Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Dr. Rob Sumter on Building Sustainable Growth Through Leadership, AI, and Operational Excellence

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Dr. Rob Sumter on Building Sustainable Growth Through Leadership, AI, and Operational Excellence · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

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  - There's a small circle of people who truly
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  - understand what it takes to lead a health
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  - system right now. The decisions are enormous.
• 0:08
  - The variables are constantly shifting, and the stakes
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  - of getting a call wrong don't stay contained.
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  - That's not a complaint. It's a structural reality.
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  - And it's why the most effective c suite
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  - leaders are deliberate about where they go to
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  - pressure test their thinking.
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  - Becker's fourteenth annual CEO and CFO roundtable
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  - brings together more than 1,500
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  - executive level attendees
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  - and nearly 400 speakers for four days built
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  - around growth, financial sustainability,
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  - workforce strategy, and the leadership questions that don't
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  - have easy answers.
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  - Join us November second through the fifth in
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  - Chicago.
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  - For the agenda and event details,
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  - visit beckershospitalreview.com
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  - and click on the events tab in the
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  - upper right.
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  - This is Laura Dierda with the Becker's Healthcare
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  - podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by
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  - doctor Rob Sumter, president of St. Joseph Hospital
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  - and executive vice president and market chief operating
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  - officer for Ascension Illinois. Rob, it's a pleasure
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  - to have you on the podcast today.
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  - Yes. It's great to be here. Thank you.
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  - Absolutely. Now I'm excited to dig a little
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  - bit deeper into some of the cool things
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  - you're doing at St. Joseph Hospital and around
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  - the region. But before we dive in, can
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  - you tell us a little bit more about
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  - yourself and your background?
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  - Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Again, Rob Sumter, originally
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  - from Sumter, South Carolina decided to join the
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  - Navy there right out of, high school and
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  - had an opportunity to see the world that
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  - time.
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  - That's when I got into,
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  - health care. I was a health care administrator
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  - within the military
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  - there and then decided to
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  - exit the military where I started working at
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  - hospitals as a COO
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  - and then, eventually
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  - as president and CEO.
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  - I did,
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  - information technology, also served as a CIO, chief
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  - information officer
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  - They're doing many of my
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  - visits to different hospitals.
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  - I've been with Ascension for three years.
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  - Oh, wow. That's amazing to hear. And I
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  - know,
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  - Ascension has certainly grown and developed and evolved
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  - during that time. So,
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  - exciting to be part of that in in
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  - the leadership team. Now I'm curious. Can you
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  - give us a quick state of being? And
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  - what's going well this year, and what are
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  - you focused on for the rest of 2026?
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  - Okay.
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  - Well, this year, we're focused on strengthening
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  - our foundation and sharpening our execution,
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  - how we execute on
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  - things that we've identified in terms of our
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  - strategy.
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  - We make sure that we're able to move
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  - those forward.
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  - We've made a significant
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  - strides in in, like, team development
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  - because one of the things, the foundation, is
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  - is making sure that your team is there
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  - and you have the right people on your
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  - team to be able to move things forward.
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  - We continue to focus on our patient care
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  - and our operational efficiencies.
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  - One of the things I'm especially
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  - proud of is our ability to navigate,
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  - you know, health care with a constant evolution
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  - of changes
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  - and making sure that we stay disciplined
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  - on our priorities
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  - and maintaining the momentum that we've created even
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  - when we are faced with these many uncertainties
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  - that are happening
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  - within our societies, within health care as well.
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  - For the rest of 2026,
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  - it's about discipline execution. We're just gonna continue
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  - to focus on that.
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  - We're gonna double down on investing in our
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  - people, our associates that we have in driving
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  - operational excellence.
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  - We're going to
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  - leverage the technology,
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  - look at AI, how we can use it
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  - to its full potential.
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  - And our goal is it's clear. Right?
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  - We are focused on long term sustainability
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  - growth,
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  - not just the quick
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  - wins and, you know, the short term gains.
