Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Jason Glover, CEO of Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center Adult Services

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Jason Glover, CEO of Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center Adult Services · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

0:02
The most important health care decisions don't happen
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in isolation.
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They happen when leaders come together.
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Becker's sixteenth annual meeting brings together more than
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3,500
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hospital and health system executives this April in
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Chicago.
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With 800 speakers from Ascension,
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Cleveland Clinic, CommonSpirit and more, the conversations get
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real. Leaders will share how their scenario planning
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for policy shifts, breaking through value based care
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barriers, and building clinical teams that translate
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event
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details,
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visit beker'shospitalreview.com
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and click on the events tab in the
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upper right.
0:46
This is Laura Dirda with the Becker's Healthcare
0:48
podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by
0:50
Jason Glover, CEO of Memorial Hermann Texas Medical
0:53
Center adult services. Jason, it's a pleasure to
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have you on the podcast today.
0:57
Thanks for having me, Laura.
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Absolutely. Now I'm excited for our conversation because
1:01
we're gonna dig a little bit deeper into
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some of the cool things that you're doing
1:05
at Memorial Hermann as well as your perspective
1:07
on the future, how you're seeing growth and
1:09
more. But before we dive in, can you
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tell me a little bit more about yourself
1:13
and Memorial Hermann?
1:15
Yeah. Absolutely.
1:16
So I've been very blessed. Been at Memorial
1:18
Hermann for thirteen years.
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Actually started a career in construction management and
1:23
and made a switch over to health care,
1:26
when I had the opportunity to build a
1:27
hospital, and I just I haven't looked back.
1:29
It's been just a a wonderful career. But,
1:32
been with Memorial Hermann. It's the market share
1:35
leader in Houston. It's one of the largest
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not for profit systems in Texas.
1:40
Throughout the area, we have, 260
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sites of care and 17 hospitals.
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So I'm over our Texas Medical Center,
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adult population. So it's a 1,200 bed,
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flagship academic medical center.
1:53
We're the primary
1:55
teaching school for UT Health Houston McGovern Medical
1:57
School.
1:58
And a cool fact, we're actually celebrating our
2:00
100 year anniversary. So we were the first
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hospital to open
2:04
in what has now become the Texas Medical
2:07
Center, which is known as the largest health
2:09
care district in the world.
2:11
We have one of the busiest and most
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notable level one trauma programs in the country,
2:16
with our Red Duke trauma institute. So many
2:18
may know Red Duke's name and how he
2:20
pioneered care and trauma.
2:22
We're also the home of Life Flight, which
2:24
is the largest and oldest air ambulance fee
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fleet.
2:28
And we own and we run that, and
2:29
that's supported by our, community and the philanthropic
2:32
support. So we don't get any government funds
2:35
to run that.
2:36
And then we also have,
2:38
several other notable programs and service lines from
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our Mission Neuroscience Institute,
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our Larry d Johnson Heart and Vascular Institute.
2:45
We have a really cool relationship with the
2:47
Houston Rockets, and we have a a specialty,
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Memorial Hermann Rockets Orthopedic Hospital.
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And then we have a children's memorial Hermann
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on our campus. So I oversee
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everything but children's.
3:00
We're going on our fourth round,
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of being magnet designated, so really use that
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in our professional governance structure to
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power our frontline.
3:10
And then we're consistently a top 10 Visiant
3:12
hospital. And so I love Visiant, because it's
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a very objective
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database, and it compares
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our quality and our efficiency,
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experience and equity measures
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against all, you know, other hospitals that participate.
3:26
So we're compared against other academic medical centers,
3:29
and to consistently be in the top 10
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in performance
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is really just a testament to the incredible
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team and and medical staff we here we
3:38
have here at the TMC.
3:41
No. That that's really cool to hear and
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definitely great to have that opportunity to care
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have so much of that care spectrum on
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the campus there and, really truly, you know,
3:50
some unique partnerships and ability to, continue to
3:53
improve,
3:55
quality and equity across the board. Now when
3:57
you think back to the last year or
3:59
so, what was the most important initiative that
4:01
you led? What did you do, and what
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were the results?
4:05
Yeah. So last year was a it was
4:07
really a great year. So at the end
4:09
of 2024,
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as a system, we converted our entire
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EHR from Cerner over to Epic.
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So So as we entered into 2025,
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we had just completed the monumental task of
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cutting over,
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but there were really just intensive efforts to
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optimize,
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switching our EHR over. And so that that
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took a large focus of our team
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to really dig
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in and and tweak and adjust things so
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that they could, optimize how we use it.
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So you can imagine it's a large change
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management
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initiative.
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And I what I'm really proud of is
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how how we were able to stay laser
4:48
focused on our mission. So
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on top of this,
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monumental
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EHR change,
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you'll see a lot of organizations, they'll drop
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20 to 30 spots in their Visiant ranking.
