1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:02,819 At VITUITY, we're transforming 2 00:00:03,199 --> 00:00:06,259 health care to improve lives. As a physician 3 00:00:06,319 --> 00:00:08,339 owned multi specialty partnership, 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,619 we put patients first in every decision. 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:13,279 With 6,000 6 00:00:13,279 --> 00:00:13,779 clinicians 7 00:00:14,205 --> 00:00:17,405 caring for over 10,000,000 people each year, we 8 00:00:17,405 --> 00:00:18,625 lead with innovation 9 00:00:19,005 --> 00:00:20,785 to make care more connected, 10 00:00:21,405 --> 00:00:22,144 more responsive, 11 00:00:22,845 --> 00:00:24,385 and more human. 12 00:00:25,085 --> 00:00:27,505 Learn more at bituity.com. 13 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:32,340 This is Laura Dirdle with the Becker's Healthcare 14 00:00:32,340 --> 00:00:34,740 Podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by 15 00:00:34,740 --> 00:00:35,560 Saad Etesham, 16 00:00:36,020 --> 00:00:38,579 who is the president and chief executive officer 17 00:00:38,579 --> 00:00:40,500 at Atlantic Health. Saad, it's a pleasure to 18 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:42,554 have you on the podcast today. Good morning, 19 00:00:42,554 --> 00:00:43,994 Laura. It's a pleasure to be here with 20 00:00:43,994 --> 00:00:44,494 you. 21 00:00:45,034 --> 00:00:47,354 Absolutely. Now I appreciate your time, and I'm 22 00:00:47,354 --> 00:00:48,954 excited to dig into some of the cool 23 00:00:48,954 --> 00:00:51,674 things that you're really doing today and and, 24 00:00:51,674 --> 00:00:53,594 you know, what you're looking forward to in 25 00:00:53,594 --> 00:00:55,270 the future. But before we dive in, I'm 26 00:00:55,270 --> 00:00:56,550 curious. Can you tell us a little bit 27 00:00:56,550 --> 00:00:58,490 more about yourself and your background? 28 00:00:59,510 --> 00:01:02,630 Sure. My, background you know, my journey to 29 00:01:02,630 --> 00:01:04,730 health care started at a early age. 30 00:01:05,189 --> 00:01:05,689 Really, 31 00:01:06,745 --> 00:01:09,145 the impression on wanting to be in healthcare 32 00:01:09,145 --> 00:01:11,645 was related to my grandmother's battle with ovarian 33 00:01:11,784 --> 00:01:13,704 cancer and how she was treated and cared 34 00:01:13,704 --> 00:01:14,204 for. 35 00:01:14,584 --> 00:01:16,984 So that left a lasting impression on both 36 00:01:16,984 --> 00:01:19,165 my brother and I, who's now a neurointensivist. 37 00:01:20,350 --> 00:01:22,909 So that was the genesis into the y 38 00:01:22,909 --> 00:01:23,969 in health care. 39 00:01:24,510 --> 00:01:26,590 And, and it was a summer job. It 40 00:01:26,590 --> 00:01:28,109 was only supposed to be a summer job. 41 00:01:28,109 --> 00:01:29,730 I was 20 years of age 42 00:01:30,270 --> 00:01:32,909 in Dallas, Texas, and the heat in Dallas 43 00:01:32,909 --> 00:01:34,189 and Texas is just, 44 00:01:34,510 --> 00:01:36,185 I mean, it is crazy. So, 45 00:01:37,045 --> 00:01:39,605 summer job turned into a PRN all year 46 00:01:39,605 --> 00:01:42,005 round job while I was, undergraduate at Baylor 47 00:01:42,005 --> 00:01:42,505 University. 48 00:01:43,125 --> 00:01:45,465 And and during that, two years 49 00:01:45,924 --> 00:01:47,145 working as a phlebotomist, 50 00:01:47,685 --> 00:01:49,465 a summer job into PRN, 51 00:01:50,090 --> 00:01:52,189 the CRNAs, the nurse anesthetist, 52 00:01:52,650 --> 00:01:54,510 convinced me to go to nursing school. 53 00:01:54,890 --> 00:01:57,530 And so upon graduating, I went to nursing 54 00:01:57,530 --> 00:01:58,030 school 55 00:01:58,329 --> 00:02:00,650 and, became a nurse. I ended up being 56 00:02:00,650 --> 00:02:03,310 a open heart nurse, charge nurse, house supervisor 57 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:05,390 at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. 58 00:02:05,984 --> 00:02:07,265 That led to, 59 00:02:08,384 --> 00:02:10,465 a job in a for profit world as 60 00:02:10,465 --> 00:02:13,604 a director of, nursing of medical and surgical 61 00:02:13,664 --> 00:02:15,664 units. And during that time, I had gotten 62 00:02:15,664 --> 00:02:17,764 my master's degrees as well. 63 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:18,400 So, 64 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:20,800 truncate that a little bit. I've been on 65 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,199 the for profit side and the not for 66 00:02:23,199 --> 00:02:25,280 profit side. On the not for profit side, 67 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,240 I've been some, larger health care systems that 68 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,314 you may know of. Baylor Scott and White 69 00:02:30,395 --> 00:02:31,215 before the Baylor 70 00:02:31,514 --> 00:02:34,014 Scott and White merger, Texas Health Resources, 71 00:02:34,555 --> 00:02:35,694 Ascension Health, 72 00:02:36,235 --> 00:02:38,474 and then on the for profit side of 73 00:02:38,474 --> 00:02:39,375 health CEO, 74 00:02:39,675 --> 00:02:40,895 COO, CNO 75 00:02:41,275 --> 00:02:42,014 type roles. 