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  - Absolutely. I think that makes a lot of
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  - sense. And, you know, I love that focus
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  - as you just mentioned, long term sustainability,
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  - not just,
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  - quick gains in in in short things that
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  - will make a difference in the short term,
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  - but, not necessarily the long. And so when
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  - you think about sustainability, what does that mean
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  - to you? What do you have to do
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  - right now when you're thinking, you know, are
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  - you looking,
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  - two, three years down the line, five to
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  - ten? What, really is that lens you're looking
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  - through, and how do you, are you mindful
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  - of the resources and things you need today
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  - while you're planning long term as well?
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  - When we look at sustainability
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  - and growth and where we're going,
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  - you know, it used to be five years
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  - down the road,
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  - but we now have to look at the
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  - here and now, which is the
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  - two year, three year mark to make sure
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  - that we're
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  - constantly
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  - in touch with what's going on and making
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  - those changes so that we can adjust so
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  - that we're not in a mode of survivability,
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  - but in a mode of sustainability. And that's
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  - why we have to continue to make the
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  - shift that gets us to that sustainability
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  - level.
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  - Got it. That makes a ton of sense.
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  - You know, and and really truly seems like
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  - a smart way to go about things. Now
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  - what are some of the big headwinds that
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  - you're keeping your eye on and preparing for?
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  - When you look at headwinds, you know, it's
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  - one of the things that we
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  - talk about, you know, in our monthly meetings,
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  - you know, what headwinds did you have? We
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  - look at our budget, what headwinds you have
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  - to meeting your budget. When we look at
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  - our strategic
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  - go growth, what headwinds do you have in
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  - reference to strategic growth and and being able
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  - to do the things that we have set
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  - out to do so that, you know, we
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  - can continue to
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  - execute on those. It's
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  - the biggest one that we have is the
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  - relentless pace of the change in our is
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  - our biggest challenge that we have. You know,
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  - things are constantly changing, so we have to
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  - change and we have to adjust. And many
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  - things that we put out, that's why I
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  - say it can't be five years out because
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  - things change. And so you have to be
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  - in the here and now, the two, three
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  - years, and make those adjustments as you go
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  - because you have to be in one year
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  - looking into the next year preparing for the
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  - year after that. And so whether it's the
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  - economic shifts, following consumer expectations,
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  - or the rapid
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  - advancement in AI,
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  - we must stay
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  - agile to make sure that we're there, we're
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  - in it
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  - for that sustainability to be to keep going.
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  - But the real test for us is is
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  - not just
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  - reacting to the change.
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  - It's we have to continuously
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  - anticipate the change and make sure that we
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  - put ourselves in a position
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  - to get a hurt ahead of that. And
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  - and so when that curve of change comes,
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  - we gotta make sure that we're ahead of
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  - that curve with it. And
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  - so we're we're trying to tackle everything by
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  - staying deeply connected with our patients and investing
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  - in our associates, as I said earlier, technology,
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  - and those are the things that we're looking
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  - at. And we have to make sure that
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  - our strategy remains flexible.
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  - We can't put something in place and say,
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  - we can't change it. This is where we're
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  - going. Although the world around us is changing,
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  - this is our strategy. We have to make
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  - sure that it's flexible enough for us to
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  - to adapt quickly
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  - while making sure that we we stay focused
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  - on our mission and our values and what
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  - we're doing.
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  - I think that makes a lot of sense.
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  - And it's always that balance between, you know,
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  - looking at innovation, wanting to move quickly,
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  - and and change and transform while at the
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  - same time not doing so, so quickly that
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  - you're putting yourself at risk or losing sight
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  - of the mission and the things that are
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  - most important
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  - in those outcomes. So,
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  - you know, I think that's always a balancing
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  - act. And how do you keep your team
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  - focused, especially when there's so many headwinds coming
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  - down the pipe?