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We stayed very focused on our our processes.
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We stayed very focused on delivering high reliability
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care,
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and remained in the top 10.
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And then also along with that,
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being in a large metropolitan area,
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we are often at high occupancy,
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but we were able to grow and take
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care of more patients than we had in
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any other years. We set records and volumes
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for our discharges,
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our inpatient surgeries, and our deliveries last year.
5:29
So
5:30
they're really just engaging with the team, making
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sure that we had the appropriate structure in
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place,
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that we had the mechanisms to focus and
5:37
to,
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consistently be looking at how we were performing,
5:43
and not be distracted,
5:44
by what could be a a very large
5:46
distraction, staying disciplined in our efforts to to
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grow and to deliver great care to those
5:52
that trusted us,
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with that care.
5:57
Love it. And, you know, that is really
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impressive to hear you were able to make
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that EHR switch,
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and able to do all you need on
6:04
the change management side and still,
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maintain the right level of quality care that,
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you know, you'd been serving to the community,
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which is so, so critical. And I'm curious,
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you know, going through all of that change,
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technology is one thing and and a huge
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thing to overcome. But I think, you know,
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when you look at the,
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the human side of it too, there's a
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lot that goes into it. So, when you're
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working with your teams and people and across
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the board,
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how do you make sure everybody is,
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understanding the change and then able to integrate
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it within their workflows and and, really, you
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know, embrace that type of change as quickly
6:39
as possible?
6:42
Yeah. I think it's staying closer to people.
6:43
Right? And that's one thing I love about
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health care. No matter how technology changes or
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or continues to increase,
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at the core of health care, we're a
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people business. Right? We have amazing people who
6:55
have these massive hearts and this great intellect
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that are that are really healing people
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and taking care of them. And so, you
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know, as we go through these changes, we
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we look to listen to them. We look
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to hear what is working well, what is
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where are the opportunities, or where are the
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friction points
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that are are being found. And often we
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found just sitting down and talking, there were
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solutions. Those solutions may not be readily apparent.
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And so as we took that feedback back
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to our
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technical teams,
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and to our service line teams, we're able
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to make adjustments and be able to to
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rework things, or we're able to show individuals,
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hey. Here's tools that weren't accessible to you
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in our old platform,
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but these tools are now accessible to you.
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With that came some change in workflows,
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and so involving the frontline staff, involving the
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medical staff in those different
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workflow changes, not trying to apply old workflows
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to,
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a a new technology, but adapting our workflows
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and the technology so that they can match,
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they can maximize the care that our our
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teams are able to spend and give to
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the the patients.
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But I think frequent communications,
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being visible, being vocal, being vibrant in championing
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that change and having opportunities for bidirectional feedback.
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I love that. That's so helpful to know,
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and thank you for getting a little bit
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deeper there. Now looking ahead to 2026, what
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are some of your big priorities and headwinds
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that you're focused on today?
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Yeah. So in 2026,
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I I think of it in three,
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kind of buckets. So the first one I
8:32
would say is access.
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We are the tertiary care flagship,
8:36
facility for Memorial Hermann.
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And because of the acuity that we can
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take care of, we have to stay disciplined
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in making sure that our our beds are
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available,
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that we're able to take patients from our
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community, whether that be coming as walk ins,
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from our EMS partners,
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from our sister facilities,
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or from outside facilities. And so we spend
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a lot of time,
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on
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maintaining our length of stay, maintaining our ability
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to say yes to transfers coming in. So
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first is is people getting in the door.
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Second, I would I call outcomes.
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But this is really continuing our high reliability
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journey, making sure that we're delivering high quality
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care.
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I I use the the 0100.
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Right? Zero harm to one hundred percent of
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our patients,
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and making sure that we're delivering care with
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evidence based practices. And I I love that
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we're an academic medical center,
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and so there's a real appetite to follow
9:33
those evidence based practices, but there's also
9:36
the the passion to create evidence based practices
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and to ask the questions of why do
9:41
we do things and continue to pioneer
9:44
and advance medicine.
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And then
9:47
lastly,
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I would label as creating world class experiences,
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and I think about this for for two
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populations. So first are people.
9:56
Our team members that,
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you know, they they choose to be here.
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Many of our team members pass eight to
10:02
10 hospitals,
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before they get to the Texas Medical Center.
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And so we spend a lot of time
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focusing on making sure that they come to
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a place that's
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physically and psychologically
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safe,
10:14
that they have the tools and training to
10:16
do their job,
10:17
that they're rewarded and recognized for the work
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that they do, and that we help them
10:22
with their career growth. We understand what their
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personal and professional goals are, and we we
10:27
put them in in pathways, and we put
10:30
them in situations, and we we,
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pair them with mentors that can can help
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them achieve them
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achieve their goals.
