Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Leading Rural Healthcare Through Growth, Innovation, and Partnership with Craig Williams

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Leading Rural Healthcare Through Growth, Innovation, and Partnership with Craig Williams · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

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• 1:01
  - This is Laura Dierdo with the Becker's Healthcare
• 1:03
  - podcast.
• 1:04
  - I'm thrilled today to be joined by Craig
• 1:06
  - Williams, chief executive officer of Spear Memorial Hospital.
• 1:09
  - Craig, it's a pleasure to have you on
• 1:10
  - the podcast today.
• 1:11
  - Thanks so much, Laura. Really looking forward to
• 1:13
  - our discussion.
• 1:14
  - Absolutely. Now this is gonna be exciting and
• 1:16
  - a lot of fun. I know, you know,
• 1:18
  - it's been a big change for you recently
• 1:20
  - having joined Spear Memorial, and so I'm looking
• 1:22
  - forward to talking through that and some of
• 1:24
  - the ways you're thinking about the future. But
• 1:26
  - before we dig in, can you tell me
• 1:27
  - a little bit more about yourself and your
• 1:29
  - background?
• 1:30
  - Sure. So Craig Williams,
• 1:32
  - I've I'm just starting my sixth week here
• 1:35
  - at, Spear Memorial Hospital.
• 1:37
  - We're a 25 bed critical access hospital located
• 1:40
  - in Plymouth, New Hampshire. We sort of serve
• 1:42
  - the Central New Hampshire region, the Lakes region
• 1:45
  - up to the White Mountains Of New Hampshire.
• 1:46
  - So,
• 1:48
  - really
• 1:49
  - unique and special part of of New Hampshire
• 1:51
  - and and part of the country
• 1:53
  - and a part of the country that I
• 1:54
  - love. My wife and I bought a
• 1:57
  - summer home in Meredith, New Hampshire, which is
• 2:00
  - part of the Spear community,
• 2:02
  - back in 2017.
• 2:04
  - And, I think I received the
• 2:06
  - annual report for Spear in 2018,
• 2:09
  - and I didn't realize there was a hospital,
• 2:11
  - north of of the house. And so,
• 2:14
  - I've been kinda eyeing developments at Spot Spear
• 2:16
  - over the last few years. And when I
• 2:18
  - saw they were searching for a a new
• 2:20
  - CEO, I decided to throw my hat in
• 2:22
  - the ring and was lucky enough to,
• 2:25
  - to be offered the position and, have been
• 2:27
  - just really excited to get started here at
• 2:29
  - the organization.
• 2:31
  - Well, that's amazing. You know? And what a
• 2:33
  - cool story having that opportunity to,
• 2:35
  - come in and and really o oversee the
• 2:38
  - hospital in a place that, is so special
• 2:40
  - to you. Now could you give us a
• 2:43
  - a quick state of the union? What do
• 2:44
  - you see as having gone well,
• 2:47
  - so far, and and what are you focused
• 2:48
  - on for the rest of 2026?
• 2:50
  - Sure. You know, for me, it's kind of
• 2:53
  - in the first ninety days really coming in
• 2:55
  - and and really trying to learn the organization,
• 2:59
  - which it's not typical for me, but I'm
• 3:01
  - trying to do a lot more,
• 3:03
  - listening rather than talking.
• 3:05
  - Really try
• 3:06
  - to gain trust with everyone in the hospital,
• 3:08
  - you know, from my senior leadership team, which
• 3:10
  - is a really
• 3:12
  - I've been really blessed to to inherit a
• 3:15
  - tremendous senior leadership team.
• 3:17
  - Really solid group. I've been really moving the
• 3:19
  - needle with our strategic plan
• 3:22
  - here at Spear. But really getting out in
• 3:24
  - front, meeting our caregivers, meeting our physician providers.
• 3:28
  - So a lot of it's really about learning
• 3:30
  - the organization.
• 3:31
  - The one thing I would say is it's
• 3:33
  - a really well run organization. Michelle McEwen
• 3:36
  - was a twenty five year CEO,
• 3:38
  - who I inherited this this, position from, and
• 3:41
  - she really did an amazing job in ensuring
• 3:44
  - that the organization financially stable, that operations run
• 3:48
  - really well.
