Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013 - 28

strategically	across	domains	and	unite	people	from	multiple	disciplines	in	collaborative	problem-solving.	
They	need	to	care	equally	about	the	whole	organization	
and	the	work	they	were	hired	to	do,	she	adds.	“When	you	
talk	to	them	you	won’t	know	their	area	because	they’ll	be	
more	interested	in	asking	‘How	can	I	serve	you?’	and	
‘How	can	I	learn	from	you?’	They’ll	use	their	skills	to	
support	what	needs	to	happen.	The	challenge	is	to	look	at	
your	pipeline	and	find	the	people—not	necessarily	the	
leaders—who	have	these	skillsets,	cultivate	this	group,	
and	elevate	them	into	leadership.”	

Palmetto	Health	recently	applied	these	principles	in	the	
creation	of	a	Health	&	Well-Being	service	line	that	joins	
corporate	health,	employee	health	and	the	system’s	health	
plan	(the	Palmetto	care	Plan)	and	accountable	care	organization	(the	Palmetto	Health	Quality	collaborative)	
under	a	cohesive	umbrella.	The	senior	executives	from	
these	areas	teamed	up	in	a	group	created	by	Barry	called	
WISH	(the	Wellness,	Innovation,	Safety	and	Health	
steering	committee)	to	bring	the	service	line	to	fruition.	

The	service	line	is	led	by	two	integrators:	a	director	of	health	
and	well-being,	recruited	internally,	who	leads	the	continuum	of	health	on	the	administrative	side,	and	a	physician	
Healthcare	has	golden	opporchief	of	health	and	well-being,	
tunities	to	bring	about	this	
recruited	externally,	who	reports	
“The organizations leaving command
transformation	with	a	fresh	
to	the	chief	clinical	and	physicontrol are innovating and creating
approach	to	succession	plancian	integration	officer	and	
ning	and	leadership	pipeline	
an empowerment and shared leader- serves	as	the	organization’s	
development,	Barry	believes.	
health	and	well-being	and	popship culture that generates ideas and ulation	health	expert.	“This	
“Healthcare,	like	every	other	
industry,	is	accustomed	to	the	
inspires talented people to stay.”
integrated	service	line	continues	
traditional	method	of	‘When	I	
to	be	a	part	of	our	strategic	
Amy C. Barry
leave	who’s	going	to	do	my	
advantage,”	Barry	says.	“It	has	
Palmetto Health
job?	Instead,	they	should	be	
created	a	unique	work	experiasking,	‘When	I	leave,	do	they	
ence	for	our	internal	team	and	
need	to	fill	my	job?’	They	should	be	looking	at	how	to	
is	positioned	to	be	a	one-stop	shop	for	our	corporate	clients,	
redesign	the	work	as	they	transition	out	of	the	role,”	she	
our	workforce	and	our	community.”
says.	“If	we	have	conversations	about	these	transitions	earlier,	we	may	discover	that	the	person	who	has	been	in	the	
The	silos	must	come	together	to	learn	from	each	other,	Barry	
job	for	20	years	will	want	to	stay	for	another	10.	We’ve	
stresses.	“We	need	to	involve	a	boatload	of	people	in	projects	
protected	our	silos	to	the	detriment	of	our	organizations.”	
and	initiatives	across	the	system	and	garner	their	interest,”	she	
says.	“If	they	have	the	best	experience	in	your	organization,	
Doing	away	with	that	isolated	approach	can	be	an	importhen	your	patients,	families	and	communities	are	going	to	
tant	first	step	in	creating	an	environment	“in	which	expehave	the	best	experience	working	with	you.	not	only	will	you	
rienced	leaders	can	teach	what	they	know	and	impart	
be	doing	something	wonderful	for	your	employees	in	whom	
these	lessons	early,	so	that	the	legacy	they’re	leaving	is	not	
you’re	investing,	but	you	will	also	be	reaping	the	benefits	of	
just	the	great	work	they	did	but	the	path	they	set	for	the	
doing	things	that	fulfill	your	mission	and	vision.”
future	in	redesigning	the	work	while	they	were	here,”	
Barry	says.	
Susan Birk is a freelance writer based in Wheaton, Ill.

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Healthcare	Executive	
nov/DEc	2013
Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013