76 00:02:42,620 --> 00:02:44,219 I've been in a c suite for the 77 00:02:44,219 --> 00:02:46,479 last twenty two years and most recently, 78 00:02:47,900 --> 00:02:50,400 coming from Novant Health to Atlantic Health. 79 00:02:50,780 --> 00:02:52,560 I've been in small hospitals, 80 00:02:53,180 --> 00:02:55,680 98 beds, all the way to a coronary 81 00:02:56,094 --> 00:02:58,094 thousand bed hospital where it was a level 82 00:02:58,094 --> 00:02:58,914 one trauma, 83 00:02:59,534 --> 00:03:00,034 transplant, 84 00:03:00,414 --> 00:03:01,155 burn center, 85 00:03:01,935 --> 00:03:04,995 lots of research in GME, UME programs. 86 00:03:05,775 --> 00:03:07,775 So that's my background. And, 87 00:03:08,334 --> 00:03:10,175 what led me to Atlantic Health was, 88 00:03:10,969 --> 00:03:12,509 the desire to be at an organization 89 00:03:13,289 --> 00:03:13,689 that, 90 00:03:14,729 --> 00:03:17,469 embodied the values of focusing on their team, 91 00:03:17,849 --> 00:03:19,150 focusing on the community, 92 00:03:20,009 --> 00:03:20,509 commitment 93 00:03:20,810 --> 00:03:23,050 at the highest level to quality and safety 94 00:03:23,050 --> 00:03:23,550 outcomes. 95 00:03:23,985 --> 00:03:26,784 I needed an organization that had complexity, and 96 00:03:26,784 --> 00:03:29,044 so research was very important to me. 97 00:03:29,344 --> 00:03:31,985 And, Atlantic Health had that. We have almost 98 00:03:31,985 --> 00:03:33,104 446 99 00:03:33,104 --> 00:03:33,604 trials 100 00:03:33,985 --> 00:03:36,224 that are underway. We got 148 101 00:03:36,224 --> 00:03:37,284 peer reviewed publications, 102 00:03:37,664 --> 00:03:41,709 46 investor initiated studies going on, 37,000,000 103 00:03:41,709 --> 00:03:42,370 in grants, 104 00:03:42,669 --> 00:03:44,830 and then two, really proud of that, two 105 00:03:44,830 --> 00:03:47,250 physician led FDA approval, so that was important. 106 00:03:47,789 --> 00:03:50,769 And then also graduate medical education at undergraduate. 107 00:03:50,989 --> 00:03:52,590 We have about 350 108 00:03:52,590 --> 00:03:54,794 residents at, Atlantic Health. 109 00:03:55,275 --> 00:03:57,914 And then, the board. The board was just 110 00:03:57,914 --> 00:04:00,794 fantastic. It's a competency based board, so I 111 00:04:00,794 --> 00:04:02,955 was looking for that. So all those things 112 00:04:02,955 --> 00:04:05,514 culminated me saying that's the right place and 113 00:04:05,514 --> 00:04:07,114 that's where I wanna come. So that's why 114 00:04:07,114 --> 00:04:08,495 I chose Atlantic Health. 115 00:04:09,189 --> 00:04:11,189 Absolutely. And that's amazing story. And, you know, 116 00:04:11,189 --> 00:04:13,590 really, truly, coming into health care and, 117 00:04:13,909 --> 00:04:15,430 at the ground level and then seeing how 118 00:04:15,430 --> 00:04:18,069 you built your career around serving patients and 119 00:04:18,069 --> 00:04:20,970 serving others, being part of the really important 120 00:04:21,110 --> 00:04:22,250 growth within communities, 121 00:04:22,870 --> 00:04:25,455 that health care institutions serve. And so that's 122 00:04:25,455 --> 00:04:27,535 great to hear, and I appreciate too you 123 00:04:27,535 --> 00:04:28,435 walking us through 124 00:04:29,295 --> 00:04:32,014 the decision to move from Novant to Atlantic 125 00:04:32,014 --> 00:04:34,335 Health, because I think it's critical. And especially 126 00:04:34,335 --> 00:04:35,795 now, you know, there's so much, 127 00:04:36,335 --> 00:04:39,079 riding upon health care leaders today that it 128 00:04:39,079 --> 00:04:40,920 is important to find that right culture fix 129 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,939 and the fit in the right organizations 130 00:04:43,319 --> 00:04:45,240 in order to make sure that you can 131 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,399 thrive in your career, as a health care 132 00:04:47,399 --> 00:04:49,639 leader. So from your perspective, I know, you 133 00:04:49,639 --> 00:04:51,720 know, you've just joined Atlantic Health in July, 134 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,194 but could you tell us a little bit 135 00:04:53,194 --> 00:04:55,995 about, the health system and its biggest win 136 00:04:55,995 --> 00:04:57,675 or success story from the last year or 137 00:04:57,675 --> 00:04:58,175 so? 138 00:04:58,714 --> 00:05:00,014 Sure. Clinic Health 139 00:05:01,435 --> 00:05:03,675 is a combination of six hospitals. We got 140 00:05:03,675 --> 00:05:04,714 24,000 141 00:05:04,714 --> 00:05:07,379 team members. We serve a population. New Jersey 142 00:05:07,379 --> 00:05:09,560 is nine and a half, 9,000,000. 