• 3:49
  - And so for me, that, you know, the
• 3:50
  - focus coming out is really looking at,
• 3:53
  - there's a couple areas of the of the
• 3:55
  - hospital and our broader operations that, you know,
• 3:58
  - I think are could be optimized. You know,
• 4:00
  - we we we're losing money in some areas
• 4:03
  - and really looking at,
• 4:04
  - you know, how do we try to turn
• 4:06
  - that financial performance around.
• 4:09
  - At the same time, really looking at things
• 4:11
  - that are happening in the external environment,
• 4:13
  - you know, and under there's certainly headwinds in
• 4:16
  - health care and just ensuring that we are
• 4:18
  - staying out in front of what's happening with
• 4:20
  - changes in in coverage at the federal level,
• 4:24
  - changes in reimbursement that are gonna affect us,
• 4:26
  - and really how do we ensure that we're
• 4:28
  - providing
• 4:29
  - the most efficient and cost effective care
• 4:32
  - while really looking to grow. And, you know,
• 4:34
  - I do think
• 4:35
  - an organization like Spear has a lot of
• 4:37
  - opportunity to grow.
• 4:39
  - We are an independent hospital, which is really
• 4:41
  - difficult in this day and age.
• 4:44
  - You know, the good thing about being independent
• 4:46
  - is that we have the ability to control
• 4:48
  - our own destiny, but we also have the
• 4:50
  - ability to partner with a lot of different
• 4:53
  - providers and and systems. And and really what
• 4:56
  - I'm trying to do is is come in
• 4:58
  - and understand,
• 5:00
  - what the value proposition we have to other
• 5:03
  - large systems in either New Hampshire or in
• 5:06
  - in Northern Massachusetts
• 5:08
  - that we could leverage to be able to
• 5:10
  - provide better access to care here in Plymouth,
• 5:13
  - New Hampshire. So that's it's what we're really
• 5:15
  - focused on right now.
• 5:17
  - I love that. And I I think it's
• 5:19
  - so critical to have that outlook, especially when
• 5:21
  - you're at an independent hospital where, you know,
• 5:24
  - being able to,
• 5:26
  - still
• 5:27
  - be independent and part of the community will
• 5:29
  - also having those partnerships that can really make
• 5:32
  - a big difference, is critical. And so thank
• 5:34
  - you for setting things up here, and it'll
• 5:37
  - just be fascinating to see how things grow.
• 5:39
  - And, you know, to your point, obviously, most
• 5:41
  - hospitals and systems are,
• 5:43
  - experiencing
• 5:44
  - a little bit of, you know, tighter financials
• 5:47
  - than they have in the past. And so
• 5:49
  - when you look at, some of those areas,
• 5:50
  - what are the big headwinds that you have
• 5:52
  - your eye on and are preparing for over
• 5:54
  - the next few years?
• 5:56
  - Yeah. I certainly mentioned what's happening with with
• 5:58
  - coverage,
• 5:59
  - at the certainly focused on Medicaid. You know,
• 6:02
  - we have
• 6:03
  - a a large Medicaid
• 6:04
  - population here in this area of New Hampshire.
• 6:08
  - It's really important that we can continue to
• 6:10
  - engage them in care so that,
• 6:12
  - you know, we're
• 6:13
  - improving their overall health and and really,
• 6:16
  - you know, trying to create that, you know,
• 6:18
  - primary care base where,
• 6:20
  - you know, we're preventing things that are gonna
• 6:22
  - be,
• 6:23
  - much more impactful for them, but also,
• 6:27
  - financially for us more costly. So,
• 6:29
  - it's really important. We're doing a lot of
• 6:31
  - work to ensure that we're educating
• 6:33
  - people on
• 6:35
  - some of the new workforce requirements
• 6:37
  - around, Medicaid eligibility, but just really keeping,
• 6:41
  - everyone up to speed on what's happening at
• 6:43
  - the federal level.
• 6:45
  - We're also really focused on
• 6:47
  - kind of our workforce pipelines. And so a
• 6:49
  - major headwind we have is just access to,
• 6:54
  - specialized talent in this market.
• 6:57
  - And this at the same time, there's a
• 6:58
  - lot of people that are, either underemployed or
• 7:01
  - unemployed.
• 7:02
  - And so we're really looking we have a
• 7:05
  - a a college here in our community called
• 7:06
  - Plymouth State University.
• 7:08
  - We also have a community college called Lakes
• 7:10
  - Region Community College.
