputation. I took the position because it presented the opportunity to join a hospital that has won numerous prestigious honors, including Magnet nursing designation and top scores from U.S. News & World Report. I wanted to leverage my leadership skills and knowledge to help lead the high-performing team here and pursue opportunities to improve the delivery of health care in our communities.
PBN: Maria Ducharme, The Miriam’s president, has said that The Miriam’s parent company, Lifespan Corp., aims to become one of the nation’s top health systems by 2025. What are some things that the hospital is doing to improve and help meet this goal?
DEITCH: While The Miriam has already been recognized for outstanding nursing care and clinical services, supporting a process of continual improvement is the key to maintaining that success and being prepared to meet future challenges.
Over the coming months and years, we will be using a disciplined, metric-driven system to improve clinical, patient experience and operational performance. Our goal is to perform in the top decile of health systems in the country.
PBN: You have served as president of at least two medical practices in Maryland. Are you drawing on those experiences as you settle in and start to make lists of priorities at The Miriam?
DEITCH: I absolutely am. My leadership experiences include a wide variety of health care settings, including academic medicine, private practice and community health systems. I see myself playing an important role in bringing a fresh perspective in looking at how we address our current and future challenges.
PBN: Do you still find time to practice as an orthopedic surgeon in between administrative responsibilities?
DEITCH: I decided to step away from orthopedic practice so that I could focus all my energy on supporting the talented clinical team at The Miriam. I was a practicing orthopedic surgeon for several decades and always focused on being available to care for my patients. Now I wake up every day knowing that the work I do helps our clinical providers give 100% effort in caring for their patients.
PBN: We’ve heard a lot about physician burnout over the past year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How is the medical staff at The Miriam doing now?
DEITCH: The pandemic has brought the issue of burnout of clinical providers into focus. Many health care workers are leaving hospital-based assignments or the field altogether. We are working aggressively to recruit staff to help relieve some of the burden of the current surge. We are also providing support services focused on well-being, including counseling, meditation, massage therapy and recognition of our team members’ efforts and dedication. I am awed and humbled every day by the strength and resilience of our physicians as they continue to care for patients nearly two years into this pandemic.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
