Journal of Healthcare Management - November/December 2015 - (Page 381)

I N T E R V I E W Interview With Nancy M. Schlichting, FACHE, CEO of Henry Ford Health System N ancy M. Schlichting, FACHE, is CEO of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, a nationally recognized $5 billion healthcare organization with 23,000 employees. She is credited with leading the health system through a dramatic financial turnaround and with implementing award-winning patient safety, customer service, and diversity initiatives. Ms. Schlichting joined Henry Ford Health System in 1998 as senior vice president and chief administrative officer. In 1999, she became its executive vice president and chief operating officer. In 2001, Ms. Schlichting assumed an additional role as president and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and is credited with its financial turnaround. In June 2003, Ms. Schlichting was named president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System. Ms. Schlichting's vision is to create tremendous clinical excellence, a fabulous patient experience, and a great environment for all healthcare professionals to advance their careers. She believes that great people are the key to providing great healthcare and is committed to helping employees become the best possible healthcare professionals. In 2011, Ms. Schlichting was named one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine. Becker's Hospital Review named her one of its Women to Know in Health Care, and Crain's Detroit Business named her one of 16 Women to Watch. In 2011, Henry Ford Health System received the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Dr. Kash: Tell us about the Henry Ford Health System model for healthcare. What makes it unique and what makes you want to come to work every morning? Ms. Schlichting: Our people at Henry Ford are our competitive advantage. I have never worked with such a remarkable group of people, and it isn't just their intellect and professional talent that make them remarkable; it's their commitment to our community and their passion for supporting a vulnerable population of patients and providing the best possible healthcare. Working with the people at Henry Ford has always been a privilege for me, and I have enjoyed every moment of my 17 years here and 12 years now as CEO. I think that the model we have is different because of both our founder and our history. We are 100 years old; it is rare for any organization to celebrate a centennial, especially with the challenges we've faced in the city of Detroit. An important part of our history is that auto pioneer Henry Ford founded our health system, which is unusual for an industrial icon. When Henry Ford Hospital was formed in 1915, Mr. Ford's view of the world was to organize our physicians in a way that was not typical at the time and that is still not typical today. He modeled our physician organization after the Mayo Clinic, and today, with 1,200 physicians, we have one of the largest medical groups in the country. This size gives us enormous strength across both primary care and specialty care, and it allows us to deliver care in an organized way. 381

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - November/December 2015

Journal of Healthcare Management - November/December 2015
Contents
Interview With Nancy M. Schlichting, FACHE, CEO of Henry Ford Health System
The Framework for a Whole-System Transformation
Building the Foundation for a Successful Medicare Shared Savings Program
Rural Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions: Which Hospitals Are Being Acquired and How Are They Performing Afterward?
Understanding U.S. Physician Satisfaction: State of the Evidence and Future Directions
Business Models, Vaccination Services, and Public Health Relationships of Retail Clinics: A Qualitative Study
Process-Improvement Cost Model for the Emergency Department

Journal of Healthcare Management - November/December 2015