• 7:12
  - And so really working with organizations
• 7:14
  - like that to train the next generation
• 7:17
  - of our workforce and be able to engage
• 7:19
  - with them to create programs that are gonna
• 7:21
  - really,
• 7:22
  - give people an opportunity
• 7:24
  - to either become employed,
• 7:26
  - get on career pathways are gonna be really
• 7:29
  - good for them, but at the same time,
• 7:31
  - will be really good for our health system.
• 7:34
  - You know, the other thing that I would
• 7:35
  - say is, you know, as a critical access
• 7:37
  - hospital,
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  - we are we're lean and we're mean, and
• 7:41
  - and our margins are very tight. You know,
• 7:43
  - right now, we have about a 1%,
• 7:46
  - negative margin. We're working really closely to get
• 7:49
  - that back into the black.
• 7:51
  - And and the biggest reason we want we
• 7:53
  - need to do that
• 7:55
  - is that we need to reinvest in our
• 7:57
  - in our physical plants.
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  - You know, this building was built in in
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  - the
• 8:03
  - mid nineteen hundreds. You know, obviously,
• 8:07
  - capital has been constrained. So we we're really
• 8:09
  - looking to
• 8:11
  - develop kind of a five to ten year
• 8:13
  - capital plan
• 8:15
  - and a long term master facility plan so
• 8:17
  - that we know
• 8:18
  - what are the next three to five major
• 8:21
  - investments we need to make and start to
• 8:23
  - create a financial roadmap through that. So that'll
• 8:25
  - be both through,
• 8:27
  - you know, operating performance as well as engaging
• 8:29
  - with the community around philanthropy and and opportunities
• 8:33
  - the community may have to help us fund
• 8:36
  - how we're gonna move forward at Spear.
• 8:39
  - That's fascinating to hear. I I think to
• 8:41
  - your point, looking at, you know, how you
• 8:43
  - want to keep thinking about the future and
• 8:46
  - growing and building for the future, it takes
• 8:47
  - that kind of careful planning today and focusing
• 8:50
  - on the areas that,
• 8:52
  - really, you know, could make a difference and
• 8:54
  - and set that foundation for where you wanna
• 8:56
  - keep investing. And I'm curious. You mentioned Medicaid,
• 8:59
  - you know, initially, when you're thinking about headwinds.
• 9:02
  - I know there's a lot of uncertainties in
• 9:04
  - that space as well as,
• 9:06
  - you know, where federal and state policies could
• 9:10
  - go. But, from your perspective, when you're thinking
• 9:12
  - about, you know, making sure that that, population
• 9:16
  - has access to care plus trying to to
• 9:18
  - build and grow financially, how do you,
• 9:22
  - think through other new things you're gonna be
• 9:24
  - trying out when you think about bringing in
• 9:26
  - revenue? Or,
• 9:28
  - is it more focused on the philanthropic areas
• 9:30
  - that you mentioned as well? How do you
• 9:33
  - kind of square all of these things as
• 9:35
  - you're planning for the future?
• 9:37
  - You know, I think it's it's really all
• 9:39
  - of the above. You know,
• 9:42
  - when you know, we have to make sure
• 9:43
  - that we have a number of oars
• 9:45
  - in the water,
• 9:47
  - that are sort of paddling us in the
• 9:49
  - right direction. So, you know, some of the
• 9:51
  - things that I've been focused on
• 9:53
  - and I think the board at Spear has
• 9:55
  - really focused on in both the search and
• 9:58
  - then my onboarding.
• 9:59
  - Obviously increasing,
• 10:02
  - our philanthropy activity. You know, that we we
• 10:05
  - have the benefit of
• 10:06
  - of a lot of,
• 10:08
  - seasonal,
• 10:09
  - residents of this area that are also,
• 10:12
  - have the capacity to give.
• 10:14
  - And historically, we haven't been able to engage
• 10:16
  - with that community in a meaningful way.
• 10:19
  - And so we're doing a lot of work
• 10:20
  - to really
• 10:23
  - develop really the value proposition for Spear for
• 10:25
  - those
• 10:26
  - folks that may not be here year round
• 10:28
  - and and and help them understand why
• 10:31
  - having, you know, a
• 10:33
  - really solid,
• 10:34
  - healthcare provider in this market to provide amazing
• 10:37
  - emergency services when they need it is important
• 10:39
  - to them. We think that'll be
• 10:41
  - very compelling to them.
