Changes at the Top

President Obama must be feeling pretty good about his recent victory in the healthcare reform movement. It is amazing to see the change in direction that can occur when a new chief executive takes over. Whether or not you like those changes probably depends on what side of the aisle you’re on, but there’s no mistaking the impact of a new leader.

What about the new chief executive that is heading up one of the software companies you likely rely on? You probably have something in your hospital from McKesson, but you may not have met Pat Blake, the new president of McKesson’s healthcare IT division. How about Phil Pead, the new president of Eclipsys? Have you taken the chance to hear his vision for customers? And whoa … I was certainly surprised to hear that Janet Dillione will be leaving Siemens Medical Solutions. I don’t have a name for the replacement at this point, but you can be sure he or she will make a significant impact. Tom Miller takes back his old job in the interim.

What happens now? I’ve met both of the new presidents and they seem sincere in their passion around delivery for customers. Most of the time when a new president takes over there is a period of uncertainty, and we see KLAS satisfaction scores drop temporarily. After that comes a time of optimism, where providers look for signs that confirm or deny the new message. The real story usually doesn’t unfold for a year.

Graham King helped clean up a lot at McKesson after Charlie McCall left. Customers felt the change. Eclipsys customers are hoping for a captain that will stick around, after a revolving door for the last several years. And Siemens customers? Time will tell.

How have these changes at the top affected you?