Caring for the Future: Patsy McNeil, MD, Ensures Excellence in Expanded Role

Patsy McNeil, MD, recently sat down to discuss her enhanced position at Adventist HealthCare. Check out her thoughts on leadership and her future goals for the healthcare system that is the largest private employer in Montgomery County and is actively expanding care in Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C.

What are the primary responsibilities of your expanded role?

As the Executive Vice President for Adventist HealthCare, I now serve as second-in-command to our President and CEO John Sackett. In this capacity, I oversee organizational performance and work closely with teams across the system to ensure continuous improvement. I also manage our partnership with Howard University regarding the management of Howard University Hospital. This is an academic hospital steeped in history, and it is a privilege to be involved in any capacity with its growth. In my role as Adventist HealthCare’s System Chief Medical Officer, I oversee clinical operations and ensure excellence in patient safety and quality care. I also oversee IT, Informatics, Pharmacy Services and our Physician Enterprise.

How has your educational and professional background prepared you for this role?

I’ve always been interested in the human experience and hold dual undergraduate degrees in anthropology and biology from Washington University in St Louis. After earning my medical degree at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, I went on to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, which created the first Emergency Medicine residency program in the world and has consistently ranked in the top one percent of programs in the country for decades. It has remained on the cutting edge of trauma and emergency care training, and I loved my experience there. After finishing as Chief Resident, I went on to grow into leadership positions at Washington Hospital Center and MEP Health, as well as becoming a founding partner of US Acute Care Solutions, the largest physician-owned provider of integrated acute care medicine in the United States. I also recently earned my MBA from University College London to widen my business acumen. Twenty-five years of deep clinical expertise and professional growth have informed my ability to enhance large-scale clinical outcomes while cultivating improved business outcomes.

What does being a leader mean to you?

A successful leader needs to do two things really well. First, they need to develop practical ideas on how to accomplish goals. Great ideas are wonderful. Real results are what matter. Second, they need to realize that they can’t accomplish those goals on their own. Leadership is about inspiring team members and then making clear pathways to get a job done – making it easy to perform with excellence.

How do you foster teamwork?

At Adventist HealthCare, we are committed to attracting individuals who believe in our shared mission and want to work together to advance exceptional, high-quality, compassionate healthcare. We work hard to execute on this mission, and it’s important to know the team, build trust, give the tools needed to succeed and respect their expertise. It is then that you really create a safe, cohesive and successful team. Also, particularly in healthcare, it is important to be attentive to overwork. Encouraging team members to step away when needed is of the utmost importance. My goal is to foster a complete culture of care that is the foundation of a joyful execution of the work.

What core values are most important to you?

My two most important core values are Excellence and Integrity – which align with two of Adventist HealthCare’s core values. That’s part of why I have been with AHC for 18 years – because both the mission and values are deeply in sync with who I am. To me, good enough is not good enough. Every person should be empowered to express the full scope of their abilities and be supported while they grow. In addition, every patient deserves our very best at every encounter across the health system. As a leader, my role is to understand the strengths of our team members and create opportunities where they can excel so that patients receive the exceptional care that they deserve.

What things do you do to promote your own life balance?

I definitely prioritize maintaining strong relationships with my family and friends. I enjoy going to the theater and love live music, art and old movies. Recently, I started both gardening and beekeeping. I also usually have three books going at any one time – one to develop my spirituality, one to inspire me intellectually and one for just lighthearted fun. Lastly, I make time to mentor young women on how to best develop their careers.

How do you navigate tough situations?

I try to bring my authentic self and meet people where they are. It’s important to establish a connection with people – to understand their passions, their worries, their influences – both professionally and on a personal level so that when tough situations arise, you have an established framework of trust. I also find that if I use humor in small ways, it can defuse a tough situation so that people can focus on a common goal instead of obstacles. Most of the time, conflicts are due to misunderstandings. Taking time to create relationships, clarify key information and identify the influencers usually generates the insight to solve challenges collaboratively. When these strategies aren’t enough, you have still gained valuable information about other people and their point of view so you know where more focused work may need to occur. Now, there are other types of tough situations that aren’t driven by relationships. The pandemic was the most difficult time I’ve encountered in my 30 years in healthcare. By far. On reflection, though, tough situations don’t last forever. Holding claim to integrity, excellence and faith can get you through anything.

What are your goals for AHC?

I am excited about the growth that is currently occurring at Adventist HealthCare. We are expanding our high-quality healthcare services throughout the region – including adding new capacity at White Oak Medical Center, building a new patient tower at Shady Grove Medical Center and planning the new Fort Washington Medical Center. We are also continuing to expand our rehabilitation care, home care services and our clinically integrated network of physicians. My goals for AHC are focused on making sure that every patient interaction that occurs across our organization is exceptional. We must continue to lean into becoming the High Reliability Organization that every healthcare organization strives to be. The quality of care must be trustworthy, consistent, safe and add value to patients’ lives. In addition, the clinicians face significant challenges serving our community at this time in history. Workplace violence is increasing, the scope of medicine is becoming more expansive and challenging to manage easily, and regulations – particularly in Maryland – are at an all-time high. I am constantly looking for opportunities to make providing excellent patient care easier for our AHC team members. I am committed to ensuring that Adventist HealthCare continues to expand innovation and be deeply progressive in its approach to regional healthcare delivery.