• 10:44
  - Again, you know, I think we're also looking
• 10:46
  - to
• 10:47
  - ensure that we develop partnerships that are gonna
• 10:50
  - drive value back to spear,
• 10:53
  - but also drive value to our community. And
• 10:56
  - so,
• 10:57
  - you know, access to specialty care in the
• 11:00
  - Plymouth community
• 11:01
  - is difficult. A lot of folks have to
• 11:03
  - travel up to an hour, an hour and
• 11:06
  - a half away to access many of the
• 11:08
  - specialties that we should be providing in our
• 11:10
  - community.
• 11:11
  - So we think with a lot of the
• 11:13
  - money that's gonna be out there around the
• 11:15
  - rural health transformation funds,
• 11:17
  - that there's an opportunity to,
• 11:20
  - for for a specialist that we can't get
• 11:22
  - into the market, then maybe we could develop
• 11:25
  - ways that,
• 11:27
  - we could have specialists,
• 11:29
  - see patients,
• 11:30
  - through telemedicine.
• 11:32
  - And maybe they'd still come on-site to our
• 11:34
  - hospital. We'd be able to guide them through
• 11:36
  - that process of of having a telehealth visit,
• 11:39
  - but also be able to collect data for
• 11:41
  - that
• 11:42
  - visiting telehealth specialists that would be coming in
• 11:45
  - from another part of the state or,
• 11:48
  - even from another region of the country.
• 11:50
  - But we think that's a real opportunity for
• 11:53
  - us.
• 11:54
  - And then I think the last thing is
• 11:55
  - just, you know, we we are one of
• 11:57
  - the last providers of our size and in
• 12:00
  - our region
• 12:01
  - that's providing maternity care. You know, we only
• 12:04
  - do, well, three to four hundred births every
• 12:06
  - single year, and
• 12:08
  - it's really difficult,
• 12:11
  - to have a margin,
• 12:13
  - when you're doing that small. And and and
• 12:15
  - part of it is, I mentioned workforce before,
• 12:18
  - it's being able to onboard new nurses that
• 12:21
  - are going to,
• 12:23
  - be able to get up to speed in
• 12:24
  - maturity care, you know, only doing that amount
• 12:27
  - of of deliveries.
• 12:29
  - It's also being able to have access to,
• 12:32
  - you know, level three NICU and everything else
• 12:35
  - to be able to make sure that we're
• 12:36
  - appropriately caring for those,
• 12:39
  - those patients and new moms and babies. And
• 12:42
  - so we're putting a lot of work into
• 12:43
  - really
• 12:45
  - framing out our investments and strategy around our
• 12:48
  - maternity,
• 12:49
  - care
• 12:50
  - and really looking to partner with the state
• 12:53
  - and other providers
• 12:54
  - to figure out how can we
• 12:57
  - ensure that we're gonna be able to provide
• 12:58
  - maternity services into
• 13:01
  - the future, the next ten, twenty years. Because
• 13:03
  - it's, you know, what we do is it's
• 13:05
  - amazing.
• 13:06
  - It's amazing for young families that don't have
• 13:09
  - to leave Plymouth to go,
• 13:12
  - have their baby someplace else. But there's also
• 13:15
  - a cost to that and we need to
• 13:16
  - just make sure that we we're doing everything
• 13:18
  - to,
• 13:20
  - offset that cost and ensure that we're, you
• 13:22
  - know, financially
• 13:23
  - able to provide that service. So that's another
• 13:25
  - big area of focus for us
• 13:27
  - over the coming months.
• 13:29
  - I
• 13:30
  - love that. I I think it's so helpful
• 13:31
  - to understand all of the different dynamics coming
• 13:34
  - together, and really appreciate
• 13:36
  - the additional I idea in in,
• 13:40
  - gathering around some of the telemedicine,
• 13:42
  - as well as on-site care, making sure there's
• 13:44
  - access in a variety of different ways. And
• 13:46
  - then data, I know, is so critical right
• 13:49
  - now for any organization and and hospitals, especially
• 13:51
  - as they're trying to,
• 13:53
  - figure out the best path forward. So, that
• 13:56
  - makes a ton of sense. From your perspective,
• 13:58
  - where do you see some of the best
• 14:00
  - opportunities to grow in the next two to
• 14:01
  - three years? I know you've mentioned,
• 14:03
  - being able to,
• 14:05
  - bring in and strengthen the talent to workforce
• 14:08
  - pipelines across some of those specialized areas.
