Jill Gravink, Founder and Executive Director of Northeast Passage

Today’s guest is Jill Gravink, the Founder and Executive Director of Northeast Passage. Jill founded Northeast Passage in 1990 as a means of bringing Recreational Therapy out of the inpatient setting and into the community. Northeast Passage works with people who have physical and mental disabilities, using sport and leisure activities to improve the quality of the client’s life and to, as they say at Northeast Passage, “Live beyond disability.” Northeast Passage works with everyone from children to combat veterans, treating more than 3,000 clients last year. In this podcast Jill tells the story of how Northeast Passage came to be, and what it took to grow the organization from just her operating out of the trunk of her car to where it is today. We also discuss how organizations like Northeast Passage are well poised to contribute to the future of health care as the industry shifts to outcomes and value-based reimbursement, and conclude with a discussion about leadership.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Jill-Gravink--Founder-and-Executive-Director-of-Northeast-Passage-egraam

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/41078139&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/41078139

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jill-gravink-founder-and-executive-director-of/id981989377?i=1000356065522

Podcast Outline

Time	Topic
0:01:34	Educational background
0:02:47	Defining recreational therapy
0:05:16	Art of recreational therapy, about NEP
0:06:36	History of recreational therapy
0:08:03	Getting certified in recreational therapy
0:08:40	First job after graduation
0:10:45	Use of aquatics in physical therapy
0:11:40	Starting NEP and initial vision
0:14:46	NEP’s first clients
0:17:11	NEP initial funding and sponsors
0:18:00	Coming back to UNH to teach
0:19:57	NEP’s early days, lessons learned, partnerships
0:23:24	Defining “universal design”
0:24:44	Growth of NEP in clients and funding, future NEP sustainability
0:27:52	Beginning to charge clients fees for service, NEP financial difficulties
0:29:58	Development of recreational therapy at NEP, associated grants
0:33:21	Learning to manage an organization
0:36:21	Merging NEP with UNH
0:38:13	Defining and using “strength-based” in therapy
0:39:31	Importance of integrating therapy within the community
0:44:04	Role group dynamics play in therapy
0:45:00	Receiving veterans’ adaptive sports grant, addressing veterans’ therapy needs
0:50:00	Long term relationship with Veterans’ Affairs after grant, current work with VA
0:52:10	Broader healthcare reimbursement trends away from FFS towards outcome and value-based payments
0:54:58	Change in role as executive director with UNH merger
0:56:38	The future of NEP
0:58:55	Changes in strategy and vision of NEP over time
1:00:41	NEP’s current organizational structure, working with UNH students
1:02:27	Changes in personal leadership style over time, lessons learned
1:05:46	How to find the right people for leadership positions
1:06:57	Philosophy on leadership and its challenges and opportunities
1:11:35	Importance of organizational culture
1:13:47	Early career mentors, importance of mentorship
1:16:47	Advice for people who want to address social needs
1:19:05	Advice for people interested in a career in recreational therapy

Topics Discussed:

Northeast Passage

American Thereapeutic Recreation Association

Adaptive Sports

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Thanks to Sameer Panesar for production support.

Greg Townsend, Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics, Commonwealth Care Alliance

Today’s guest is Greg Townsend, the Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics at Commonwealth Care Alliance in Boston. Greg’s path to leadership in health analytics traces the coming of age of analytics in health care. Greg’s educational background began in public health working with disease management and health promotion, which led him to roles in risk management and quality improvement, two fields that rely heavily on data. These early roles helped him develop the skill set that he uses today to support the Commonwealth Care Alliance’s mission of providing health care to some of Massachusetts’ most needy citizens. The podcast concludes with Greg’s thoughts on leadership and his advice to people who are interested in entering the field of health analytics. An abridged version of the interview that focuses only on Greg’s work at Commonwealth Care Alliance is also available.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: 

Unabridged: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Greg-Townsend--VP-of-Business-Intelligence-and-Analytics--Commonwealth-Care-Alliance-egra63               

Abridged: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/abridged-Greg-Townsend--VP-of-Business-Intelligence-and-Analytics--Commonwealth-Care-Alliance-egra8e