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  - It's it's a balancing act. You know, you
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  - and and many times we talk about it
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  - because when you you
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  - set out to do this and then you
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  - realize, okay. We've gotta make some adjustments. We
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  - gotta make some changes. And and that's where
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  - the agility comes in for being able to
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  - make those changes
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  - as needed and to understand why you're making
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  - those changes because it all gets you to
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  - the same goal
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  - of the
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  - sustainability to make sure that you can get
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  - there. But you've gotta make a lot of
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  - adjustments and changes along the way. And so
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  - you really have to continue to meet with
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  - your staff,
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  - the employees,
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  - keep them informed of what's going on, the
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  - changes.
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  - If there are delays and things that we
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  - set out to do, we have to explain
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  - what's going on, why is there a delay,
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  - and and how we're gonna get past it
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  - when the delay is no longer there.
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  - So it's it's constant and continuous communication.
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  - Absolutely. That seems to be, you know, the
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  - name of the game so much here and
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  - especially in leadership is that clear, constant, transparent
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  - communication to the teams. Now where do you
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  - see some of the best opportunities for growth
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  - over the next two to three years?
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  - You know, our biggest
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  - growth opportunity
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  - lies in in synergy between
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  - using
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  - technology and human expertise, which brings that all
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  - together
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  - with what we call the AI and what's
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  - happening with AI and the automation that it
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  - has,
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  - you know, to really
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  - start looking at what are those routine tasks
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  - that we're doing on the human side that
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  - we can actually put AI in to do
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  - so that we can free the human
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  - up to be able to do those things
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  - that we really need to do. For example,
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  - you know, they may be spending a whole
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  - lot of time doing things in documentation in
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  - the EMR when they can actually spend that
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  - time at bedside with the patient and talking
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  - with the patient and caring for the patient
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  - and having the patient feel that they're their
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  - one and only patient
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  - as opposed to, you know, the little task,
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  - the small task that they're doing, those kind
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  - of things as we go through.
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  - So, again, it's making sure that we empower
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  - our teams to focus on what matters most.
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  - You know, high value care and stronger patient
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  - relationships is what we really wanna focus on.
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  - And then, of course, the growth will come
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  - from that. You know, these connections because when
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  - patients come in and they're admitted in the
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  - hospital,
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  - they feel a deep connection.
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  - They'll come back if they have to and
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  - when they have to. And, again, expanding our
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  - health care capabilities and developing the next generations
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  - of leaders
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  - is one of the things that we gotta
• 10:19
  - continue to focus on in health care because
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  - if we don't begin to focus now,
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  - we won't have those leaders in the future.
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  - So success isn't just about adopting the new
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  - technology
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  - for us. It's about using it thoughtfully
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  - to drive better outcomes for our patients,
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  - for
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  - people, our associates,
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  - and the community
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  - in which we serve.
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  - I love that. And then, you know, to
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  - your point, having the technology there and being
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  - able to leverage it smartly in the right
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  - way and optimize,
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  - truly within, you know, the,
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  - broader team and workforce makes a big difference.
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  - And I I love your thoughts on the
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  - high value care as well.
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  - You know, in I can imagine in some
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  - ways, there's a a change when you're on
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  - the caregiver team and, you know, even for
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  - for patients too, and you're thinking from that
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  - high value care lens versus, you know, just
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  - just on the volume side. So,
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  - how do you really, I guess,
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  - share that with your team, and what do
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  - you really see as being the transformative aspects
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  - of providing high value care and making sure
• 11:25
  - that everybody is thinking strategically on the along
• 11:28
  - those lines?
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  - Well, I I think you touched on it.
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  - One of the things that you we have
• 11:33
  - to look at is that
• 11:35
  - we're not in a state of transition.
• 11:39
  - We're in a state of transformation.
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  - And and where you again, I talked about
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  - it earlier, the uncertainties
• 11:45
  - of what's going on and uncertainties of health
• 11:48
  - care.
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  - We're
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  - transforming,
• 11:50
  - and we're making those change, but we have
• 11:52
  - to continuously
• 11:54
  - keep our eyes on what it is that
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  - we do. What's our mission? What's our vision?
