Redonda Miller, MD, MBA, serves as President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
On April 2nd, Dr. Miller will speak at Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 1-4, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Miller's session, click here.
Question: What do innovators/entrepreneurs from outside healthcare need to better understand about hospital and health system leaders?
Redonda Miller: In health care, it is our mission to provide the highest quality care for all. That mission is paramount, even if it means our decisions may not follow a traditional business model. We must continually develop new and innovative ways to deliver patient care, even if they do not provide an immediate return on investment. For example, at Johns Hopkins, we have launched multiple programs that send both clinical providers (nurses, pharmacists and others) and nonclinical workers, such as handymen, into our communities to address the medical and socioeconomic needs of our patients. The horizon for these programs is long-term, and we know they will “pay off” in the future by improving the overall wellness of the population we serve.
Q: What one strategic initiative will demand the most of your time and energy in 2019?
RM: Over the next year, The Johns Hopkins Hospital will continue to focus a great deal of time and energy on our strategic initiative to improve the quality and affordability of health care. Our patients are increasingly burdened by the high cost of health care, and it is our responsibility to thoughtfully reduce those costs while ensuring that our patients always receive the best and most complete care. Johns Hopkins has already done a significant amount of work in this area. On a local level, the Johns Hopkins High Value Care Committee regularly examines evidence to determine best practices for smart ordering, clinical standardization, and ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right place at the right time. Nationally, our physicians founded and continue to lead the High Value Practice Academic Alliance, which includes representatives from more than 80 health care institutions. The goal of the Alliance is to share information that advances value improvements across the country.ward to regularly recognizing our caregivers who exceed expectations with similar personal visits in the future.
Q: Can you share some praise with us about people you work with? What does greatness look like to you when it comes to your team?
RM: I consider myself incredibly lucky to work with colleagues who uniformly place the patient at the center of our work. While their drive for excellence in innovation and clinical care is certainly boundless, their kindness and compassion in their care for patients is what makes me most proud. In my opinion, this is the face of greatness. Our patients and families validate this through their numerous letters. In the midst of their praise for the clinical excellence of their care teams, they often mention the seemingly little moments that meant the most to them – of the nurse who rooted through trash to find a patient’s lost necklace and the staff members who cheered a patient’s first lap around the unit after surgery. I feel honored to work with such an extraordinary team.