143 00:05:09,860 --> 00:05:12,759 We serve a population of 7,500,000, 144 00:05:13,220 --> 00:05:15,620 across 14 counties in New Jersey, one in 145 00:05:15,620 --> 00:05:17,079 Pennsylvania as well. 146 00:05:17,539 --> 00:05:19,959 We got over a million unique encounters 147 00:05:20,414 --> 00:05:21,774 across 550 148 00:05:21,774 --> 00:05:24,995 sites of care. We have more than 7,000, 149 00:05:25,375 --> 00:05:26,115 700, 150 00:05:26,574 --> 00:05:29,314 affiliated physicians. We have the largest ACO, 151 00:05:30,175 --> 00:05:32,194 in New Jersey, if not the Northeast 152 00:05:32,495 --> 00:05:35,375 that I'm validating that, but definitely in New 153 00:05:35,375 --> 00:05:35,875 Jersey. 154 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,600 And then I've talked about the the, 155 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,319 trials. Our hospitals, if you look them up, 156 00:05:41,319 --> 00:05:43,160 Morristown Medical Center ranks, 157 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:45,800 among the best in the country by US 158 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:46,939 News and World Report 159 00:05:47,479 --> 00:05:49,579 and same for Overlook as well. 160 00:05:50,435 --> 00:05:53,074 So that that's, where we are. But what 161 00:05:53,074 --> 00:05:56,214 makes Atlantic Health unique really is the culture, 162 00:05:56,675 --> 00:05:57,654 is the people, 163 00:05:58,035 --> 00:06:00,435 and is the commitment to the community. And 164 00:06:00,435 --> 00:06:00,835 you, 165 00:06:01,235 --> 00:06:03,870 measure that through a proxy lens of the 166 00:06:03,870 --> 00:06:06,209 foundations and how successful are our foundations. 167 00:06:07,069 --> 00:06:09,790 And our foundations have a long history, sustained 168 00:06:09,790 --> 00:06:11,089 history, philanthropic 169 00:06:11,389 --> 00:06:13,330 support from the community. So, 170 00:06:13,709 --> 00:06:15,410 Atlantic Health is thriving, 171 00:06:16,474 --> 00:06:16,974 here 172 00:06:17,435 --> 00:06:20,235 in Northern New Jersey, and, it's seen as 173 00:06:20,235 --> 00:06:22,154 one of the best health care systems in 174 00:06:22,154 --> 00:06:23,454 the state of New Jersey. 175 00:06:24,154 --> 00:06:26,175 That's amazing to hear and really a testament 176 00:06:26,314 --> 00:06:29,194 to the commitment of the whole team, for 177 00:06:29,194 --> 00:06:31,830 greatness and then to just building on, how 178 00:06:31,830 --> 00:06:33,830 they can serve the community better on a 179 00:06:33,830 --> 00:06:34,810 consistent basis. 180 00:06:35,350 --> 00:06:37,209 Now I know it's a unique time, 181 00:06:37,509 --> 00:06:39,350 in health care right now. And so I'm 182 00:06:39,350 --> 00:06:41,029 curious from your perspective, what are the top 183 00:06:41,029 --> 00:06:42,629 two or three issues you're focused on right 184 00:06:42,629 --> 00:06:44,310 now? What's top of mind for you as 185 00:06:44,310 --> 00:06:46,009 you're making decisions for the future? 186 00:06:47,004 --> 00:06:49,345 You know, as, as a health care organization, 187 00:06:49,884 --> 00:06:52,285 much like other health care organization, we're facing 188 00:06:52,285 --> 00:06:55,324 all similar challenges from the policy impact. How 189 00:06:55,324 --> 00:06:57,345 how did we react to that? And 190 00:06:57,725 --> 00:07:00,064 my approach is instead of letting the environment 191 00:07:00,289 --> 00:07:02,389 control us, we're going to take, 192 00:07:02,930 --> 00:07:05,649 our approach in controlling the environment and the 193 00:07:05,649 --> 00:07:07,910 controllable. So part of that is redefining 194 00:07:08,370 --> 00:07:12,050 how we deliver care and iterating around that 195 00:07:12,050 --> 00:07:12,949 using opportunities, 196 00:07:14,615 --> 00:07:16,854 that we see around population health, how we 197 00:07:16,854 --> 00:07:19,995 can advance care around population health. 