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And then I think second for our our
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patients,
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they also have the opportunity to to choose
10:43
where they go. And so when I think
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about what's a world class experience as I
10:47
talk to our patients,
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we look for ways that we can communicate
10:51
simply.
10:52
Right? Health care is full of jargon and
10:54
acronyms,
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and so how do we simplify that so
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it's understandable and relatable?
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How do we coordinate seamlessly?
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I joke, and someone shared this. Maybe when
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we're born, we should all be given a
11:06
lawyer and a a health care navigator.
11:09
But I think we can play a a
11:11
huge role in coordinating care, between the specialties
11:14
and from the the inpatient to the outpatient
11:17
side. And that when they come here, they
11:19
come to a crisp, clean, and welcoming environment.
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And I think that's important
11:24
to providing an experience that is meaningful,
11:28
and really creates a moment that matters for
11:30
for each of those each of those patient
11:32
that choose to to come to us.
11:34
So those are those are a number of
11:36
priorities.
11:39
I think from a headwind perspective,
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you know, the the public funding pressures, I
11:45
think, are real, and those are things that
11:47
that concern us.
11:49
You know, we're just getting into the the
11:51
early days of the subsidy expirations, and,
11:54
you know, there's continued,
11:57
pressure on cost, as those continue to inflate
12:00
with reimbursement,
12:02
going the opposite direction.
12:04
I think uniquely
12:06
to
12:06
the Houston community, we have I think one
12:09
in four Houstonians is either uninsured or underinsured.
12:13
And we get paid around 52 to 58¢
12:16
on the dollar for Medicaid. And so
12:19
the private sector, was having to take on
12:21
more and more of the the safety net
12:23
cost. And as a level one trauma center,
12:26
that puts just incredible pressure for us to
12:28
find other sources of revenue that allow us
12:31
to continue to to fund our mission and
12:33
to make sure that we have the appropriate
12:35
infrastructure,
12:37
to take care of those we have the
12:38
privilege to take care of.
12:40
I think another,
12:44
you know, headwind or or or area that
12:46
we're focused on, and this this impacts our
12:48
partner at UT Health Houston a little bit
12:50
more is the just the the national adjustments
12:53
that have been made to research and research
12:55
funding.
12:57
You know, we have a a partnership there
12:59
where we're looking to do trials. We're looking
13:01
to do research that advances medicine,
13:04
which is important, and we don't wanna see
13:07
that,
13:08
shifted, away from us locally or even
13:11
nationally to to other locations.
13:14
But I think it's also important the impact
13:16
that has on how dollars are allocated and
13:18
how projects are sustained.
13:20
Without that,
13:22
funding,
13:23
to keep those projects sustainable, you there have
13:25
to be other funding sources. And
13:28
when you're using that that funding for clinical
13:30
care,
13:31
but you're also trying to support the academic
13:33
mission of our partners,
13:36
you know, you you have you get put
13:37
in situations where you you have to make
13:39
decisions. And,
13:40
I think that'll be important to us continuing
13:42
to advance care how those issues get resolved
13:45
on a national level.
13:49
That's fascinating to hear, and I think truly
13:51
helpful to understand some of the pressures that
13:53
you're under and the things that are top
13:55
of mind for you as you're navigating,
13:57
changes within the health care space and then,
13:59
you know, working with your teams in order
14:01
to figure out how to continue to evolve
14:03
and grow and develop,
14:05
within the space. I I really appreciate you
14:07
talking through,
14:08
some of those,
14:09
successes that you've had and the goals that
14:11
you're looking for in this next year, whether
14:13
it's patient care or,
14:15
the experience and caregiver experience as well. You,
14:17
you know, really can't underestimate
14:19
how much that means, to the teams that
14:21
are coming and providing care every single day.
14:24
Now I'm curious, you know, in thinking through
14:26
everything that we just talked about, what do
14:28
you think the hardest thing you'll have to
14:29
do in the coming year will be?
14:34
And so, first, the year is really exciting
14:36
for us.
14:38
We'll be moving into the remaining floors of
14:41
our newest building,
14:42
our Seraphim Tower.
14:44
So that'll be the new home for our
14:46
neuroscience,
14:47
oncology, and transplant programs.
14:49
We're also gonna be implementing
14:51
technology like virtual nursing and ambient listening.
14:55
And as I've mentioned, we continue to explore
14:57
ways to partner with our academic affiliate, UT
15:00
Health Houston.
15:01
And so there are a lot of exciting
15:03
things,
15:04
but I think the hardest part will will
15:07
just be keeping the team engaged and supported
15:10
while we're continuing to ask them to change
15:12
constantly.
