Episode #155: New competencies in healthcare leadership – with Rishi Sikka MD, Venture Partner, Lifeforce Capital

Friends, This week’s interview is nothing less than awesome, and it’s awesome for three reasons.  First, Dr. Rishi Sikka is a brilliant and accomplished physician executive with an incredibly diverse professional background. He brings that diversity of thought and vision into his work and into our dialogue. Second, we’re going to discuss some key new leadership competencies that both Dr. Sikka and I believe are critical for the future advancement of healthcare delivery in our country. Third, as I mention in the intro to this interview, I’m about to publish a second book entitled Beyond the Walls.  It’s a market-based, three-part strategy for the transformation of American healthcare. What was so confirming to me is that Dr. Sikka’s perspective, as well as his strategic and tactical vision, is fully aligned with what I’ve written in that book. Of note, he has not yet read the book. As you can tell, I’m incredibly excited about this interview, and once you listen, I suspect you’ll be as well.  Dr. Rishi Sikka is currently a venture partner at Lifeforce Capital, and a Professor of the Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health. His past executive roles include: President of System Enterprises at Sutter Health as well as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations & President of the Advocate Insurance Segregated Portfolio Company. He earned his bachelor’s in economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the Mayo Clinic Medical School.  He is co-author of the book Leading Healthcare Transformation: A Primer for Clinical Leaders, and has written for the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. In 2021, he was recognized as a Top 50 Clinical Executive by Modern Healthcare. In this interview, we’ll discuss: Why Dr. Sikka believes that diverse backgrounds and disciplines foster opportunity in healthcare delivery.  Dr. Sikka’s recommendation for how leaders can tactically embed relationship-centered care into daily clinical practice.  The importance of ‘Championing the Trust Agenda’ – both for patients as well as providers.   The issue of provider burnout and demoralization, and a tactical approach to addressing it – an approach that Dr. Sikka has some experience with.  The notion of partnering and collaborating, which is a reframe of the old ‘buy it or build it’ paradigm.    A few new and promising trends in healthcare delivery – based on Dr. Sikka’s VC experience working with a portfolio of entrepreneurial companies.   This conversation with Dr. Rishi Sikka was enlightening, inspiring, encouraging, and quite honestly, fun. He’s a bold thinker and doer, but he shares his point of view in a collaborative and humble way.  This interv