How front-line teams are shaping health system strategy

CEOs are turning to front-line employees for insights shaping systemwide strategies.

Since becoming president and CEO of Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System in April, Matthew Fry has held front-line listening sessions he described as invaluable. A recurring theme quickly emerged: The organization needed clear direction.

“They felt like they were completely in the dark on our goals, aspirations and motivations,” Mr. Fry told Becker’s. “Initially, I thought this was a breakdown in communication from the executive level down through the organization.”

He later learned the issue was deeper: Freeman Health had not had an organizational strategic plan for several years. The leadership team has since made developing a comprehensive plan a top priority and embedded shared governance into operations, giving front-line teams a stronger role in shaping policies and practices.

At Fairfield, Calif.-based NorthBay Health, front-line voices also helped shape system strategy. President and CEO Mark Behl said teams guided efforts to improve efficiencies amid financial pressures and anticipated reimbursement changes tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“The people that should improve the work are the people that do the work,” Mr. Behl told Becker’s. “Coming at this transformation from our senior leadership team, or from me as the CEO, would not bring the same results as being a ground-up process.”

Eric Dickson, MD, president and CEO of Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health, said creating space for front-line voices has been critical to leadership.

“Their insights are invaluable, and I’ve learned that one of the most powerful things I can do as a leader is to create space for those voices to shape our direction as a system,” Dr. Dickson told Becker’s.

For Mr. Fry, the experience underscored that strategy cannot be static; it must evolve with the voices of team members.

“We have received feedback that was honest, sometimes difficult, but always rooted in a deep commitment to patient care,” he said. “We received it with humility and urgency and responded with tangible change.”

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