Transformation of the health care industry, strengthening access, growing the workforce and harnessing technology were a few of the key topics discussed during the 15th Becker’s Annual Meeting in Chicago.
The four-day conference featured Sanford Health leaders including Nick Olson, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sanford Health, Tiffany Lawrence, president and CEO of Sanford Fargo, Todd Schaffer, M.D., president and CEO of Sanford Bismarck and Daniel Hoody, M.D., chief medical officer of Sanford Bemidji with executives and clinicians from the nation’s top health systems.
Olson joined Becker’s Healthcare for a fireside chat to discuss how Sanford Health is advancing access, quality and sustainability in rural America.
He said it’s important for the organization to bring that rural voice.
“At a large conference like this, where there’s a lot of other health systems, providers, payers, and long-term care providers, I just think it’s critically important that Sanford Health as that large rural integrated delivery system has a part in the discussion,” Nick Olson told Sanford Health News during a virtual interview.
Lawrence participated in an opening panel focused on the critical leadership skills and strategies required for health care CEOs to navigate the rapidly changing landscape.
“I was really proud to hear about our work in AI, virtual, workforce and from a rural lens,” Lawrence told Sanford Health News. “It has been impactful. We’re doing amazing things at a level we can be proud to share our work just as much as urban, larger systems.
“It’s really about transparency and engagement whether that’s with your staff, your employees, your physicians, your advanced practice professionals … it’s really being out in that community and sharing our story and sharing the things that we are doing for our patients, for our communities. That’s going to be key in our very dynamic landscape and how things are changing so dramatic and so quickly.”
Training and keeping rural health care workers
Dr. Schaffer joined a trio of CEOs to discuss the key trends shaping the future of health care, including harnessing the benefits of integration and technology to expand access.
Dr. Schaffer highlighted three key strategies in Bismarck, North Dakota, including workforce initiatives, access to care and philanthropy.
Dr. Hoody’s panel focused on how clinical leaders can drive organizational transformation by fostering collaboration among medical staff, administrators and technology providers.
One of the questions focused specifically on access as an issue for care.
“When we think about access in Sanford Bemidji, a couple things come to mind,” Dr. Hoody said.
He said the very foundation of access is staffing:
- Having an active and engaged clinical staff
- Providing education through a rural lens to trainees, residents and providers
- Paying close attention to the workforce gap and anticipated retirees in Minnesota and across rural America
He expects to lose one-third of rural clinicians to retirement within the next five to 10 years.
“We’re really optimistic about our strategies to improve our ability to recruit and retain clinicians in Bemidji,” he added.
This is the fourth consecutive year Sanford Health leaders have taken part in the Becker’s Annual Meeting.
Sanford Health News caught up with each of the leaders to recap their experience. Watch them here:
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Posted In Leadership in Health Care, Rural Health, Virtual Care
