The Hofstra Master of Health Administration Alumni Association presented a panel, “Strategic Alignment in a Time of Healthcare Transformation,” as part of National Public Health Week, on Thursday, April 12. Four experienced medical professionals with different roles in the administrative side of healthcare, spoke about the evolution of the American healthcare industry.
The panel included Leonard Achan, chief innovation officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Kevin McGeachy, senior vice president of Strategic Alliances at Northwell Health, Dr. David Shih, CityMD’s executive vice president of Strategy, Health and Innovation, and Israel Rocha Jr, CEO of NYC Health and Hospitals and vice president of OneCity Health. Solomon Torres, vice chair and administrator of Orthopedic Services for Mount Sinai Health System, served as the moderator.
The group shared insight about various subjects in the medical spectrum, including the changing field of healthcare, the role of patient responsibility, the role of insurance companies, aligning with other practices and cutting hospital costs.
Each panelist used their different roles in the medical field to bring unique perspectives to the conversation. While McGeachy and Achan provided knowledge from the hospital side of the discussion, Shih and Rocha reflected on their experience as CEOs of major healthcare corporations.
“Our biggest value is to provide quality care with a lowered cost,” Shih said, suggesting that the key to minimizing large hospital costs lies in close referral management and cutting out unnecessary emergency room visits.
Shih also emphasized that in addition to patients, the future of medicine relies on catering to the audience that stretches beyond the hospital waiting room.
“Our audience is not just patients,” Shih said. “Our audience is composed of patients, pairs, provider groups, the people and policy makers. We have to consider: what do the other four ‘P’s think about us? Where do we fit in? We can’t just be a healthcare practice; we need to address the issues of all of the ‘P’s, because their priorities and thinking are different.
Regarding the future of healthcare, Achan mentioned the importance of having integrity despite the need to create lasting impact on the public. “We want to maintain the culture and quality of what we do,” he said. “We want to have the smallest footprint while creating the biggest impact with the best value.”
“I definitely learned a lot from what all of the panelists had to say,” said Sarah O’Connor, a master’s of health administration alumna. “They have such impressive experience, and I think this was a great opportunity to hear qualified medical experts discuss the future that my career field is heading towards.
Students praised the panel for addressing the always-evolving nature of medicine and healthcare. Abby Canaletich, a sophomore physician’s assistant major, said, “As a PA student, I think it’s important that we are educated on the issues discussed at the panel. The medical field is always changing, and we have to stay up to date if we want to keep healthcare a progressive industry.”