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  - It's the patients that we take care of,
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  - and we have to make sure that we
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  - do that. And we sit down with our
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  - associates, a part of that communication
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  - process,
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  - making sure that we keep that in the
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  - middle of the table, the patients always in
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  - the middle of the table, what we're doing
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  - as we continue to focus through that.
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  - So
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  - it is important that we continue
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  - to execute on those priorities that we put
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  - in place. It's important that we continue to
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  - focus on sustainability
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  - as we continue to
• 12:30
  - evolve in health care.
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  - I love it. It it makes so much
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  - sense. You know, it's really an inspiring message
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  - when you think about, everything that's happening today
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  - and what you're able to accomplish now,
• 12:41
  - you know, with the technology in patient care.
• 12:44
  - Now before we wrap up, I'm curious, who
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  - do you admire as a leader, really, from
• 12:48
  - any industry and why?
• 12:50
  - Oh,
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  - well,
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  - you asked that question.
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  - You know, so many come to mind,
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  - but the one that
• 12:59
  - comes to the top really is,
• 13:02
  - you know, one that I admire and and
• 13:04
  - what's happening is Eduardo Corrado,
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  - who is our CEO
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  - for Ascension.
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  - And he has fundamentally
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  - transformed
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  - our culture,
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  - you know, while
• 13:17
  - continuing to focus on operational excellence. And and
• 13:21
  - he's he's focused on proving that, you know,
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  - if you invest in your people and and
• 13:28
  - you keep your people at the forefront, they'll
• 13:30
  - keep your patients at the forefront. They'll take
• 13:33
  - care of your patients. And his style is
• 13:35
  - focused on, you know, empathy,
• 13:37
  - be curious,
• 13:38
  - you know, and
• 13:40
  - empower your associates,
• 13:42
  - your people so that they are entirely
• 13:46
  - compatible with
• 13:48
  - to doing what the mission is and making
• 13:50
  - sure that those things happen. It is not
• 13:52
  - a focus on just the financial performance,
• 13:56
  - But if you invest in your people, your
• 13:58
  - people will invest in your patients. And then
• 14:01
  - the results of that, of course, will be
• 14:03
  - getting us to
• 14:04
  - sustainability, financial performance, and the things that we
• 14:07
  - need to be around for the next one
• 14:09
  - hundred year plus.
• 14:12
  - That's fascinating to hear and fantastic. I know
• 14:14
  - I've had the opportunity to, speak with Eduardo
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  - Conrado in the past and interview him, and
• 14:19
  - you're right. I mean, he's such a a
• 14:21
  - great leader,
• 14:22
  - and has such great energy for what he's
• 14:24
  - doing. And so amazing to see the way
• 14:26
  - the culture has shifted and changed in Ascension
• 14:28
  - and exciting to think about the possibilities of
• 14:30
  - future.
• 14:31
  - Yes. I I certainly agree with you. You
• 14:33
  - know? And what stands out with him is
• 14:36
  - the rare ability for him to be able
• 14:38
  - to balance the long term vision, you know,
• 14:41
  - sustainability
• 14:42
  - with the discipline and day to day execution.
• 14:45
  - He is successful at helping to lead us
• 14:48
  - through all of these changes, you know, without
• 14:52
  - ever losing sight of our culture
• 14:54
  - and and the vital lessons that every leader
• 14:57
  - in health care should learn.
• 15:00
  - I I love it.
• 15:01
  - Thank you, Rob, so much for joining us
• 15:03
  - on the podcast today. This has been a
• 15:05
  - really, fantastic conversation, and I look forward to
• 15:07
  - seeing you as well in person at our
• 15:09
  - CEO, CFO roundtable. I know you'll be speaking
• 15:11
  - on a panel, so we'll dig a bit
• 15:12
  - deeper into some of these themes. And it'll
• 15:14
  - be truly great to hear from you and
• 15:16
  - see you in person.
• 15:18
  - Alright. Looking forward to it. Thank you.