198 00:07:20,454 --> 00:07:22,714 We know there's going to be vulnerable populations 199 00:07:22,774 --> 00:07:24,615 in the future that are going to seek 200 00:07:24,615 --> 00:07:28,235 healthcare costs and needs. And before those individuals 201 00:07:28,694 --> 00:07:29,435 show up 202 00:07:30,110 --> 00:07:32,029 in care settings that are the not the 203 00:07:32,029 --> 00:07:34,430 most appropriate for them, we want to reach 204 00:07:34,430 --> 00:07:37,069 out and establish care for them in the 205 00:07:37,069 --> 00:07:39,629 ZIP codes where they reside. So that's very, 206 00:07:39,629 --> 00:07:42,350 very important to us. You know, advancing the 207 00:07:42,350 --> 00:07:44,985 mission and brand of Atlantic Health nationally and 208 00:07:44,985 --> 00:07:45,485 internationally 209 00:07:45,944 --> 00:07:48,264 is something that's very, very important to me 210 00:07:48,264 --> 00:07:49,004 as well. 211 00:07:49,384 --> 00:07:49,944 And then, 212 00:07:50,584 --> 00:07:52,524 you know, we're in the election year, so, 213 00:07:52,824 --> 00:07:56,024 working with whoever is elected, our, governor at 214 00:07:56,024 --> 00:07:57,865 the great state of New Jersey, working with 215 00:07:57,865 --> 00:08:00,339 them and along with my fellow CEO colleagues 216 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,120 in, New Jersey. When we look at the, 217 00:08:03,519 --> 00:08:06,740 graduate medical education report that just came out, 218 00:08:06,959 --> 00:08:08,800 we have of us close to rounding up 219 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,879 1,600 residents that are graduating. Only 474 220 00:08:12,879 --> 00:08:14,240 of them are staying in the state of 221 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,134 New Jersey. Best of them are leaving the 222 00:08:16,134 --> 00:08:18,134 state. So that's a big issue. Retention is 223 00:08:18,134 --> 00:08:20,375 a high priority for us. So I look 224 00:08:20,375 --> 00:08:22,214 forward to working with our governor and my 225 00:08:22,214 --> 00:08:23,995 fellow colleagues and finding ways 226 00:08:24,454 --> 00:08:25,675 on how we can incentivize 227 00:08:25,975 --> 00:08:27,814 the residents to stay and care for, 228 00:08:28,459 --> 00:08:30,620 the population and the citizens of New Jersey. 229 00:08:30,620 --> 00:08:32,080 So that's going to be important 230 00:08:32,460 --> 00:08:33,759 for us as well. 231 00:08:34,460 --> 00:08:37,679 And for me, talent development, upscaling, and upscaling 232 00:08:37,980 --> 00:08:40,860 our team members, leadership development, and retention is 233 00:08:40,860 --> 00:08:42,779 going to be important. There's a work on 234 00:08:42,779 --> 00:08:43,279 talent. 235 00:08:43,835 --> 00:08:45,274 I feel we have some of the best 236 00:08:45,274 --> 00:08:47,274 leaders within the planet health, and it's my 237 00:08:47,274 --> 00:08:49,674 job to create an environment where they're thriving 238 00:08:49,674 --> 00:08:51,835 and there's opportunities for them to grow within 239 00:08:51,835 --> 00:08:52,495 the organization. 240 00:08:53,434 --> 00:08:56,475 So we'll, we'll continue to focus on that 241 00:08:56,475 --> 00:08:59,659 as well. And then more importantly for us 242 00:08:59,659 --> 00:09:02,299 is codifying a common vision around quality and 243 00:09:02,299 --> 00:09:04,720 safety outcomes, consumer experience, 244 00:09:05,339 --> 00:09:08,320 population health, physician alignment and integration, 245 00:09:09,019 --> 00:09:12,139 and and, goes without saying financial stewardship and 246 00:09:12,139 --> 00:09:13,934 performance is going to be very important. 247 00:09:14,954 --> 00:09:17,754 Absolutely. No. I think all of the elements 248 00:09:17,754 --> 00:09:19,355 that you talked about there are really essential 249 00:09:19,355 --> 00:09:21,514 and something that make a big difference for 250 00:09:21,514 --> 00:09:24,075 the success of health systems overall. And I 251 00:09:24,075 --> 00:09:26,235 wanted to double click on the, 252 00:09:27,279 --> 00:09:29,620 talent development, retention, and just workforce 253 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,000 issues that you talked about. I'm curious, 254 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:34,480 as you look at your past experiences as 255 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,039 well as some of the dynamics in today's 256 00:09:37,039 --> 00:09:37,940 current environment, 257 00:09:39,039 --> 00:09:40,455 what do you see as being some of 258 00:09:40,455 --> 00:09:43,174 the things that will be most essential to 259 00:09:43,174 --> 00:09:46,134 creating that kind of organization where you are 260 00:09:46,134 --> 00:09:48,154 winning that war on talent, for example? 261 00:09:48,615 --> 00:09:51,254 How are you thinking about, you know, building 262 00:09:51,254 --> 00:09:53,495 up the leadership pipeline and just making sure 263 00:09:53,495 --> 00:09:57,139 that the whole system is solid, moving into 264 00:09:57,139 --> 00:09:57,720 the future? 