Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal • December 7, 2015 www.wbjournal.com FOCUS Central Massachusetts Power Players D r. Eric Dickson never set out to be a hospital administrator, but lead- ership roles have tended to fall into his lap as he practiced as an emer- gency room physician over the years, thanks to his take-charge nature. "You either want to be the one who owns the decision or you don't," said Dickson. Dickson, 49, has held a few dif- ferent executive titles. Before he was CEO of UMass Memorial HealthCare, he was president of the system's doctors group, UMass Memorial Medical Group, and pre- viously served chief operating offi- cer at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. It's obvious Dickson still thinks as a doctor. He thrives in environments that require rapid triage, as UMass Memorial Health Care did when he was appointed CEO in 2013. Dickson said he didn't have a full grasp of the dire financial straits UMass Memorial, the region's dominant provider and largest employer with a staff of 13,000, was in when he was hired because there's lag time in oper- ating results. At the time, patient volume was declining, and key decisions were delayed during the search for a successor for the for- mer president and CEO, John O'Brien. Dickson had to act quickly to avoid disas- ter, as UMass Memorial was in danger of defaulting on its bonds. "I've seen times with trauma patients where you have to take the leg to save the patient, and I felt that's a little like what we did," said Dickson, of his decision to lay off 600 employ- ees in both clinical and administrative roles, as well as to reduce services and even sell one of the system's hospitals, Wing Hospital, to Springfield-based Baystate Health. Clearly, Dickson has a pragmatic streak. A University of Massachusetts Medical School alumnus who continues to practice in the ER in Worcester, Dickson's gone toe-to-toe with union groups, and even an independent neonatology practice that's operated for years at the hospital, delivering an ultimatum this year that NICU staff either join the UMass Memorial physician group or be ousted. Cuts have achieved the intended result. The system was operating about $18 million ahead of budget in September, after finishing with a $55 million surplus in fiscal 2014. That followed an operating loss of $55 million in fiscal 2013. Full-year financial figures for fiscal 2015 are due out this month. Today, volume has rebounded, thanks in part to process improvements t hat have improved patient flow. As the system shifts its focus to popula- tion health management initia- tives driven by healthcare reform, it's also revamping its informa- tion-technology infrastructure across its four hospitals as well as the doctors' group, and hiring about 200 contract workers and new employees to support the $700-million project. The IT department will be relocated to space in a Front Street office tower in downtown Worcester. This is a significant development for downtown revitalization efforts, said Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. Augustus is pleased Dickson has main- tained a strong relationship between the city and UMass Memorial, which is important, since the system is Worcester's largest employer and partners with the city on pub- lic health initiatives. Augustus has high hopes for what Dickson will do for UMass Memorial, now that the h e av y bl e e d i ng h a s stopp e d. "An institution as big … and complicated as UMass Memorial is not an easy thing to change, but I think Eric has provided a lot of good leadership to help reposition in a very positive way," Augustus said. - Emily Micucci Title: President & CEO Company: UMass Memorial Health Care Location: Worcester Eric Dickson CHANGE AGENTS: Executives bringing their organizations to new heights M etroWest Medical Center is another hospital in the region that's seen a stark financial improvement, and leading the ongoing turnaround is Barbara Doyle, the presi- dent and CEO of the Tenet Healthcare- owned hospital, with a main campus in Framingham and another in Natick. Doyle was recruited two years ago from a Virginia hospital, after Tenet bought MetroWest Medical Center and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester from Vanguard Health Systems. A seasoned hospital administrator and a nurse by training, Doyle saw the 284- bed hospital was challenged in a couple of ways. Physicians were leaving the hospital in droves to join other organizations, tak- ing with them patient volume; and the hospital, about 15 miles west of Boston, faced tough competition from Greater Boston's numerous hospitals. By focusing on physician recruitment and investing in high-demand services areas, such as bariatric medicine and obstetrics, Doyle has crafted an apparent reversal of multi-year losses, with the hospital turning a profit of $9.6 million by the middle of this fiscal year. - Emily Micucci Title: President & CEO Company: MetroWest Medical Center Location: Framingham Barbara Doyle LEGEND Heads large organization Holds political clout Trendsetter Access to significant finances P H O T O / M A T T V O L P I N I

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