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

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/greg-townsend-vp-of-business-intelligence-and/id981989377?i=1000354725112

Podcast Outline:

Time	Topic
0:01:31	Educational background, college internships
0:03:11	Moving to North Carolina after college, initial jobs
0:05:12	Preventive health work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
0:07:00	Defining “disease management” and its history
0:08:28	Lessons learned from first jobs
0:10:22	Quality Improvement work at Harvard Pilgrim
0:13:37	Performance Improvement work at Elliot Health System
0:15:20	The role of the Joint Commission in accreditation
0:17:25	Other responsibilities at Elliot Health System
0:20:26	Leadership lessons learned at Elliot
0:24:52	Performance Improvement/Evaluation work at Tufts New England Medical Center
0:29:49	The importance and process of prioritizing
0:31:19	Quality Management work at Health Dialogue Analytics Solutions
0:34:30	“Unwarranted variation” in health care
0:36:07	Work in health analytics prior to HDAS
0:37:55	Tools used in health analytics
0:38:56	How prior work experiences contributed to knowledge in health analytics
0:39:52	Clinical partnerships work at Accretive Health and work on reimbursable codes with providers and CMS
0:45:04	Business Intelligence work at Commonwealth Care Alliance
0:47:28	Working with dually eligible patients (Medicare & Medicaid) and the importance of primary care
0:50:48	Assembling a primary care team through CCA
0:52:08	Work with capitated payments in healthcare
0:54:15	Lack of access to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients, the importance of home health care
0:56:06	Integration of specialty and inpatient care into capitated payments
0:56:41	Teamwork in healthcare and home health evaluations
0:59:17	Greg’s role, responsibilities at CCA
1:00:43	Problems solved using health analytics
1:02:28	Products created using health analytics
1:04:40	Difference between and use of “predictive” and “prescriptive” analytics
1:06:52	Evolution of analytics and its integration into health decision making
1:08:15	Challenges faced in the implementation of health analytics
1:10:11	The future of health analytics and its integration into health care
1:11:40	Personal leadership philosophy
1:13:28	Personal mentors in leadership
1:15:21	What to look for when hiring leaders
1:16:36	The role of a good mentor
1:18:17	Who looks to you as a mentor?
1:19:36	Advice for those interested in health analytics

Links to Topics Discussed:

Commonwealth Care Alliance

Masshealth

Plymouth State Health Promotion Program

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Thanks to Sameer Panasar for production assistance.

Robert Mach, Executive Director for Operations, Littleton Regional Healthcare

Today’s guest is Robert Mach, the Executive Director of Operations for Littleton Regional Healthcare, and the New Hampshire Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives. Robert has had a fascinating career starting out as an air traffic controller for the US Marine Corps, then transitioning to health care initially as a radiology technician, and working his way up into the executive ranks by, as he puts it, “putting his hand up.” In the podcast, Robert talks about his career, then shares some thoughts about his role as Regent and why ACHE is an important organization for an early careerist to consider becoming a member of.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Robert-Mach--Executive-Director-of-Operations--Littleton-Regional-Healthcare-egra75

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/40678901&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/40678901

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robert-mach-executive-director-of-operations/id981989377?i=1000353701553

Transcript of the interview.

Podcast Outline

Time	Topic
1:16-14:04	Early Career and transition to healthcare – Marine Corps Aviation to Radiology Technology and Administration
14:05-20:11	Coming to Littleton Regional Healthcare, about the facility
20:12-34:57	Career at Littleton – progression from administrator to executive staff
34:58-48:51	Leadership and Mentorship
48:52-55:31	ACHE and being the New Hampshire Regent
55:32-59:54	Advice to new careerists

Links to Topics Discussed:

Littleton Regional Healthcare

American College of Healthcare Executives

Northern New England Association of Healthcare Executives

Marine Corps Aviation

Rutland Regional Medical Center

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Phil Alexakos, Chief of Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness

