Michael S. Davis Hits the Ground Running as TFPS CEO

To date, Davis has visited most across the vast territory, and he said he has been very clear in the message he wants to convey to his team: that two of the top principles of his leadership style are strong communication and visibility. "Communication is critical. So many of the day-to-day ‘fire drills’ could have been stopped sooner with good communication. So a strong tenet of mine is to ensure that the lines of communication are very open and free, that we can communicate with one another in a manner that allows for it to be direct and with as much candor as possible, but always adhering to professional standards."

 

Regarding visibility, Davis said that because of the geography covered and the size and scope of the group practice, it’s important for him and his team to be visible where the work is happening. Being present enables more rapid identification of the problems at-hand and leads to faster, more effective solutions. "Those two tenets have been something I’ve been pushing hard with the team. To me, they breed success for a group practice like ours that is so expansive in terms of size, scope and geographic coverage."

 

Davis came to Tenet from Nicklaus Children’s Health System, where he was president of Pediatric Specialists of America, the health system’s physician group practice. He said if there was a difference between the organizations and his responsibilities, it was going from a not-for-profit independent children’s entity to one that was for-profit and largely based in adult healthcare.

 

Nonetheless, "I’ve always had the belief that my background and experiences in healthcare are transferable to a variety of roles and types of organizations within the industry. At end of the day, the thread that ties all healthcare entities together is that we’re taking care of patients, striving daily to meet the needs of our communities."

 

He believes his responsibilities at Tenet generally fall into two categories, one being the day-to-day operations of all of the group’s sites of service. With the support of his team, Davis oversees all aspects of patients’ experience from arrival, to check-in and getting their healthcare needs met, to checkout. Additionally, an important element of operations is people, and a strong focus on their growth and development. "We’re trying to maintain a strong culture – a culture that may be different in Palm Beach County than Broward County than it is in Miami-Dade County; but in general it’s a culture of respect, commitment, and a focus on the ultimate aim to provide great care and service to our patients.

 

"A large part of my job is to make sure we’re providing a positive work culture for all of the employees in our group practice. If successful, the positive internal culture will only enhance the patient experience provided by our people."

 

Further, Davis looks at continuing to expand the depth and breadth of care offerings, which he calls a "welcome challenge." As he explained, top-notch clinicians who have a passion for their work are regularly being brought on board, but part of his role is helping to figure out how their work can be streamlined within a clinical service line, and standardized as best possible to achieve optimal high-quality outcomes for patients. "This group practice, like many around the nation, formed over time organically – employing physicians and/or acquiring smaller groups. However, when you grow organically, one of the common symptoms is a silo mentality – each practice is almost like a snowflake.

 

"Each group and each physician may come with their own set way of doing things, but we must determine how can we standardize across the group. As we grow in size and scale across the geography, it becomes imperative to standardize in order to achieve optimal patient experience and top-notch clinical outcomes. The communities we serve deserve nothing less."

 

Even though he hasn’t had much opportunity yet, Davis said he likes to spend time throughout the year stepping back for some personal reflection, which has to do with who he is as a leader and what he hopes makes him a stronger leader. "I take time to reflect on what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and what is my ultimate mark or impact on the communities I help to serve. While the day-to-day can be very successful, we have to ask ourselves, are we accomplishing what we’ve set out to do; and if not, how can we do better. So I’m working really hard on that and continuously thinking about my one-day legacy for healthcare."

 

No doubt Davis will succeed.