Career Review
Presentation to Creighton University
Vikram Acharya
Administrative Director
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
October 2011
Presentation Outline
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My Background
The Creighton “HAP” Experience
Post Creighton Career Opportunities
What do I do everyday at Stanford?
Working in California and Healthcare Reform Challenges
What can you do today to prepare for a future career in
Healthcare Administration?
My Background
• Originally from Chicago, IL
• Graduated from Creighton University in 2002 – “HAP” Major – Proud Resident of
Gallagher Hall!
• Graduated from Yale University in 2004 – MPH
• Completed Administrative Fellowship and first Manager job at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
• Served as an Administrative Director at the University of California, San Francisco
Department of Surgery for 2 Years.
• Presently serving as an Administrative Director at the Lucile Packard Children’s
Hospital Stanford located in Palo Alto, CA.
The Creighton “HAP Experience”
•Gave me the “tools” to be successful, specifically through a diverse
and unique course curriculum.
• Provided a network base that allowed me to gain my first exposure
to healthcare administration.
– Summer Intern at Physicians Clinic in 2001.
– Summer Intern at Methodist Hospital in 2002.
•Creighton undoubtedly gave me a “Path to Success” through a
combination of academic and professional opportunities. It is unique
to have a HAP Major for college graduates.
Post Creighton Career Opportunities
• Yale University - MPH
– Strong Hospital Administration focus
– Smaller class sizes compared to other programs
– Proven alumni track record
– Opportunity to study on the East Coast
– Provided an opportunity to work under the CEO as an Intern at NMH.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital – Administrative Fellowship and Manager
– Academic Medical Center located in the Midwest
– Exposure to multiple departments and projects (i.e. Diabetes Center) and reported to the
COO.
– First job out of Fellowship in Transplant – Business and Clinical Manager.
• University of California, San Francisco – Administrative Director
– Bay Area Experience and Personal Life
– Promotion and Opportunity to be on the “University” Side.
– Academic Medical Center
What do I do everyday at Stanford?
•Service Line Director over multiple departments.
•Personnel Management
– Managers, RNs, NPs
– Medical Staff Collaboration (Stanford University)
– Report to one of the Vice Presidents at LPCH
•Regulatory Compliance
– CMS, TJC, UNOS
•Financial Management
– Operating Budget
– Cost Containment
– Profit and Loss Statements
What do I do everyday at Stanford?
• Strategic Planning
– Regional Presence and target specific new markets
– Strong collaboration with referring physicians (Las Vegas,
Reno, OHSU) in managing complex patients.
• Innovation
– VADs and Telemedicine
•Quality and Performance Improvement: MOST IMPORTANT
– Patient and Family Satisfaction
– Ongoing Measurement and Improvement of Key Clinical
Indicators with ongoing review
– How can we continue to measure what we do and improve the
lives of our patients?
Working in California
• Nice weather, wine and the Oakland Raiders on Sundays.
• Intense Competition amongst Academic Medical Centers
(Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, USC, Seattle Children’s, Utah).
• Kaiser Permanente has a strong presence.
• Strong regulation of the healthcare market.
• Educated and savvy patient population in the Bay Area (Apple).
• Strong labor presence (CNA, SEIU).
Healthcare Reform and Overarching Challenges
• Lower reimbursement from commercial and public payors.
• Strong emphasis on quality and outcomes (i.e. readmissions).
• Nationwide unemployment rates and impact on hospital finances.
• Pediatric subspecialty shortages.
• Supply and demand for transplant services nationwide. Paid less to do
more.
• How do you contain costs, yet enhance your outcomes and efficiency?
What can you do today to prepare for a career in Administration?
• Where is your passion? Academic hospitals, community hospitals, community health, pharma?
• Take on “anything and everything” to increase your experience in a healthcare setting:
volunteering, internships, networking at ACHE events, ad hoc projects. This will enhance your
knowledge base, professional contacts and experience. No matter the task, take it and run!
• Develop an understanding of “Six Sigma” and process improvement techniques.
• Find a Senior Executive Mentor who can guide and advise you on an ongoing basis.
• Develop an understanding of the future of healthcare IT. How will services be delivered in
context of healthcare reform, in a way that leverages technology?
• Refine and continue to practice your communication, quantitative and leadership skills. Your
performance in this area will undoubtedly be your key to success!
– Take on a project where you are in charge, as you will see the subtle nuances to
leadership and its importance in managing/engaging people (Gallup Scores).