Reflecting on the attributes that make for great leadership, Sue van der Sommen, MHA, FACMPE, FACHE, institute vice president of pediatrics, Allegheny Health Network, said that a sense of humility is just as important as a patient-centered focus when it comes to guiding a diverse team, especially during the challenges of the past few years.
“I really define a great leader as one who can put aside their personal goals and interests for the greater good of the organization,” she said on an episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast. “My motto has long been to check your ego at the door, and I feel that we in healthcare really need to focus on our consumers, whether we’re in insurance, business or direct patient care, and ensuring that every decision we make is focused on the betterment of our patients. If you put the patients or the healthcare consumer at the center of every decision you make, there’s no way you will make a bad decision.”
Hear more from van der Sommen in this episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast:
van der Sommen is also a proponent of servant leadership, recognizing the ways she can help guide and improve the lives of fellow healthcare professionals – both highly educated clinicians and the many support staff who make up care teams.
“My role is truly to serve those who are caring for our patients,” she said. “It sort of flips this concept of leadership on its side. You have to take away that top-down in healthcare, and the most successful organizations have done that, recognizing that we, in our leadership roles, are there to support and serve those who are working on the frontlines taking care of our patients.”
van der Sommen said the pandemic has further illustrated the importance of that team-based approach, especially as remote work arrangements have made day-to-day leadership and communication more challenging.
“Without my team, I’m nothing,” she said. “I could walk out tomorrow, and the place would run, but if my nurses, my doctors, my frontline administrators leave, then I’m in a bit of trouble. So, really trying to ensure that I stayed in touch with them and was able to meet their needs as much as possible.
“If the pandemic taught us nothing – and it taught us a lot – it’s that we need to stay alert, stay aware of changing regulations and rules. How can we adapt and learn and adjust?”
van der Sommen said she is also a strong advocate of MGMA’s FACMPE Fellowship designation, which she successfully pursued, and recommends the highest level of board certification to any healthcare manager.
“I’ve been a member of MGMA since my very early years in healthcare … and so it’s an organization that I support,” she said. “It means a lot to me and my career and my growth and my development. In my career, it was the one missing piece, so I knew that it was really important to me to take this next step. We get great help from our MGMA colleagues throughout the entire process. You’re not alone. And then, when it’s over …I was so proud of it and proud of those credentials, and I feel like it’s really rounded out my professionalism. I think it shows the world that I’m a serious healthcare leader.”
“I really define a great leader as one who can put aside their personal goals and interests for the greater good of the organization,” she said on an episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast. “My motto has long been to check your ego at the door, and I feel that we in healthcare really need to focus on our consumers, whether we’re in insurance, business or direct patient care, and ensuring that every decision we make is focused on the betterment of our patients. If you put the patients or the healthcare consumer at the center of every decision you make, there’s no way you will make a bad decision.”
Hear more from van der Sommen in this episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast:
van der Sommen is also a proponent of servant leadership, recognizing the ways she can help guide and improve the lives of fellow healthcare professionals – both highly educated clinicians and the many support staff who make up care teams.
“My role is truly to serve those who are caring for our patients,” she said. “It sort of flips this concept of leadership on its side. You have to take away that top-down in healthcare, and the most successful organizations have done that, recognizing that we, in our leadership roles, are there to support and serve those who are working on the frontlines taking care of our patients.”
van der Sommen said the pandemic has further illustrated the importance of that team-based approach, especially as remote work arrangements have made day-to-day leadership and communication more challenging.
“Without my team, I’m nothing,” she said. “I could walk out tomorrow, and the place would run, but if my nurses, my doctors, my frontline administrators leave, then I’m in a bit of trouble. So, really trying to ensure that I stayed in touch with them and was able to meet their needs as much as possible.
“If the pandemic taught us nothing – and it taught us a lot – it’s that we need to stay alert, stay aware of changing regulations and rules. How can we adapt and learn and adjust?”
Additional resources:
- American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE)
- Exploring a lost generation: Adolescent and young adult oncology in the academic setting (van der Sommen's FACMPE paper)
- Leadership Insights: Why Ted Lasso is the perfect servant leader
van der Sommen said she is also a strong advocate of MGMA’s FACMPE Fellowship designation, which she successfully pursued, and recommends the highest level of board certification to any healthcare manager.
“I’ve been a member of MGMA since my very early years in healthcare … and so it’s an organization that I support,” she said. “It means a lot to me and my career and my growth and my development. In my career, it was the one missing piece, so I knew that it was really important to me to take this next step. We get great help from our MGMA colleagues throughout the entire process. You’re not alone. And then, when it’s over …I was so proud of it and proud of those credentials, and I feel like it’s really rounded out my professionalism. I think it shows the world that I’m a serious healthcare leader.”
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