World-Class Operations, Forward-Thinking Strategy: Lessons in Public Health Leadership

Robert Mandel MD, is the President of Clinical Excellence and Chief Medical Officer for Carelon Health, a subsidiary of the huge payer-provider platform Elevance Health.  He is also a physician leader steeped in the principles of Habitual Excellence who has been associated with some of the building block breakthroughs in delivering better healthcare quality and outcomes for patients, from individuals to huge populations, through his career across the payer-provider interface.  In this episode, hear why he is encouraged by what we’ve been able to learn and apply to improve care from the emerging large datasets so far, and how he and Carelon hope to support further improvement across healthcare by making clinical evidence even more front and central for members and providers and payers experiences with each other, and for members during the 95% of the time they aren’t directly interacting with the healthcare system as well.  Robert also shares 5 ways he leads with the principles of Habitual Excellence to help everyone in the organization show up in the best way they can, every day, to advance the mission.

Robert Mandel MD, is the President of Clinical Excellence and Chief Medical Officer for Carelon Health, a subsidiary of the huge payer-provider platform Elevance Health.  He is also a physician leader steeped in the principles of Habitual Excellence who has been associated with some of the building block breakthroughs in delivering better healthcare quality and outcomes for patients, from individuals to huge populations, through his career across the payer-provider interface.  In this episode, hear why he is encouraged by what we’ve been able to learn and apply to improve care from the emerging large datasets so far, and how he and Carelon hope to support further improvement across healthcare by making clinical evidence even more front and central for members and providers and payers experiences with each other, and for members during the 95% of the time they aren’t directly interacting with the healthcare system as well.  Robert also shares 5 ways he leads with the principles of Habitual Excellence to help everyone in the organization show up in the best way they can, every day, to advance the mission.

Carrie Willetts is one of the next-generation leaders of the Habitual Excellence movement, finding new ways to connect its ideas to everyone in the organization, practically and efficiently, using plainer language and simpler core concepts to achieve profound results at scale.As Chief Administrative Officer of the rapidly growing WVU Medicine, Carrie has succeeded at increasingly higher levels by thoughtfully aligning her deepest values, the institutions she chooses to serve, and a repeatable leadership framework rooted in the belief that culture is the answer to every challenge.In this episode of Habitual Excellence, Carrie delivers a tour de force explanation of her leadership framework, sharing compelling stories that illustrate how she applies it, along with evidence of major success. She also explains how she has become a rare C-suite leader who is equally comfortable with strategy and execution.Carrie’s story will energize listeners and offer insights that make the leadership path ahead both easier and more fulfilling.

In this episode of Habitual Excellence, Value Capture is celebrating 20 years of supporting visionary healthcare leaders by introducing its own next generation CEO, Shana Padgett, who looks forward energetically to helping leaders advance health and healthcare without harm, wait or waste for the next 20 years.  Shana shares why as a proven executive and executive advisor she chose to come to Value Capture 9 years ago, what she’s learning from leaders in today’s turbulent environment and how she and the firm are helping them to outperform.  She is the first non-founder CEO of Value Capture, and turns the tables on Ken Segel, her predecessor, who is staying with the company as Chief Relationship Officer, to ask about the philosophy of continuous improvement that underpins Value Capture’s uncommon succession plan.  Hear Shana and Ken share reflections on how some of the most thoughtful of today’s c-suite leaders are planting a flag despite the turbulence in the environment, to simultaneously drive results and improve culture, using some timeless principles and ideas adapted to the moment.