• 14:11
  - Where else do you see some of the
• 14:12
  - things that you're going to do or have
• 14:14
  - plans to keep growing in the next few
• 14:16
  - years?
• 14:18
  - You know, I think primary care is is
• 14:20
  - a prime need for us. We have a
• 14:23
  - a really solid small primary care group,
• 14:26
  - that's here in in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
• 14:29
  - We also have a federally qualified health center
• 14:31
  - that
• 14:32
  - is really the dominant player in in our
• 14:34
  - region around,
• 14:37
  - primary care. And so
• 14:39
  - we need to do a better job of
• 14:40
  - engaging with them and ensuring that we treat
• 14:43
  - them. It's a it's a group called Mid
• 14:45
  - State,
• 14:46
  - Health Center. And,
• 14:48
  - historically,
• 14:49
  - because we're both in the same market, we've
• 14:52
  - had,
• 14:53
  - we've been close, but we've also been competitors.
• 14:56
  - And and so I think that there's a
• 14:58
  - real opportunity to figure out
• 15:00
  - how do we best provide,
• 15:02
  - value to each other. And, you know,
• 15:05
  - if in terms of how we're serving them,
• 15:07
  - we need to really, I think, do a
• 15:09
  - deep dive into
• 15:11
  - finding ways to be a better partner for
• 15:13
  - them so that we can be the, the
• 15:15
  - referral choice,
• 15:17
  - and capture referrals from that primary care network.
• 15:19
  - So it doesn't mean that we have to,
• 15:21
  - you know, control our own primary care in
• 15:24
  - our market alone.
• 15:25
  - It's really about how we are best serving
• 15:28
  - the primary care providers, whether they're ours or
• 15:31
  - someone else or or close by, and that's
• 15:33
  - something we're really focused on. I think also
• 15:36
  - around primary care,
• 15:38
  - we've been really focused on our primary service
• 15:40
  - area and there's some opportunities
• 15:42
  - to expand
• 15:44
  - into into some of our more secondary service
• 15:46
  - areas and really capture some of that volume,
• 15:50
  - which which, you know, we believe will not
• 15:52
  - only
• 15:54
  - increase revenue in the near term, but from
• 15:56
  - a longer term will help us create a
• 15:57
  - bigger base and allow us to capture just
• 15:59
  - a a larger market share.
• 16:01
  - So those are the things I'm really excited
• 16:03
  - about. I think the other things is really
• 16:05
  - looking at,
• 16:07
  - what happens with the rural transformation funds to
• 16:10
  - make sure that we are positioned
• 16:12
  - to take advantage of that funding. Because I
• 16:14
  - I think that there's
• 16:16
  - some real growth areas that otherwise we wouldn't
• 16:19
  - be able to start up. But because of
• 16:21
  - the rural health
• 16:22
  - transformation funds, we could get some of those
• 16:25
  - startup dollars
• 16:26
  - and get a little bit of a runway
• 16:28
  - to try things that maybe we were afraid
• 16:30
  - to try in the past because we have
• 16:32
  - some funding that, you know, otherwise wouldn't be
• 16:34
  - available. So we just really
• 16:37
  - are trying to be watchful for every opportunity
• 16:39
  - that comes across our desks here at Spear.
• 16:43
  - And that makes a ton of sense. You
• 16:44
  - never quite know exactly where some of those
• 16:46
  - areas are gonna be, but
• 16:48
  - it's so fascinating
• 16:50
  - to, have that strategy of of building primary
• 16:52
  - care, wanting to be,
• 16:54
  - the best place for our first and truly,
• 16:57
  - you know, providing that community care that is
• 16:59
  - so essential. And when you're looking at the
• 17:01
  - rural health transformation program too, I know that's,
• 17:04
  - you know, a newer opportunity
• 17:06
  - and something to take advantage of.
