New market entrants, political turbulence and an ever-challenging reimbursement landscape have forced healthcare executives to double down on efforts to sustain their bottom line in 2019. However, amid these pressures, Lloyd Dean has not lost his commitment to deliver care to the communities that so desperately require this attention but often go underserved.
Mr. Dean serves in the Office of the CEO for the newly formed CommonSpirit Health in Chicago, the largest nonprofit health system in the country formed by the merging of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives. He will discuss how he balances his loftiest altruistic goals with the industry's financial realities during an April 1 keynote discussion at the Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Scott Becker, JD, CPA, the publisher of Becker's Healthcare, will interview Mr. Dean for "Perspectives On Leadership In A Changing Healthcare World: Balancing Margin And Responsibility to a Whole Range Of Communities."
The conversation comes on the heels of dueling healthcare policy proposals at the federal level, as progressive Democrats in Washington draft a plan to replace private health insurance with a government-run single payer system and the Trump administration resumes efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
"The continued threats to the ACA create worries for millions of Americans with healthcare coverage today. Even without potential changes, more than 27 million Americans don't have health insurance or don't have adequate coverage to meet their health needs," said Mr. Dean. "This is particularly true for the most vulnerable in our communities, who are disproportionately impacted. That means that every day, people are making impossible choices between feeding or sheltering their families and having access to health care, either because they can't afford health coverage, or they don't have proper access to care."
CommonSpirit is $29 billion health system that includes 142 hospitals. From the Office of the CEO, Mr. Dean leads the organization's big picture — its footprint in 21 states and how CommonSpirit is caring for patients holistically, including social determinants of health.
"I am revitalized by our work with communities and knowing that we are making a difference for millions of people in the communities we serve. We have an awesome responsibility to serve the common good," Mr. Dean told Becker's Hospital Review. "As we continue to build on our commitment to treat others with humankindness, I'm confident that our organization and our people will have an even greater positive impact on our communities. It's an exciting time."
Mr. Dean’s commitment to serving communities far precedes his time as a healthcare leader. Rather, it was sparked during his childhood.
"Growing up in a small town in Michigan with no access to regular medical care, I saw how economic disparities and lack of access to health care adversely affected people in my community," Mr. Dean told Becker' Hospital Review. "Many of them were forced to deal with health-related afflictions that I believe could have been avoided if had they had adequate shelter, nutritious food and, overall, been given equal access to basic human needs. Today, I am honored to work alongside CEO, Kevin Lofton, at CommonSpirit Health to extend access to quality health care to the communities we serve."