Many in health care use the word patients, but you use the word customers. Will you discuss this difference?

This issue, as I am well aware of, can be controversial. One of the wonderful changes over the past decade or so is that patients who once were placid and subservient in a provider’s presence are now more demanding and more knowledgeable. They are armed with more data, have higher expectations, and shop around. They are becoming customers/consumers and that is a good thing. But it requires that our organization accept and acknowledge it and behave differently.

We must respond to this new reality by raising our expectations and changing our operational structures to deal with issues of access, service, and the overall experience of care. Henry David Thoreau once stated, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” I see consumers, not just patients. I see our responsibility extending to how we meet the needs of our customers, family members, visitors, and friends. Furthermore, most of the letters or communications I receive come not from the patients themselves, but from family members and friends who are also customers of our facilities.

How do you define health?

I define health very broadly. Health is much more than the delivery of medical care. Health is impacted by your environment, by your behaviors (e.g., smoking), by having a job, by nutrition, by seeing what possibilities exist for a better future. It’s multi-faceted. If you desire to be a leader in health care, with the goal of improving health, you need to be an influence and catalyst in trying to positively affect as many of these factors as possible. This is the reason we at Northwell are heavily engaged in a variety of initiatives, many of which have received national recognition. For example, gun violence, which is the leading cause of death for adolescence; sustainability and climate change; food quality/food service – our food services are led by Michelin star chefs; educational opportunity for high school students; veterans care, etc. The list is long and while there are often limits to what we can do directly, we can be catalysts in getting other individuals and organizations involved. Such partnerships are important. Our responsibilities and obligations as leaders are to raise health in our communities and make the future a better place for kids.

Northwell has also been a leader in addressing the mental health crisis. Will you highlight these efforts?

It enhances their knowledge and evolves their perspective on the true meaning of health. We are educating the doctors and nurses of the future. We broke with tradition and the status quo in redefining nursing and medical education. Both schools have elevated the organization, enhanced our brand, and our ability to recruit the best practitioners and researchers. It’s a win-win. We are continuing to innovate, change, and evolve. We are now pursuing new ways to adapt to the circumstances of the future that are ever-changing. We will lead, not follow.

How did your upbringing impact the way you view resilience and leadership?

We are shaped, to some extent, by our backgrounds and the environment in which we are raised – and I don’t think we should ever forget where we came from. My upbringing has definitely influenced me and despite difficult circumstances, the overall impact has been positive. I understand poverty and not having the material things that so many now take for granted. I can relate to people in need which is an important perspective to have in the business that I am in. It builds resilience, grit, adaptability, and teaches the power of persistence. I don’t believe in playing the victim and reject the notion of entitlement. Hard work is essential to success. I also played competitive sports, which teaches the importance of collaboration and teamwork. I have been fortunate in having a varied career. Being in academia enhanced my understanding of the importance of creating a culture of continuous learning. My 12 years in government provided a broad perspective on the multiplicity of factors that impact health. I have also benefited enormously from all those that I have worked with. Every relationship, if appreciated properly, enhances one’s education and knowledge. I have also understood the importance of luck – being in the right place at the right time – but only if you are open enough to take advantage of it. I have been lucky, and I thank all those who helped and inspired me along the way. I often ask audiences, including employees, “what motivates you?” Is it status, income, title, power, or is it the opportunity to make a positive difference? The answer helps define you.

Healthcare workers received recognition for their work and selflessness during the pandemic. How important is it that the awareness and appreciation for the critical work being done in the profession day in and day out does not get lost?

Each and every day, not just during a crisis like COVID, healthcare employees do extraordinary work. Lives are saved, families are reunited, life is prolonged, and hope is enhanced. They are the soldiers in our defense against ill-health and chronic illness. They educate the practitioners of the future; they discover new treatments and therapies – everyone from the frontline staff to the C-suite. They deserve constant appreciation. All will eventually need their help – we are all future patients and customers. I take 30 frontline employees to dinner each month. The purpose – to say thank you. 

This Q&A originally appeared on the Leaders Magazine website.