• 17:08
  - What are you seeing as being kind of
• 17:10
  - the the things that are
• 17:13
  - easy and hard about that? Is there anything,
• 17:15
  - I guess, that you can share along those
• 17:17
  - lines? Because I know so many of the,
• 17:19
  - rural hospitals and those that to benefit from
• 17:22
  - it are are,
• 17:24
  - you know, in some states, it's different than
• 17:25
  - others, but trying to figure out what's gonna
• 17:28
  - be the most valuable use of that those
• 17:30
  - funds so that they can build the foundation
• 17:32
  - for the future and not kind of a,
• 17:34
  - you know, just one time injection
• 17:37
  - of financial support.
• 17:39
  - You know, it it's interesting. Here in New
• 17:40
  - Hampshire, I'd say,
• 17:42
  - you know, we're very early on.
• 17:45
  - The state has done a really good job
• 17:46
  - of convening a a lot of different stakeholders.
• 17:50
  - And but in terms of funding opportunities,
• 17:53
  - a lot hasn't come on yet. And so
• 17:56
  - we do believe,
• 17:58
  - from seeing the state's application and their focus
• 18:01
  - areas,
• 18:02
  - there are things very aligned with our strategy
• 18:04
  - and the things that we're already working on.
• 18:05
  - So there's a lot around,
• 18:08
  - workforce pipeline development that we're very excited about,
• 18:10
  - and we're we're hopeful that there'll be some
• 18:13
  - opportunities
• 18:13
  - to to engage with the state on on
• 18:16
  - some of the work we already have going
• 18:17
  - on, but then enhance,
• 18:19
  - other things that we know we need to
• 18:21
  - do. Like, for example,
• 18:23
  - we believe that there'll be some opportunity
• 18:25
  - to,
• 18:27
  - talk about specialized nursing and and really around
• 18:29
  - OB care and how we can better partner
• 18:32
  - with people to train the next generation of
• 18:34
  - OB nurses in a rural setting. So that's
• 18:36
  - really exciting.
• 18:38
  - This we think that there's gonna be,
• 18:40
  - investment dollars available around,
• 18:43
  - telehealth and and both in supporting caregivers at
• 18:47
  - the bedside or,
• 18:49
  - you know, in in
• 18:51
  - in care, but also,
• 18:53
  - to support some of the ideas we're thinking
• 18:55
  - around,
• 18:56
  - access to specialists in in rural areas. And
• 18:59
  - so we think there'll be real opportunity there.
• 19:02
  - The initial,
• 19:03
  - funding we that's out in New Hampshire right
• 19:06
  - now is around
• 19:07
  - mobile integrated health, and we've been having a
• 19:09
  - discussion internally,
• 19:12
  - around the opportunity
• 19:13
  - and and figuring out not only
• 19:16
  - we believe it is a real need. We
• 19:18
  - just finished our regional,
• 19:20
  - community health needs assessment, and we have and
• 19:23
  - the two biggest themes coming out of there
• 19:25
  - are
• 19:26
  - access to behavioral health as well as
• 19:29
  - the overall cost of care, both cost of
• 19:31
  - insurance and cost of health care itself.
• 19:34
  - And we think that there's there's,
• 19:37
  - there's opportunities around mobile integrated health care and
• 19:40
  - using community parametric,
• 19:43
  - to try to lower the overall cost of
• 19:45
  - care.
• 19:46
  - What we're trying to figure out now internally
• 19:49
  - is, you know, if we do start up
• 19:50
  - a program and there's considerable funding to start
• 19:53
  - up new regional,
• 19:54
  - programs,
• 19:55
  - you know, two to three or four years
• 19:58
  - out, is that gonna be a sustainable program
• 20:00
  - for us?
• 20:01
  - And, you know, and and really thinking about,
• 20:04
  - you know, we don't wanna run to a
• 20:06
  - funding opportunity that we don't think
• 20:09
  - long term is gonna be sustainable. And so
• 20:11
  - I think for everyone who listening to this
• 20:13
  - podcast, you know, that that would be the
• 20:15
  - key challenge is
• 20:17
  - ensuring that, you know, whatever you're gonna
• 20:19
  - start new or you're gonna try to enhance,
• 20:22
  - that at the end of the funding period,
• 20:24
  - you have a a pathway to making that
• 20:27
  - a sustainable program.
• 20:29
  - Got it. That's so helpful to understand, you
• 20:31
  - know, and just fascinating to see the evolution,
• 20:35
  - of some of those programs and and how,
• 20:38
  - your access points could really make a big
• 20:40
  - difference for the hospital.
