Emily Moorhead is the chief operating officer of the central market at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System.
Ms. Moorhead will serve on the panel "Building a Resilient, High-Reliability Organization With Accountable Leaders" at Becker's 10th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference on Nov. 7-10 in Chicago.
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Becker's Healthcare aims to foster peer-to-peer conversation between healthcare's brightest leaders and thinkers. In that vein, responses to our Speaker Series are published straight from interviewees. Here is what our speakers had to say.
Question: What is the smartest thing you've done in the last year to set your system up for success?
Emily Moorhead: The smartest thing I could've done was foster a culture of belonging and supporting leaders so they can best front-line support staff. After two or more years of living through COVID-19, the great resignation, staffing crises, supply shortages, and now high inflation rates, the financial challenges and staff burnout are prevalent throughout all departments in the care continuum. Leaders must pause, breathe and ensure that we care for one another. Strengthening our culture to create a strong foundation will be vital to preparing for a large amount of change that will be required to be successful in the future.
Q: What are you most excited about right now and what makes you nervous?
EM: Value-based care is exciting. We've talked about the evolution from fee-for-service to value-based care for over a decade. Moving the industry away from sick care and focusing on prevention gets me out of bed in the morning!
Q: How are you thinking about growth and investments for the next year or two?
EM: Growth is about meeting the broader community's needs, which means expanding virtual care platforms to areas not easily served in the past. Having a data-driven approach to anticipate upcoming provider shortages to be proactive about unmet care needs and how we can help fill the voids through provider access and create more streamlined care models. Investments in technology make it easier for people to access the care they need. We must reduce the friction patients experience when seeking care.
Prevention and wellness is the new model — we as healthcare leaders need to evolve that thinking to be true healthcare partners to the communities we serve. We need to align care with the patient's preferences to make getting the preventative care they need easier. Examples include virtual visits with a specialist in the ED, during the primary care visit before leaving, or same-day appointments.
Q: What will healthcare executives need to be effective leaders for the next five years?
EM: I think leading through a large amount of change and evolution needed in our industry will be leaders' primary focus for the next several years. This will require some tough decisions but can be done in a way that fosters integrity, respect and kindness. At its core, leadership is about caring for everyone in our sphere of influence. That means making sure they feel safe, valued, and purposeful. Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection. Future health care leaders need to be more "heart grounded." Would our processes be the same if we were leading with our hearts? I'd argue they wouldn't; they'd be centered a little more closely around our patients, peers, and families. I think Simon Sinek says it best, "Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge."
Q: How are you building resilient and diverse teams?
EM: As it relates to diversity, we have an enterprise-wide DEIJ strategy that leads to the local committee work, including action plans related to intentional recruitment, unconscious bias training for all staff, governance members and providers, educational partnerships, the establishment of a voice of the community work group, and strategic planning efforts to improve access for under-represented communities.
Diversity makes us smarter, more innovative, and less married to the status quo. Diversity also offers the opportunity to see with new eyes. Diversity is broader than gender and race; we must tap into diverse experiences and cultures. The more varied the experiences around the table, the better the chance of change being successful and sustainable!
In terms of resiliency: fostering a culture of belonging, caring for one another and regular leadership check-ins. People stay in supportive, fun and collaborative environments, so fostering a strong culture is the foundation of a resilient team. But we must also be accountable for knowing when we are approaching burnout and need to unplug, rejuvenate and seek help.