For today’s interview I return to the Manchester Health Department to talk with Phil Alexakos, the Chief of Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness Division, about how he and his department plan and prepare for public health crises. As we remembered the 14th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 just a few days ago, Phil’s division’s focus has expanded from naturally occurring public health threats like pandemic flu to responding to bioterrorism. The interview is fascinating because Phil and his colleagues focus on developing capabilities to respond to a wide array of unknown and unknowable events by finding ways to repurpose existing infrastructure in diverse ways. The podcast concludes with how government organizations like the Health Department cannot do this mission alone – they need the help of an army of volunteers. While Phil talks about some of the volunteer programs specific to New Hampshire, listeners should consider what opportunities they have to help make their communities more robust.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Phil-Alexakos--Chief-Of-Environmental-Health-And-Emergency-Preparedness-egra92

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/40479354&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/40479354

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phil-alexakos-chief-of-environmental-health/id981989377?i=1000352240222

Podcast timeline:

Time	Topic
0:01:35	background and early career
0:10:45	organization of emergency public health in NH
0:15:27	shifting planning, post-9/11
0:20:46	Manchester's anthrax history
	anthrax at UNH
0:24:53	data surveillance for public health emergency detection
0:28:49	mass treatment - Points of Dispensing (PODs)
0:36:29	formal partners for emergency planning
0:42:03	planning for shelter operations
0:49:40	the planning group and role of the health care system
0:55:39	incident command, the EOC and the MACE
0:58:02	planning for MED Surge - accordion planning
1:05:15	integrating community based groups
	Medical Reserve
	CERTs

Links discussed and for further reading:

Manchester Health Department http://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Health

NH Responds: New Hampshire Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals https://www.nhresponds.org/

Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/HomePage

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams

FEMA Incident Command Training https://training.fema.gov/nims/

CDC - Public Health Preparedness Capabilities:National Standards for State and Local Planning http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/capabilities/index.htm

Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/pahpa/Pages/default.aspx

National Health Security Strategy http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/Pages/default.aspx

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Bridget Stewart, Vice President for Physician Services, Elliot Health System

Today’s guest is Bridget Stewart, the Vice President for Physician Services at the Elliot Health System in Manchester, New Hamsphire. Bridget’s career spans a wide variety of hospitals and clinical activities, but always focused on operations management. She has worked at several world famous Boston hospitals such as Brigham and Women’s, Boston Children’s and most recently before coming to the Elliot, as the Vice President for Operations at the Joslin Diabetes Center. In addition to earning her Bachelor’s degree from Health Management and Policy here at the University of New Hampshire, she holds an MBA and a Doctor of Law and Policy. In this podcast she talks about her career journey and some of the differences between the organizations she has worked for, and concludes with advice to early careerists. This full-length podcast is approximately 84 minutes in length – an abridged version of the podcast is available that only focuses on her roles at Joslin and the Elliot. 

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: 

                     Unabridged: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Bridget-Stewart--Vice-President-for-Physician-Services--Elliot-Health-System-egraac
                 
                      Abridged:  https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/AbridgedBridget-Stewart--Vice-President-for-Physician-Services--Elliot-Health-System-egra7b

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridget-stewart-vice-president-for-physician-services/id981989377?i=1000351059011

(the following times apply to the unabridged version of the podcast )

  Time                                    Topic

0:01:28	-	0:10:32	education at HMP and MBA
0:10:32	-	0:12:40	University of Iowa Medical Center, Division of Cardiology
0:12:40	-	0:19:07	Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Medicine
0:19:07	-	0:36:43	Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Cardiology, management grand rounds, management of philanthropic funds
0:36:43	-	0:41:12	earning a Doctorate of Law and Policy, coordination of electronic medical records
0:41:12	-	0:50:29	Vice President for Operations, Joslin Diabetes Center
0:50:29	-	0:55:49	reflecting on the Boston health care community
0:55:49	-	1:11:31	Vice Preseident for Physician Services, The Elliot Health System
1:11:31	-	1:15:43	thoughts on leadership
1:15:43	-	1:19:47	mentorship and networking
1:19:47	-	1:21:52	advice to early career women leaders
1:21:52	-	1:24:02	advice to administrative interns
1:24:02	-	1:26:09	advice to early careerists

Links to Topics Discussed:

Health Management and Policy

St. Ambrose University MBA

University of Iow Medical Center

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston Children's Hospital

Joslin Diabetes Center

The Elliot Health System

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