Today's guest is Stephen Kasabian, Chief Administrative Officer for Maine Medical Partners (MMP) in Portland, Maine. Maine Medical Partners is a large, multi-specialty practice with over 500 physicians and is a subsidiary of Maine Medical Center. Steve was MMP Employee #1, and has overseen the growth of the organization since its inception.
Steve is a graduate of our own HMP program, and in this podcast we trace his career from UNH through to his leadership at MMP. We discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by healthcare organizations, and those in and around southern Maine. We conclude with a discussion about leadership.
Steve is interviewed by HMP junior Bridgette Carrier and HMP senior Shayna Murphy.
Links to the Podcast
Soundcloud:
Full-length: https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/stephen-kasabian-chief-administrative-officer-maine-medical-partners/
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-health-leader-forge
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/healthleaderforge/id981989377
YouTube: https://youtu.be/jIW8ArQjxvs
Podcast Outline
0:01:54 Choosing health management as a major
0:02:44 Internship at Exeter Hospital - the beginning of a career
0:04:56 First job at Goodall Hospital, learning to be a manager
0:08:53 Transition to consulting
0:11:21 key skills - relationship building and listening
0:13:56 what did he enjoy most about consulting
0:15:26 becoming a senior manager and deciding to leave consulting
0:16:27 moving into practice management
0:18:44 comparing practice management to hospital management
0:19:42 Leading a practice merger
0:20:57 the formation of Maine Medical Partners
0:23:30 working with a PHO when the concept was new
0:24:55 employee 1 - starting Maine Health's Medical Service Organization (MSO)
0:27:09 organziation as it was in 1995
0:28:29 building relationships with the physicians
0:29:26 what are the challenges of building a multi-specialty practice
0:30:50 what does it mean to be a multi-specialty group
0:33:21 MMP process for acquiring or opening a practice
0:35:49 challenges of rapid acquisition
0:37:00 hiring a physician president, becoming Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
0:38:57 being half of a dyad
0:40:20 division of labor in the physician-administrator dyad
0:41:38 pros and cons of dyad leadership
0:42:07 MMP's major services
0:43:50 MMP's current structure
0:46:06 small number of direct reports
0:47:15 longevity of leadership team is a strength
0:48:39 MMP corporate strategy linked to Maine Medical Center
0:51:07 making the jump from individual practice to system level
0:52:37 MMP mission - to care for patients regardless of ability to pay
0:54:34 challenges of recruiting physicians
0:56:01 dealing with an aging population
0:57:45 impact of the ACA - lowering bad debt
0:58:30 impact of not expanding Medicaid
0:59:57 operational excellence, Gemba walks
1:03:40 Gemba walks help with employee engagement
1:04:53 what keeps him up at night - finding the resources to provide the services needed
1:06:34 what are the skills necessary to become a CAO
1:07:32 advice to his 20 year old self
1:08:33 leadership philosophy
1:10:04 the characteristics of a good leader - listening
1:11:09 who inspired his leadership style
1:11:54 a leadership lesson learned the hard way
1:13:56 what to look for when choosing leaders
1:16:21 the common mistakes of junior leaders - impatience
1:17:23 organizational culture
1:18:41 how to shape organizational culture - live it
1:19:56 the role of the mentor
1:22:11 book recommendation for early careerists
1:23:20 advice to early careerists
0:02:44 Internship at Exeter Hospital - the beginning of a career
0:04:56 First job at Goodall Hospital, learning to be a manager
0:08:53 Transition to consulting
0:11:21 key skills - relationship building and listening
0:13:56 what did he enjoy most about consulting
0:15:26 becoming a senior manager and deciding to leave consulting
0:16:27 moving into practice management
0:18:44 comparing practice management to hospital management
0:19:42 Leading a practice merger
0:20:57 the formation of Maine Medical Partners
0:23:30 working with a PHO when the concept was new
0:24:55 employee 1 - starting Maine Health's Medical Service Organization (MSO)
0:27:09 organziation as it was in 1995
0:28:29 building relationships with the physicians
0:29:26 what are the challenges of building a multi-specialty practice
0:30:50 what does it mean to be a multi-specialty group
0:33:21 MMP process for acquiring or opening a practice
0:35:49 challenges of rapid acquisition
0:37:00 hiring a physician president, becoming Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
0:38:57 being half of a dyad
0:40:20 division of labor in the physician-administrator dyad
0:41:38 pros and cons of dyad leadership
0:42:07 MMP's major services
0:43:50 MMP's current structure
0:46:06 small number of direct reports
0:47:15 longevity of leadership team is a strength
0:48:39 MMP corporate strategy linked to Maine Medical Center
0:51:07 making the jump from individual practice to system level
0:52:37 MMP mission - to care for patients regardless of ability to pay
0:54:34 challenges of recruiting physicians
0:56:01 dealing with an aging population
0:57:45 impact of the ACA - lowering bad debt
0:58:30 impact of not expanding Medicaid
0:59:57 operational excellence, Gemba walks
1:03:40 Gemba walks help with employee engagement
1:04:53 what keeps him up at night - finding the resources to provide the services needed
1:06:34 what are the skills necessary to become a CAO
1:07:32 advice to his 20 year old self
1:08:33 leadership philosophy
1:10:04 the characteristics of a good leader - listening
1:11:09 who inspired his leadership style
1:11:54 a leadership lesson learned the hard way
1:13:56 what to look for when choosing leaders
1:16:21 the common mistakes of junior leaders - impatience
1:17:23 organizational culture
1:18:41 how to shape organizational culture - live it
1:19:56 the role of the mentor
1:22:11 book recommendation for early careerists
1:23:20 advice to early careerists
Topics Discussed:
Goodall Hospital (now SMHC)
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