265 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:00,179 Or I'll just love that question. 266 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:02,039 One of the things that 267 00:10:02,419 --> 00:10:05,220 hasn't changed over over the many years is 268 00:10:05,220 --> 00:10:05,720 the 269 00:10:07,004 --> 00:10:09,804 team member leaving the organization is directly tied 270 00:10:09,804 --> 00:10:10,684 to their immediate, 271 00:10:11,404 --> 00:10:14,285 one up, their immediate supervisor. 43% of the 272 00:10:14,285 --> 00:10:16,445 time, people leave is because of their immediate 273 00:10:16,445 --> 00:10:18,924 supervisor. And now today's environment, when we're dealing 274 00:10:18,924 --> 00:10:19,985 with six generations, 275 00:10:20,909 --> 00:10:23,549 the the millennials and gen z also wanna 276 00:10:23,549 --> 00:10:25,089 know where does the organization 277 00:10:25,389 --> 00:10:28,429 stand on major issues. So that's very important 278 00:10:28,429 --> 00:10:30,049 to them in a sense of purpose. 279 00:10:30,429 --> 00:10:32,509 So it's important for us to have leaders 280 00:10:32,509 --> 00:10:34,034 who understand how to navigate 281 00:10:35,554 --> 00:10:37,574 generational odyssey of six generations, 282 00:10:37,875 --> 00:10:39,235 and the value systems are very different from 283 00:10:39,235 --> 00:10:39,815 baby boomer 284 00:10:41,074 --> 00:10:42,834 to a Gen Z. So we spend a 285 00:10:42,834 --> 00:10:45,254 lot of time educating them on engagement 286 00:10:45,714 --> 00:10:48,440 of that work force. We do talent development 287 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:51,379 for our emerging leaders, which is supervisors and, 288 00:10:51,700 --> 00:10:54,019 assistant managers and above. In fact, we just 289 00:10:54,019 --> 00:10:56,040 had one a couple of days ago. 290 00:10:56,419 --> 00:10:58,100 We had 396 291 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:01,620 leaders in in person and another 300 on, 292 00:11:02,355 --> 00:11:04,674 on Zoom. And we had a full day 293 00:11:04,674 --> 00:11:05,495 packed with, 294 00:11:06,115 --> 00:11:08,195 opportunities for them to learn how to become 295 00:11:08,195 --> 00:11:11,075 a better leader. So that's something we're doing 296 00:11:11,075 --> 00:11:13,075 as well. The other thing we have launched 297 00:11:13,075 --> 00:11:15,190 is succession planning within the organization 298 00:11:15,570 --> 00:11:18,210 at all levels. It's important to have a 299 00:11:18,210 --> 00:11:19,910 bench that's two, three deep, 300 00:11:20,850 --> 00:11:24,070 and, that creates stability as well. And if 301 00:11:24,210 --> 00:11:27,190 for some reason somebody leaves the organization because, 302 00:11:27,649 --> 00:11:29,169 of the talent that we have in their 303 00:11:29,169 --> 00:11:31,784 post, which is okay because we're preparing future 304 00:11:31,784 --> 00:11:32,845 leaders in healthcare. 305 00:11:33,304 --> 00:11:34,904 We have a bench that we could go 306 00:11:34,904 --> 00:11:35,784 into and, 307 00:11:36,985 --> 00:11:39,625 a sports analogy, get somebody from AAA into 308 00:11:39,625 --> 00:11:40,284 the majors. 309 00:11:40,985 --> 00:11:41,945 So that's how, 310 00:11:42,424 --> 00:11:44,684 we're focusing on talent development. 311 00:11:45,059 --> 00:11:46,820 And then it really comes down to the 312 00:11:46,820 --> 00:11:49,539 culture. The culture where people want to work, 313 00:11:49,539 --> 00:11:51,860 where they feel like a family. And it's 314 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:53,940 important for us to create an environment where 315 00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:57,000 people feel they're heard, their opinions are valued, 316 00:11:57,059 --> 00:11:58,980 and their one up cares about them. If 317 00:11:58,980 --> 00:12:00,360 you can create that environment, 318 00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:02,924 people are gonna wanna come work for you. 319 00:12:02,924 --> 00:12:04,465 And we've been fortunate enough 320 00:12:05,085 --> 00:12:06,225 to be on 321 00:12:06,605 --> 00:12:09,004 the Fortune's Best Places to Work and Healthcare 322 00:12:09,004 --> 00:12:12,125 list for many years, and also Fortune Best 323 00:12:12,125 --> 00:12:14,519 Places to Work general in all, 324 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:15,500 industries 325 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,160 for sixteen plus years. So, very, very excited 326 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,040 about that history that Atlantic has and commitment 327 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:23,259 to our team members. 