The chief medical officer role is expanding.
CMOs traditionally have been the bridge between the physicians and executive team, focused on patient safety, quality and care delivery. While this is still true, the pandemic elevated the importance of physician voices in the C-suite and the value-based care transformation requires CMOs to become accountable for much more.
"The chief medical officer role has significantly evolved over the last several decades," Tyler Hill, DO, chief medical officer of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, Calif., told Becker's. "The diversity of knowledge and experience required for a successful CMO continues to expand given the complexity and challenges in healthcare. The pandemic only complicated that fact. CMOs can no longer routinely focus only on clinical services. Over the next year and beyond, CMOs will be more heavily involved in budgetary matters and staffing challenges."
Ebrahim Barkoudah, MD, system chief and regional chief medical officer of Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., is also becoming more entrenched in staffing and operations. He sees more initiatives focused on supporting the mental and physical health of team members and working with the broader team to streamline and improve the patient experience. Politics and regulations are top of mind for him as well.
"Changes in the healthcare policy landscape can significantly impact our operations and I will be more actively involved in advocacy efforts to ensure our organization's needs are adequately represented," he told Becker's.
Michael Bublewicz, MD, vice president and CMO of emergency and urgent care services at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System is keeping a close eye on the regulatory and reimbursement environment heading into 2024. The attention to reimbursement is especially important as health systems enter into contentious payer contract renegotiations, take on more risk and clarify their strategy around Medicare Advantage plans going forward.
"As an operational CMO for the next year, my primary focus will be on navigating reimbursement pressures and ensuring the financial viability of my business unit while upholding the quality care," he told Becker's. "Balancing economic sustainability without compromising care quality will be one of our industry's biggest challenges."
Health systems are also seeing a big need for restructuring their physician enterprises. Some organizations are employing more physicians or acquiring physician groups while others are aligning closely with local providers to ensure access to care. Kaufman Hall's "2023 State of Healthcare Performance Improvement Report: Signs of Stabilization Emerge," released Oct. 24, noted 63% of respondents are struggling to meet the demand for patient access to their physician enterprise and 32% have seen an increase in patient complaints and concerns about accessing their physician enterprises.
"Over the next year, my role will undergo a significant transformation," Bharat Magu, MD, chief medical officer of Yuma (Ariz.) Regional Medical Center told Becker's. "I will be concentrating more intently on achieving population health objectives and taking an active role in the restructuring of our provider group. Additionally, I'll be harnessing technology to enhance provider workflows, aiming to alleviate their work-related stresses and burdens."
Leaders with a growth mindset and ability to effectively adapt and innovate will be the most successful going forward. Clearly communicating the vision and inspiring others to innovate will help the system build a strong foundation during uncertain times.
"Currently, healthcare is undergoing a high season of accelerated change with shrinking financial resources and increasing costs," said Patsy McNeil, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Adventist Healthcare in Gaithersburg, Md. "Success will depend on those who recognize the challenges and can develop strength in innovation of thought and innovation of approach. Over the next year, my role will demand heavy creativity and innovation while being aware that the tools and resources to execute are limited."
Care delivery models across the nation are changing, and many health systems are heavily relying on CMOs to design and support the transformation. The care model often includes elevating telehealth and virtual care, remote patient monitoring, hospital at home, virtual nursing and ambulatory services within the healthcare delivery network.
"Over the next year I think I will be increasingly focused on building new opportunities, particularly in ambulatory care," Gian Varbaro, MD, chief medical officer and vice president of ambulatory services at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., told Becker's. "That has always been part of my position and we have always innovated, but the changing landscape makes that even more important."