15:14
Staying close to our people, making sure that
15:16
they feel invested in, making sure that they
15:19
understand
15:20
why we're doing things, and making sure that
15:22
we're listening to them in terms of how
15:24
is that implementation going and where do we
15:27
need to make adjustments. And using really some
15:29
of those lessons we learned from EPIC and
15:31
applying them,
15:32
through our our change manage it management initiatives
15:35
this year.
15:37
I think the other thing that we'll we'll
15:39
just have to balance this year and,
15:41
we'll really be balancing our bipartite mission by
15:44
recognizing
15:47
sustainable financial outcomes at academic centers,
15:50
it's just becoming increasingly
15:52
more challenging.
15:54
So we have to stay true to our
15:55
mission. I think we have to stay disciplined
15:57
in the blocking and tackling
15:59
of delivering a world class experience to those
16:01
we serve. And then I think continuing to
16:04
look for ways that we can grow and
16:06
diversify so that we can support the tripartite
16:09
mission,
16:10
that we're committed to.
16:13
That makes a lot of sense. And, you
16:15
know, speaking of that growth, what does that
16:17
look like in the next year or two?
16:19
You know, how are you diversifying? What does
16:21
it mean to be an academic health system,
16:23
especially
16:24
coming into this new era of health care
16:26
where you have to balance so many different,
16:29
headwinds and challenges, whether it's on the research
16:31
side or the care delivery side,
16:33
and looking at the broader health health care
16:35
ecosystem in your community?
16:38
Yeah. So I think about health care. Right?
16:40
We we've shifted models. Right? So I I
16:42
think there used to be a lot of
16:43
individual and and maybe physician centric models, and
16:46
those have moved to more team based models
16:48
within our system.
16:51
I believe, you know, our future growth will
16:53
be extending those team concepts beyond our own
16:56
walls,
16:57
whether that be payer and provider relationships that
17:00
change or
17:01
provider payer employer relationships or some mix of
17:04
those, as we find new payment mechanisms,
17:07
and really as we shift what is still
17:09
largely a fee for service model
17:11
to a more value based model,
17:14
I think our ability to partner together to
17:17
make health care more affordable and more attractive
17:20
to
17:21
employers, to employees,
17:23
and and to payers will all be important
17:25
for that that team based concept to to
17:27
flow over.
17:29
I I can't underestimate just kinda being disciplined
17:32
in our operational efficiency
17:34
and productivity improvements.
17:37
You know, as capital gets reallocated,
17:40
you know, we're we're focused on more consumerism.
17:43
We're focused on more enabling technologies.
17:46
How do we use those to augment,
17:48
not replace, but augment? And also to have
17:51
flow kinda come back, and can those efficiencies
17:54
free up time
17:55
to allow for more,
17:56
brainpower,
17:58
in any part of our our academic mission
18:00
or clinical mission?
18:02
I think also, you know, at a academic
18:05
facility, we we take care of some of
18:06
the sickest of the sick.
18:09
How do we we balance that highly intensive
18:11
care,
18:13
with creating more ambulatory settings and and think
18:16
about how do we leverage the ambulatory footprint?
18:19
How do we scale it? How do we
18:21
use telehealth to allow the expertise that sometimes
18:25
lives at academic medical center
18:27
to extend past our walls and into other
18:30
communities, even rural communities,
18:33
I think is a a big opportunity for
18:35
growth. And then, and lastly, going back to
18:37
our people, just continuing to invest in their
18:39
growth and giving them the space to
18:42
to bring their ideas forward, to harness their
18:45
energy and creativity.
18:47
We have a platform I generate that, you
18:49
know, any one of our employees,
18:51
or contract employees can go in and they
18:53
can submit ideas, and we we vet those
18:56
and we look to implement those. But getting
18:58
close to the workforce and
19:00
listening to their ideas and
19:02
doing whatever we can to to make those
19:04
ideas realities, I think, are as an opportunity
19:08
to create organic growth,
19:10
and to sustain our mission.
19:14
I love that. Jason, thank you so much
19:16
for joining us on the podcast today. This
19:18
has been a really fascinating conversation. I I
19:20
think you touched on so many different,
19:22
trends and topics that are critical in health
19:24
care today and then your,
19:26
strategy behind the growth engine of the future.
19:28
It will be, really fun to see that
19:31
play out. And, you know, I'm looking forward
19:32
to seeing you as well at our annual
19:33
meeting. I know you'll be speaking on a
19:35
panel with us in April. And so it'll
19:37
be great to dig a little bit deeper
19:38
into some of these themes there and then
19:40
continue the conversation.
19:42
Absolutely. Thank you, Laura, for the time. This
19:44
was this was great, and definitely look forward
19:46
to seeing you in April.