328 00:12:24,279 --> 00:12:26,279 Absolutely. That's amazing to hear, and I really 329 00:12:26,279 --> 00:12:26,779 appreciate, 330 00:12:27,605 --> 00:12:31,044 the focus on having that very clear, robust 331 00:12:31,044 --> 00:12:32,804 bunch of leadership and then, you know, being 332 00:12:32,804 --> 00:12:35,365 able to think about succession planning in a 333 00:12:35,365 --> 00:12:37,524 meaningful way. One other thing you mentioned as 334 00:12:37,524 --> 00:12:39,445 well in there is just looking at the 335 00:12:39,445 --> 00:12:41,464 financial stability and and understanding 336 00:12:41,899 --> 00:12:44,460 what it'll take in order to, you know, 337 00:12:44,460 --> 00:12:46,080 keep the organization financially 338 00:12:46,539 --> 00:12:47,039 secure, 339 00:12:47,660 --> 00:12:50,539 over the next several years here. So how 340 00:12:50,539 --> 00:12:51,980 do we think about that? I know there's 341 00:12:51,980 --> 00:12:53,580 so much uncertainty within the, 342 00:12:54,875 --> 00:12:57,355 broader health care as well as economic and 343 00:12:57,355 --> 00:13:00,154 political landscape. And so how do you plan 344 00:13:00,154 --> 00:13:01,835 for the near term as well as the 345 00:13:01,835 --> 00:13:02,735 the long term, 346 00:13:03,434 --> 00:13:05,355 you know, and deal with the very real 347 00:13:05,355 --> 00:13:07,695 challenges that a lot of health care organizations 348 00:13:07,914 --> 00:13:08,575 have today? 349 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,200 You know, the approach needs to be future 350 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:12,259 proofing the organization, 351 00:13:13,279 --> 00:13:15,360 to face any headwinds that we're gonna have. 352 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,120 The ones that we know that are coming 353 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:18,980 around the corner in a couple of years 354 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,040 and the ones that are unknown. So the 355 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:21,519 way, 356 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,524 I've approached this in the past and approach 357 00:13:24,524 --> 00:13:26,845 working with the physician leaders, it's really, really 358 00:13:26,845 --> 00:13:29,644 important to engage our physicians and physician leaders 359 00:13:29,644 --> 00:13:30,945 in part of this solution, 360 00:13:31,404 --> 00:13:34,125 which is then looking at service line models 361 00:13:34,125 --> 00:13:35,964 and how do we deliver care within the 362 00:13:35,964 --> 00:13:37,985 service line enterprise model. 363 00:13:38,429 --> 00:13:42,029 Do we create efficiencies through there? And, order 364 00:13:42,029 --> 00:13:43,090 sets and standardization 365 00:13:43,710 --> 00:13:46,509 of order sets that all physicians agree within 366 00:13:46,509 --> 00:13:47,169 a subspecialty 367 00:13:47,470 --> 00:13:49,169 is going to be really, really important. 368 00:13:49,470 --> 00:13:51,409 And then looking at models of care, 369 00:13:52,044 --> 00:13:54,785 what are the venues in which we play? 370 00:13:54,845 --> 00:13:57,184 So it's important to optimize that portfolio 371 00:13:58,125 --> 00:14:00,544 and continue to drive margin through 372 00:14:01,165 --> 00:14:01,904 that optimization. 373 00:14:02,684 --> 00:14:05,424 Another aspect that people forget on the financial 374 00:14:05,829 --> 00:14:07,370 equation is really the clinical 375 00:14:08,149 --> 00:14:10,889 burnout rate. So if we can find ways 376 00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:13,690 to reduce the clinical burnout for our clinicians, 377 00:14:14,230 --> 00:14:16,570 that enables them to continue to 378 00:14:17,029 --> 00:14:19,429 operate at their peak performance. So that's something 379 00:14:19,429 --> 00:14:20,889 that's going to be really important. 380 00:14:21,394 --> 00:14:24,514 Digital, doorstep and integration is going to be 381 00:14:24,514 --> 00:14:28,115 really, really important. Creating an omnichannel experience for 382 00:14:28,115 --> 00:14:30,774 our consumers to access care at Clinic Health 383 00:14:31,154 --> 00:14:33,715 is a way to create patient loyalty and 384 00:14:33,715 --> 00:14:34,774 consumer loyalty. 385 00:14:35,379 --> 00:14:37,779 And, if we can do those things in 386 00:14:37,779 --> 00:14:38,679 a way that, 387 00:14:39,539 --> 00:14:40,039 consumers, 388 00:14:41,139 --> 00:14:44,600 feel valued and feel like they're heard, 389 00:14:45,059 --> 00:14:47,220 and seen as a healed person, I think 390 00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,620 that's gonna be a way to, succeed in 391 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:50,279 the future, 392 00:14:50,595 --> 00:14:51,495 in my opinion. 