Jeffrey Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Today's guest is Jeff Hughes, the Chief Strategy Officer for Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (WDH) in Dover, New Hampshire. In this podcast, Jeff talks about his career in planning and strategy in a wide variety of healthcare organizations from community hospitals to teaching hospitals to health systems and even a medical school. Wentworth-Douglass has recently gone through the process of becoming an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jeff talks about the lengthy process WDH went through to decide on this strategy. The podcast is a fascinating insight into the reasoning behind the industry-wide trend in consolidation. 

Links to the Podcast

Soundcloud:

Full length interview:  https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/jeffrey-hughes-chief-strategy-officer-wentworth-douglass-hospital/

Abridged interview: https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/jeffrey-hughes-chief-strategy-officer-wdh-abridged/ 

(The abridged interview starts with Jeff's position at WDH, the full length interview includes his work history leading up to WDH.)

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-health-leader-forge

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/healthleaderforge/id981989377 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/YGar_v9n5wM

Podcast Outline Time       Topic

0:01:03 education - finding direction

0:03:14 Yale program in health services administration and epidemiology

0:05:33 Healthcare Administration Residency

0:08:35 first role as planning coordinator for Newport Hospital

0:09:22 moving to Danbury Hospital, becoming director of operations

0:10:34 becoming a manager

0:12:11 meshing together strategy and operations

0:12:26 Price Waterhouse Coopers consulting

0:16:19 what do consultants do?

0:18:12 returning to direct care, starting own consulting practice

0:28:41 recruited by WDH

0:29:44 starting at VP of Planning at WDH

0:31:03 redesigning the strategic planning process at WDH

0:34:21 creating strategic questions

0:36:36 moving from process measures to outcomes measures

0:37:39 about WDH

0:38:41 what were the strengths and skills he developed leading up to WDH

0:40:54 Affiliating with Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners Health Care

0:45:04 strategic affiliation analysis

0:46:22 examining options: NH-based system vs. Mass Gen

0:48:47 negotiating from a position of strength

0:50:25 the NH option - horizontal vs. vertical merger

0:53:21 clinical affiliations - what are the benefits?

0:56:25 the future of telehealth

0:59:00 what are the strategic challenges in healthcare now?

Links of Interest:

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

Katie Fullam Harris, SVP of Government Relations and Accountable Care Strategy, MaineHealth

Today's guest is Katie Fullam Harris, the Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Accountable Care Strategy for MaineHealth, in Portland, Maine. Katie oversees the development, implementation and coordination of state and federal advocacy on behalf of the MaineHealth System, and also leads the development and implementation of strategy that supports improved access and value for health care consumers and purchasers and the alignment of incentives for providers in the MaineHealth System. Prior to coming to MaineHealth, Katie worked in a variety of not-for-profit, government, and for-profit institutions.

In this podcast, Katie and I discuss her career journey, then transition to talk about what it’s like to manage government relations and health policy for the largest integrated health system in the state of Maine, and the challenges of trying to move a large system towards paying for value. We conclude with a discussion about influence and leadership.


We cover a lot of ground in this interview, especially around the recent evolution of health policy. I think early careerists in particular will get a sense of the importance of integrating proactive government relations in a large healthcare organization.

Links to the Podcast:

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/katie-fullam-harris-svp-of-government-relations-for-mainehealth

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-health-leader-forge

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/healthleaderforge/id981989377

Transcript: A transcript of the podcast is available here.

Podcast Outline

0:02:05 Educational background
0:02:54 Government relations, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
0:07:30 Maine Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services
0:13:07 Director of Development, Sweetser
0:15:53 Program Director, Maine Development Foundation
0:18:57 Director of Government Relations, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shielf of Maine
0:25:27 MaineHealth overview
0:27:55 impact of Maine's geography and demographics
0:30:15 efforts toward population health
0:31:32 primary care and case management program for underinsured
0:32:24 Government Relations at MaineHealth
0:34:20 Employer Relations at MaineHealth
0:36:55 promoted to Senior Vice President - developing risk-based contracts
0:44:07 "accountable care movement"
0:46:03 Effect of the ACA on MaineHealth
0:52:30 a day in the life of Katie Fullam Harris
0:53:38 working with the MaineHealth affiliates
0:58:13 importance of bringing government relations in early
1:00:02 concerns about the future
1:01:19 leadership philosophy
1:02:01 characteristics of a good leader
1:03:16 organizational culture
1:04:59 career mentors and what they do
1:09:37 where do early careerists go wrong?
1:12:18 most frequent advice to early careerists?
1:13:28 read anything by Atul Gawande
1:14:16 opportunities in health administration

Links to Selected Topics Discussed

MaineHealth

MaineHealth Strategic Plan

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

Sweetser

Maine Development Foundation

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine

Atul Gawande

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Kevin Callahan, CEO Exeter Health Resources

Today’s guest is Kevin Callahan, the CEO of Exeter Health Resources in Exeter New Hampshire. Kevin has been the CEO of Exeter Health Systems for nearly 30 years. His tenure spans many of the healthcare industry’s most tumultuous changes. Kevin describes himself as a person who thrives on the challenge of change, and in this interview he talks about how he has kept the organization adaptable.

The original interview with Kevin is 90 minutes in length. I have produced an abridged, 45 minute version as well as the 90 minute version. Both the abridged and the unabridged versions are available at the links below.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: 

• Unabridged version: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Kevin-Callahan--CEO--Exeter-Health-Resources-Unabridged-egraab

• Abrdiged version: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Kevin-Callahan--CEO--Exeter-Health-Resources-Abridged-egra5d

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/38309774&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/38309774

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kevin-callahan-ceo-exeter-health-resources-unabridged/id981989377?i=1000343790536

Transcript of the podcast is available here.


The following time breaks apply to the unabridged version of the podcast.

Time                  Topic
  1:24 - 14:30     Background, education, and MHA residency experience, coming to Exeter
14:31 - 17:53     The community of Exeter
17:54 - 27:51     Executive Vice President, learning to be comfortable with uncertainty
27:52 - 36:34     Organizational structure and functions of Exeter Health Resources
36:35 - 42:29     Becoming the CEO
42:30 - 46:28     Governance and the role of the Board
46:29 - 57:58     Responding to the macro/industry changes
57:59 - 64:53     Strategic planning and capital investments
64:54 - 75:00     Leadership
75:01 - 80:05     Mentorship
80:06 - 88:20     Advice to administrative interns/residents and early career administrators


Links to topics discussed:

Exeter Health Resources

Exeter Hospital - http://www.exeterhospital.com/

Core Physicians - http://www.corephysicians.org/

Rockingham VNA & Hospice - http://www.exeterhospital.com/about-exeter/rockingham-vna-hospice/

Hoshin Planning - http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_77.htm

George Washington University Masters in Healthcare Administration - http://mha.gwu.edu/