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In January, it was announced that Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA had accepted the Board of Trustee’s offer to serve as BWH’s next president. Today, Gottlieb moves into his office on PBB-4 and officially begins his new role. Below, Gottlieb shares with BWH Bulletin his vision and perspective on becoming president of BWH.
Bulletin: What are you most looking forward to in your new role?Gottlieb:Like with my experiences as chairman of Partners Psychiatry and Mental Health System and as president of North Shore Medical Center, I am most eager to work with the incredibly talented people at BWH. I have come to learn that BWH’s success is due in large part to its employees’ commitment to the hospital’s mission as they craft and execute thoughtful and workable strategies to attain it. With our fine workforce of over 10,000 continually striving for excellence, it is no wonder that BWH has such a solid reputation.
Bulletin: How would you explain your leadership style?Gottlieb: I believe successful leaders work to facilitate the talents of those individuals on his or her team. Throughout my career, I’ve worked to maintain or create the optimal environmental in which those talents can most appropriately come together for the greater good. I hope to facilitate appropriate relationships here in order to fortify and accomplish our mission. I’ve always enjoyed working with fellow leaders who strive to be inclusive, who identify consensus and who recognize the needs of those on their team.
Bulletin: What are some of the goals that you’ve considered for your new role?Gottlieb: I feel like I’ve done my homework. To the best of my ability, I familiarized myself with BWH’s culture and dynamics. Now as a part of this organization, I am aiming to help the hospital fully realize its potential in clinical care, teaching and research. I will strive to lead the hospital to maintain and improve its high quality patient care, to help ensure that our research is translated into disease prevention and treatment and to challenge the hospital’s mentors to continually groom the next generation of talented physicians. Also, in addition to being fiscally responsible and accountable, I hope to continue to nurture the myriad of careers that begin and grow here.
Bulletin: Do you foresee continued success at BWH?Gottlieb:Yes, if all employees understand why we are here and they can see how their particular strengths and efforts fit into attaining the hospital’s goals. The key will be in our ability to continually differentiate ourselves from other renowned medical centers.
Bulletin: How will you measure success?Gottlieb: That’s a good question—one to which I’ve given a lot of thought over the last couple of months. It is my responsibility to work with senior management to maintain a comprehensive understanding of the needs of each of the hospital’s many dimensions, so that the BWH community can continue to fortify multidisciplinary partnerships to bring about desired outcomes.
Bulletin: What are your thoughts on BWH’s Strategic Plan?Gottlieb: I view the Strategic Plan as a framework. Once implemented, it will drive hospital activity in a way that meets the hospital’s objectives in each of the plan’s seven areas of focus—bed supply, inpatient service mix, Faulkner integration, outpatient services, cost reduction, revenue enhancement and length of stay—which will ultimately bring about fiscal stability and enhanced patient care. I am confident in BWH’s commitment to the Strategic Plan and I am interested in the greater detail and the challenges that lie ahead in implementing it.
Bulletin: What hospital initiatives are you most interested in moving forward?Gottlieb: The Staff Survey process carries so much weight as it identifies opportunities to improve satisfaction among our 10,000 employees—BWH’s most valued resource. In addition to serving as a tool for worklife improvement, the survey has served as a source of pride for staff.
On the patient care side, I’m interested in working with senior leaders to move forward our Women’s Health clinical and research agendas. To secure our position as the provider of the world’s greatest care for women, we need to continue to differentiate ourselves in women’s health medicine and research. As an institution dedicated to women’s health, it will also be important for us to continue to foster and support the clinical and scientific careers for female clinicians and researchers as we move forward with our Women’s Health goals.
Bulletin: What have you learned so far?Gottlieb: That BWH is an exceptional place with extraordinary people who support its mission day in and day out. My biggest challenge and my most important goal will be to make this incredible place even more incredible in the future.