Interviewer: Shivani Pal

Editor: Mahmoud Mansi

About the Interviewee:

Paula Wilson is an experienced leader, manager and educator in the health care, higher education, and government sectors. Most recently, Ms. Wilson served as the President and Chief Executive officer of Joint Commission Resources/Joint Commission International, a global patient safety and health care quality organization. Her career began in New York State government where she served on the Governor’s staff, was the Deputy Budget Director for Health, Education and Welfare and served as the Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Health Department.

Ms. Wilson has held various senior positions in the health care sector including CEO of two managed care organizations, Senior Vice President of Corporate Programs at a multi-service long-term care organization and Vice President for Policy at the United Hospital Fund. She has served on the Boards of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the largest public hospital system in the United States, The Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn and St. Mary’s Center, Inc., a community based long term care and primary care provider in New York City. She has extensive governance experience serving on and working with organization boards.

Ms. Wilson was an Associate Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University teaching courses in financial management for public and nonprofit organizations and was an Associate Clinical Professor at the Robert F. Wager Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/paula-w-8967378

HR Revolution Middle East: From your point of view as a Management Strategist in Healthcare who has worked on several case studies with different clients, what are the future challenges that could threaten the healthcare industry in the upcoming 10 years?

Paula Wilson: Many of the biggest challenges to the healthcare industry are happening right now and will continue throughout the decade.  A good example of this is the supply of health care workers. The WHO projects a 10-million-person shortfall of health care workers in 2030, with the problem being more extreme in low and lower-middle income countries.

A second global trend impacting most countries is an increasing number of older citizens combines with a decreasing birthrate. An increasing number of elderly patients will need more services as healthcare budgets are strained and the workforce is not able to meet the demands.

Technology and the digitization of health care is both a challenge and an opportunity.  Health care providers sometimes struggle to keep up with costs and learning curve necessary to remain tech competent.  Providers that learn to use technology to improve care and operational efficiency will be the winners in the next decade.

HR Revolution Middle East: From your Risk Advisory perspective, how to effectively mitigate these risks and make intelligent risk decisions around business process & operation?

Paula Wilson: Organizations face major challenges around corporate risks.  These compliance risks, are both internal (the organization’s policies and procedures) and external (government laws and regulations), require that the CEO and the senior management team develop a comprehensive Corporate Compliance Plan.  The Corporate Compliance Plan needs to address the major elements of corporate compliance: developing written policies and procedures, appointing a compliance office, conduct training and education on the plan, and having a reporting process when there are plan violations enforcing the plan.  In my experience, a Corporate Compliance Plan is successful when the CEO is visibly committed to the goals of the plan.

HR Revolution Middle East: These days, business actions are under intense scrutiny, and all stakeholders have higher expectations. How do leadership and governance help to uphold openness and foster trust?

Paula Wilson: Leaders develop openness and trust through a healthy and transparent corporate culture.  This means that the rules apply to everyone in the same manner.  It also means that mistakes are viewed as opportunities for improvement rather than punishment.  Leaders who cultivate heathy cultures typically share two traits: they are good listeners, and they are humble.

HR Revolution Middle East: What are the best practices in financial management of the healthcare sector as we advance towards a VUCA future and face a number of issues that are reshaping the industry’s financial landscape?

Paula Wilson: In my opinion, a future where there is expanded VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) only reinforces the importance of adhering to the existing best practices in managing the financial resources of an organization.  This means maintaining and complying with a rigorous set of internal controls.  It also means maintaining a conservative approach when projecting and measuring the financial strength and weaknesses of the organization.

HR Revolution Middle East: Being associated with Vmarsh Healthcare as the Senior Director of Leadership, Governance and Business Risk, how do you add measurable value to your clients?

Paula Wilson: I am confident that I can add measurable value to our clients because of my extensive experience and background in health care.  Over my career, I have been on the government and regulatory side, the insurance side, and the provider side.    This experience helps me to view various problems and challenges from very different perspectives. 

HR Revolution Middle East: We are curious to ask about your massive experience as the Ex-CEO of the Joint Commission International (JCI), what are the three main lessons you have learnt that impacted your professional life?

Paula Wilson: I often talk about three lessons I believe have been helpful to me throughout my career:

• Number one is you need to be willing to take risks.  This means taking a job that is a bit outside of your comfort zone, that will stretch you skills and abilities.
• Number two is to be a lifelong learner.  This does not mean you need to go back to college (although sometimes that might apply), but to stay current with best practices in your field.  Today, the leader who falls behind in understanding the threats and opportunities of the changing technology will fall behind.
• Number three is to never take yourself too seriously.

HR Revolution Middle East: What about JCI’s experience for impacting your “personal” growth? What is one financial advice you would pass to CFOs working in the healthcare sector?

Paula Wilson: My eleven years as CEO of Joint Commission International were an amazing experience.  While there I learned a great deal about patient safety and quality, I stretched my leadership skills and grew as a leader, and I expanded my knowledge of cultural competence and the importance of diversity in an international organization.

When I was a Deputy Budget Director at the New York State Division of the Budget, the Budget Director, my boss, had a great expression – “measure twice and cut once”.  This saying usually applies to carpenters.  But I find this advice can apply to many problems we face in life.