• 20:41
  - Now before we wrap up here, I have
• 20:43
  - one more question.
• 20:44
  - Who do you admire as a leader really
• 20:46
  - from any industry and why?
• 20:49
  - Oh, that's interesting. So
• 20:52
  - in health care and this is this may
• 20:54
  - be a very lame answer, and I swear
• 20:56
  - it's not to just gain,
• 20:58
  - good graces. But my wife is, does similar
• 21:01
  - work as I do, and she's a
• 21:04
  - she's an executive in the Mass General Brigham,
• 21:07
  - system. And, you know, I I've just really
• 21:10
  - grown to
• 21:12
  - admire how she's transformed herself as a leader,
• 21:15
  - you know, from coming up as kind of
• 21:17
  - in the CFO pathway to now being a
• 21:19
  - CEO.
• 21:21
  - I've just seen tremendous
• 21:23
  - growth in her and her approach and really
• 21:26
  - what I would say is just overall calmness.
• 21:28
  - Right? I I'm not I'm not always calm
• 21:31
  - day to day, and she's done a really
• 21:33
  - good job of being able to,
• 21:36
  - you know, take whatever issues at hand and
• 21:38
  - and step away and and and remain calm
• 21:41
  - and
• 21:42
  - and and guide people in the right direction.
• 21:44
  - So I admire her. I think the other
• 21:46
  - leader I admire, and I I fear that
• 21:49
  - time is maybe
• 21:51
  - proving me wrong. But, you know, I grew
• 21:53
  - up in,
• 21:54
  - outside of of Boston, Massachusetts. I've been a
• 21:57
  - New England Patriots season ticket holder for the
• 21:59
  - last
• 22:00
  - too long, since, I think, 1992.
• 22:03
  - And so a leader I really admired in
• 22:05
  - the in the past historically has been Bill
• 22:07
  - Belichick. And and, really, it's around
• 22:10
  - how he's able to to frame the challenge
• 22:14
  - for an entire organization,
• 22:16
  - really get it down to a mantra of
• 22:18
  - do your job
• 22:19
  - and getting everyone to understand what their piece
• 22:22
  - of the work is
• 22:24
  - and how if they fail in their job,
• 22:26
  - then they're gonna actually kind of break the
• 22:28
  - chain and and not allow the entire team
• 22:31
  - to achieve.
• 22:33
  - And, you know, that's one thing I've really
• 22:35
  - tried to do, you know, in my career
• 22:37
  - is really
• 22:39
  - engage with everyone across the organization,
• 22:41
  - help them understand
• 22:43
  - exactly what the goals of the organization are,
• 22:46
  - and translate help them translate that to the
• 22:49
  - work they do.
• 22:50
  - And and really, you know, again, get more
• 22:54
  - oars in the water and everyone kind of
• 22:56
  - rowing in the right direction.
• 22:58
  - And that's something I've always admired about, Bill
• 23:01
  - Belichick that he really was able to to
• 23:04
  - get everyone kinda rowing in the same direction
• 23:06
  - and achieve,
• 23:07
  - greater things than
• 23:09
  - you otherwise would as an individual. And so
• 23:11
  - that's something I try to do
• 23:13
  - as a leader here at Spear and and
• 23:15
  - throughout my career.
• 23:17
  - That's fascinating to hear. And, you know, I
• 23:20
  - have a really cool mix of people that,
• 23:23
  - you mentioned. I I think especially having that
• 23:25
  - calmness as you've mentioned from,
• 23:28
  - you know, your wife,
• 23:29
  - is such an important leadership quality. And then
• 23:31
  - Mhmm. For Bill at Belcek too, of course,
• 23:34
  - you know, looking across the organization
• 23:36
  - and making sure everybody knows what they need
• 23:38
  - to do. And
• 23:40
  - I I love how you put it, the
• 23:41
  - failure points if they don't,
• 23:43
  - is so critical. So thank you so much
• 23:45
  - for joining us on the podcast today. This
• 23:47
  - has been such a fun conversation, Craig, and
• 23:49
  - I look forward to connecting with you again
• 23:50
  - soon. And I know you'll be speaking at
• 23:52
  - our CEO CFO roundtable coming up here in
• 23:55
  - November. So looking forward to continuing the conversation
• 23:57
  - there.
• 23:59
  - Thanks so much, Laura. Enjoyed the, discussion.