In the fast-paced, nonstop world of healthcare, work burnout is a real problem and it can be hard to balance work with other life responsibilities. Below, 16 hospital and health system CEOs share how they avoid burnout and revitalize themselves.
Richard Afable, MD, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health in Newport Beach, Calif.
"I happen to enjoy change, and I'm very comfortable with ambiguity. I'm more excited about healthcare today than I was 10 years ago, primarily because of the change and the fact that the script is not written — you get to participate. From a work perspective, I'm very energized. From the personal side, you have to take time to assess your health, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. I try to recharge those batteries and take enough time for myself as I can, although I'm not doing that to get away from the healthcare environment. It's preparing me for healthcare."
Joel Allison, CEO of Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health
"My faith and spending time with my family. I also love to exercise."
David Bailey, MD, president and CEO of Nemours in Jacksonville, Fla.
"My touchstone is my wife and family. Whether it's a quiet dinner, playing catch with my dog or a raucous family outing to the beach, these times re-energize me and remind me why I am in healthcare."
Ruth Brinkley, president and CEO of KentuckyOne Health in Louisville
"I like to travel, and I enjoy the arts. I like to go to the symphony, plays, concerts and movies."
Alan Channing, former president and CEO of Chicago-based Sinai Health System
"My favorite thing to do when I get up to my eyeballs [with work] in my office is go for a walk in the halls of the hospitals or the clinics and talk to caregivers and to patients. To me it is absolutely astounding, and it takes me back to why I'm here, why this institution exists and what an honor it is to work with people across the continuum of providers who are practicing tikkun olam [an Old Testament concept meaning "repairing the universe"]."
Ronald DePinho, MD, president of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
"That's easy: time with my family. We have two girls and a boy. After spending time with them, I always feel refreshed and focused. I also enjoy vigorous exercise."
Howard Grant, MD, JD, president and CEO of Burlington, Mass.-based Lahey Clinic
"I'm consistent in that regard and fiercely protect my time outside of work with my family and friends. My wife is my best friend, partner and confidant and psychiatrist — she is a child psychiatrist. I spend time with her, our kids and our first grandchild.
And I am equally devoted to making sure I exercise often. On most days I exercise more than once, and in my office I have a set of 20 lbs dumbbells and an elliptical.
The stresses of the job are intense and relentless, as there is a ton of pressure on a day-to-day basis on how we make decisions. I know it has significant emotional and physical consequences for everyone involved. It's reassuring to know I'm doing everything I can to refresh myself."
Stephen Klasko, MD, president and CEO of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System
"I have three passions: flying, running and music. They stimulate and release stress in different ways. Flying is the only thing I can do outside of work that requires total concentration and gets my mind off daily stress. When you're flying, you can't think about anything else. Running for the opposite reason: It requires little mental concentration, so I can relax and think freely. Music has been my love and my first career, whether listening or playing. It is pure emotion to me. David Crosby wrote a song called, 'Music is Love' and I believe that. I started my very first career as a disc jockey, and I have about 130,000 digital songs and several hundred vinyl albums."
Raji Kumar, CEO of Dallas Medical Center and Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite, Texas
"I try to work out every day. I tell myself it's like brushing my teeth: You can't go to work without doing it; working out has to be part of my day-to-day activities. You can buy everything in life but health."
Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, CEO of University of Utah Health Care in Salt Lake City
"My family loves the outdoors. Right now, we are enjoying a terrific ski season in Utah. There is nothing like being on top of a mountain, clear blue skies, gorgeous powder and vistas of snow-dusted peaks all around you to give you clarity, energy and optimism."
Kevin Lofton, CEO of Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives
"The number one thing that brings the biggest smile to my face is interacting with my two grandsons. The baby will be 2 years old in April and the older boy will be 4 in May. My daughter lives in the Denver area so I see them often. Spending time with my grandkids is very fulfilling.
When I'm not with them, I enjoy bike riding and skiing. I also enjoy traveling. One of my favorite international urban cities would be London, and I took a first-time trip to Brazil during the holidays."
Stephen Mansfield, PhD, president and CEO of Methodist Health System in Dallas
"I bike 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year. That's probably the single biggest thing I do for revitalization. If I can get on a bike for an hour outside, the stress flows away. That's my daily relief. We also have a family farm in Tennessee that has a cabin, tractors, four-wheelers and other 'boy toys.' We spend three to four weeks a year there with all my family. It's a good way to catch up and stay connected and it's a 'zero stress zone' for me."
Randy Oostra, president and CEO of Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica
"I exercise a lot. I find running clears my mind more than anything. I try to keep balance in my work with exercise and spending time with family. I have also been working with a large church here in Toledo, doing work that is focused on leadership and faith. That's been stimulating."
David Pate, MD, president and CEO of Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System
"I try to get to the patient care units and visit staff and patients as often as possible. It recharges my batteries and helps me put everything back in perspective. It renews my energy level to tackle those challenges I just described.
The other thing is spending time with my grandkids. They make me forget about the rest of the world."
Michael Schatzlein, MD, CEO of Saint Thomas Health in Nashville
"Family, travel, movies, reading, working out, tinkering with computers and making bad music in my home studio."
Karen Teitelbaum, president and CEO of Sinai Health System in Chicago
"Biking. I love to bike. I've actually biked in a number of countries in addition to our wonderful lakeshore path in Chicago. I've biked in Tuscany, Vietnam and Cambodia, islands in Denmark and Portugal. It's a great way to see a country and get to know people."
For more from these CEOs, check out their Corner Office interviews, compiled here.