393 00:14:52,274 --> 00:14:54,355 That makes a lot of sense. And, thank 394 00:14:54,355 --> 00:14:55,714 you so much for going through that. It, 395 00:14:55,714 --> 00:14:57,875 you know, seems so simple yet I I 396 00:14:57,875 --> 00:15:00,674 know in practice, much more complex. So I 397 00:15:00,674 --> 00:15:02,759 appreciate your your thoughts here. 398 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:04,759 And looking ahead as well, what are some 399 00:15:04,759 --> 00:15:06,440 of the big opportunities for growth that you 400 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,440 see in the next few years in spaces 401 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:09,419 where you really, 402 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:11,179 can make a difference? 403 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,299 So not no crystal ball here, 404 00:15:15,315 --> 00:15:17,975 but we all know the environment that we 405 00:15:18,434 --> 00:15:20,595 are operating in is very dynamic and is 406 00:15:20,595 --> 00:15:23,095 going to continue to be dynamic. So, 407 00:15:23,875 --> 00:15:24,855 I'm going to double 408 00:15:25,235 --> 00:15:26,375 down on organizations 409 00:15:26,754 --> 00:15:29,500 that leverage internal talent are those who will 410 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:30,799 thrive in the future. 411 00:15:31,179 --> 00:15:33,759 Our workforce is going to be critically important, 412 00:15:34,539 --> 00:15:35,039 and, 413 00:15:35,820 --> 00:15:38,160 and part of that is creating a curious 414 00:15:38,220 --> 00:15:38,720 workforce. 415 00:15:39,179 --> 00:15:40,320 A curious workforce 416 00:15:40,995 --> 00:15:43,475 is one that is always looking at things 417 00:15:43,475 --> 00:15:45,554 to look at it, doing it differently, which, 418 00:15:45,715 --> 00:15:47,815 feeds innovation. So that's very important. 419 00:15:48,195 --> 00:15:51,475 Another thing that's important in that internal talent 420 00:15:51,475 --> 00:15:54,274 is creating psychological safety for our team members 421 00:15:54,274 --> 00:15:54,934 to experiment 422 00:15:55,709 --> 00:15:58,529 and, and fail. If they fail, fail fast, 423 00:15:58,589 --> 00:16:01,069 learn from it, pivot, and then adapt and 424 00:16:01,069 --> 00:16:03,009 grow. So if we can create that psychological 425 00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:04,289 safety for, 426 00:16:04,909 --> 00:16:06,850 risk taking to take place, organizations 427 00:16:07,230 --> 00:16:10,304 will continue to do well that, harness that 428 00:16:10,464 --> 00:16:11,924 psychological safety aspect. 429 00:16:12,625 --> 00:16:14,865 And it's my belief that every three year 430 00:16:14,865 --> 00:16:15,845 cycle, organizations 431 00:16:16,144 --> 00:16:17,684 will need to disrupt themselves 432 00:16:18,144 --> 00:16:21,605 and iterate across cross collaborative care delivery models 433 00:16:21,664 --> 00:16:22,884 in order to succeed, 434 00:16:23,539 --> 00:16:26,259 because the environment's gonna continue to, pressure us 435 00:16:26,259 --> 00:16:29,379 from inside the industry and entrance from outside 436 00:16:29,379 --> 00:16:30,759 the industry as well. 437 00:16:31,459 --> 00:16:33,940 This is easy to say, but, in in 438 00:16:33,940 --> 00:16:34,440 practice, 439 00:16:34,820 --> 00:16:37,459 it's much more difficult as remove silos and 440 00:16:37,459 --> 00:16:40,714 create a frictionless system that are directly connected 441 00:16:40,774 --> 00:16:42,235 to consumer convenience. 442 00:16:42,615 --> 00:16:45,115 We we've got to focus on consumer convenience 443 00:16:45,815 --> 00:16:47,194 and then get complexity 444 00:16:47,495 --> 00:16:50,294 of accessing care out of the way. So 445 00:16:50,294 --> 00:16:52,860 patients can access us in a way that 446 00:16:52,860 --> 00:16:55,179 is easy for them. You're gonna you're going 447 00:16:55,179 --> 00:16:56,240 to win that war, 448 00:16:57,019 --> 00:16:59,659 against any competition out there because you're able 449 00:16:59,659 --> 00:17:00,159 to, 450 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:02,379 take care of the patients in the manner 451 00:17:02,379 --> 00:17:04,299 they wanna be taken care of at the 452 00:17:04,299 --> 00:17:06,325 time they wanna be taken care of and 453 00:17:06,325 --> 00:17:08,005 at the right place, right venue, and at 454 00:17:08,005 --> 00:17:08,904 