— How did you become a CEO?
“All I had to do was keep on saying ‘yes,’” Dr. Bailey said.
— What are you doing as a CEO to move from a fee-for-service system to a population-based system?
“We are still living in two different worlds…It depends on ACO penetration whether quality or volume will be the driver over the next 3-5 years,” Dr. Narang said.
“We have to create an accountable health community,” Dr. Shen said.
“The question is, how can you build a model that will allow you to flip the switch when this change occurs?” Dr. Sperring said.
— What is the role of hospitalists as care progresses from the most intensive but sometimes least appropriate site?
“I think the environment will drastically change, but there will be an ever enlarging role for hospitalists. … Hospitalists will likely be moving to LTACs, SNFs, even outpatient work.” Dr. Bailey said.
— If PHM fellowship becomes a requirement, will your hospital fund them?
“It’s hard to define what we do, but we know there are core competencies. … I don’t think we’re going to be at a point where certification will limit being a hospitalist any time soon,” Dr. Shen said.
— How can we make health care pricing more transparent?
“Why is it that in other industries, things are getting cheaper and higher quality, but in healthcare we seem to be going in the opposite direction?” Dr. Bailey said. “There has to be transparency for the patient. How about transparency for the provider? Every EMR should have a price for everything your order.”
— What do you think we can do to get more women into executive roles?
“Based on the percentages of women in medical school, residencies, and fellowships, I think it is inevitable that women will be the future leaders for our system,” Dr. Sperring said.
— What are the three most important things from a CEO perspective that a hospitalist should know?
“You have to have self-awareness…as a leader, are you a listener, are you a delegator?” Dr. Bailey said.
“Know where your organization wants to go,” Dr. Sperring said.
Dr. Chang is associate clinical professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, and a hospitalist at both UCSD Medical Center and Rady Children’s Hospital. He is pediatric editor of The Hospitalist.