Join us in this insightful episode as we explore how to grow ambulatory care successfully while fulfilling an organization's core purpose. Our guest, Simon Curtis, COO of Duke Health Integrated Practice, shares his experience tackling two significant challenges: integrating a faculty practice and meeting increased patient demand, with volumes rising 10-15% annually. Discover how focusing on the fundamentals has been key to navigating these challenges and driving sustainable growth. Tune in for valuable lessons and strategies from a leader at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

In this discussion, Dr. CJ Kunnappilly, CEO of San Mateo County Health, emphasizes the critical importance of leadership clarity and strategic focus in public health. He reflects on his journey from a physician prioritizing patient care to a CEO recognizing the need to delegate operational tasks and fully embrace his role as a strategic leader. Kunnappilly highlights the balance required at all organizational levels, where operational excellence supports, but does not overshadow, the broader goal of developing forward-thinking strategies. Dr. Kunnappilly highlights the need for a long-term vision and the integration of strategy with daily operations to achieve meaningful improvements in patient care and organizational efficiency. He also discusses the shift from being a provider of last resort to focusing on equity and addressing societal barriers like food insecurity and language access. 

In this special Veterans Day edition of the “Habitual Excellence” podcast, host Ken Segel interviews Dr. Kecia Kelly, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Legacy Health, who shares her extensive career journey from a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps to various leadership roles in healthcare. Dr. Kelly discusses the importance of respect, leading by example, and influencing through relationships, highlighting her success in improving inpatient throughput and leading a partnership with Labcorp. She emphasizes the value of stepping out of comfort zones and leveraging strengths, sharing personal stories about her father and husband to illustrate the long-term impacts of military service. Dr. Kelly calls for greater empathy and understanding towards veterans, urging healthcare providers to ask the right questions and provide comprehensive care, while expressing pride in her service and the importance of upholding the Constitution.

In this episode of the Habitual Excellence Podcast, Ken Segel interviews Dr. Richard Shannon, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Duke University Health System, about the evolution of healthcare quality and safety over the past 25 years. Dr. Shannon discusses his journey, which shifted focus after encountering Paul O'Neill and the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative, emphasizing that the current healthcare environment has fallen into a "tyranny of measurement" that often overlooks real improvements. He highlights how Duke has implemented a management system that emphasizes people development, standard operating procedures, and continuous improvement to reduce variability in care, leading to improved patient and staff outcomes. They explore the importance of servant leadership, lean management, and addressing social determinants of health. Dr. Shannon calls for a shift at the national level—from focusing solely on metrics to embracing comprehensive improvement methods, incentivized by organizations like CMS. He also expresses concerns about the upcoming generational shift in healthcare leadership and the importance of developing new leaders who can continue advancing these quality initiatives. Dr. Shannon ends by discussing his legacy, emphasizing that true transformation requires spending all political capital and leaving an organization better than when one arrived. He provides an example of addressing racial disparities at Duke, where maternal morbidity for African American women was significantly reduced through improvements in patient access and care coordination. This case illustrates how a robust quality system can lead to impactful and equitable healthcare outcomes, reinforcing that healthcare transformation is both achievable and necessary.

In this episode of the Habitual Excellence podcast, host Ken Segel interviews Dr. Paul DeChant, an expert on physician burnout, with a focus on how workplace dysfunction rather than personal resilience drives burnout among clinicians. Dr. DeChant explains that burnout arises when clinicians spend too much time on administrative tasks and not enough on meaningful patient care. He highlights cynicism as a key dimension of burnout, stemming from lack of control, recognition, and a breakdown of community and fairness. Leadership plays a crucial role in addressing these issues by empowering frontline workers and aligning them with organizational values and processes, such as using lean management systems to improve workflows. Dr. DeChant emphasizes the importance of leaders "going to the Gemba" to understand frontline challenges and build trust with clinicians. The episode also promotes the upcoming Enduring Excellence CEO Seminar, where leaders can learn more about these frameworks and their practical applications.

In this podcast episode, Katie Anderson and Gerald Harris discuss the concept of serious leadership in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of long-term thinking and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. Katie shares insights from her experiences, including lessons from Japanese leadership practices, highlighting how leaders can break the habit of simply telling their teams what to do and instead engage them in collaborative problem-solving. Gerald underscores the challenges healthcare leaders face, such as time constraints and regulatory pressures, and the need to manage these complexities to create conditions for success. The episode also promotes the upcoming 2024 Lean Solutions Summit, where both Katie and Gerald will be actively participating, offering healthcare leaders an opportunity to reflect, learn, and gain new perspectives to enhance their leadership practices.