the right cost. 455 00:17:09,684 --> 00:17:11,205 It makes a lot of sense and, you 456 00:17:11,205 --> 00:17:14,005 know, really, ties nicely into the overall strategy 457 00:17:14,005 --> 00:17:15,765 when you're looking at workforce, when you're looking 458 00:17:15,765 --> 00:17:18,505 at what can make a a big difference, 459 00:17:19,029 --> 00:17:21,930 for the overall growth of the organization, reputation, 460 00:17:22,150 --> 00:17:23,750 and more. It seems like it really starts 461 00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:24,730 with the team there, 462 00:17:25,190 --> 00:17:27,210 which, you know, is a great way, 463 00:17:27,670 --> 00:17:30,890 to approach leadership, especially during these uncertain times. 464 00:17:31,269 --> 00:17:33,345 Now before we wrap up here, I'm curious. 465 00:17:33,585 --> 00:17:35,664 What, from your perspective, do you think will 466 00:17:35,664 --> 00:17:37,044 take to lead an organization, 467 00:17:37,664 --> 00:17:39,345 and make sure it thrives in the next 468 00:17:39,345 --> 00:17:41,265 five years or so? Again, I know no 469 00:17:41,265 --> 00:17:43,424 crystal ball, but I can imagine some of 470 00:17:43,424 --> 00:17:45,345 these principles are stabilizing force, 471 00:17:45,744 --> 00:17:47,365 through some of these these challenges. 472 00:17:48,130 --> 00:17:50,710 Alright. You're absolutely right. Workforce stabilization 473 00:17:51,169 --> 00:17:53,730 is important. I think it's important to focus 474 00:17:53,730 --> 00:17:56,210 on population health and growth of the value 475 00:17:56,210 --> 00:17:59,490 based care, aspect portfolio of the organization. At 476 00:17:59,490 --> 00:18:01,730 this point, we have about 38% 477 00:18:01,730 --> 00:18:02,295 of our 478 00:18:02,934 --> 00:18:05,414 our patient population. The trip, is on a 479 00:18:05,414 --> 00:18:06,215 value based, 480 00:18:06,695 --> 00:18:09,494 contract, risk based contract. That's something that's important 481 00:18:09,494 --> 00:18:11,174 for me to continue to grow and get 482 00:18:11,174 --> 00:18:12,315 to the 50% 483 00:18:12,535 --> 00:18:14,234 and get off the fee for service, 484 00:18:15,650 --> 00:18:18,369 train, so to speak. And then, it's going 485 00:18:18,369 --> 00:18:21,169 to be really important to look at your 486 00:18:21,169 --> 00:18:21,669 portfolio, 487 00:18:22,210 --> 00:18:23,190 what's your portfolio, 488 00:18:23,730 --> 00:18:26,690 and then optimize that and position it for, 489 00:18:27,009 --> 00:18:29,654 for future growth as well. And then you 490 00:18:29,654 --> 00:18:32,454 cannot ignore the quality and safety outcomes because 491 00:18:32,454 --> 00:18:34,534 that's your brand promise. You've got to deliver 492 00:18:34,534 --> 00:18:35,194 on patient, 493 00:18:35,894 --> 00:18:38,214 safety and quality outcomes and also on patient 494 00:18:38,214 --> 00:18:40,694 experience, so we're gonna continue to, double down 495 00:18:40,694 --> 00:18:43,519 on that. And, as I mentioned before, succession 496 00:18:43,519 --> 00:18:46,580 planning, because your workforce is your greatest asset 497 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:48,799 on any balance sheet as it doesn't show 498 00:18:48,799 --> 00:18:50,480 up, but it does show up when there 499 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,039 is a attrition in your, leadership and you 500 00:18:53,039 --> 00:18:54,580 don't have a backfill strategy. 501 00:18:55,174 --> 00:18:57,974 Those organizations then continue to have a a 502 00:18:57,974 --> 00:19:00,454 lull till they are backfilling that person, and 503 00:19:00,454 --> 00:19:02,615 then it really takes key leaders to be 504 00:19:02,615 --> 00:19:04,315 replaced. It takes about a year, 505 00:19:04,855 --> 00:19:06,615 eighteen months for them to get caught up 506 00:19:06,615 --> 00:19:08,680 on the the culture of the new organization 507 00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:11,460 they're entering. So it's important to retain the 508 00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:13,619 talent that we have so we can continue 509 00:19:13,619 --> 00:19:15,400 to thrive without missing a beat. 510 00:19:16,099 --> 00:19:18,019 Fascinating. Saad, thank you so much for joining 511 00:19:18,019 --> 00:19:19,619 us on the podcast today. This has been 512 00:19:19,619 --> 00:19:22,846 such a enlightening conversation, and I I appreciate 513 00:19:22,846 --> 00:19:24,365 your time. I look forward to connecting with 514 00:19:24,365 --> 00:19:25,346 you again soon. 515 00:19:25,806 --> 00:19:27,405 Laura, it was a pleasure. Thank you for 516 00:19:27,405 --> 00:19:28,306 inviting me.