3 min read May 2023 — Michael Young, president & CEO of Temple Health, sat down for an interview with Invest: to talk about the financial constraints faced by medical institutions and the concomitant crisis of affordable healthcare, technological innovations for improved medical care, especially in telehealth, and the importance of developing a holistic approach to healthcare.
What have been some major highlights for Temple Health over the last year?
Temple Health has experienced significant controlled growth in recent years, which is undoubtedly our topmost highlight. For example, the addition of Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital and our new Temple Women & Families campus, the expansion of the Crisis Response Center and behavioral health on our Episcopal Campus, and the growth of programs at Fox Chase are some of our notable highlights. We have seen over 125 doctors join Temple Health, providing primary and specialty care services that are well-matched to community health needs. Moreover, the newly opened outpatient facilities provide more feasibility to patients for accessing healthcare services at diverse locations. Temple Health has always been committed to providing patient-centered, high-quality healthcare services with excellence. We’re now adding even more convenient access to those services.
How is Temple Health leveraging technological innovation to improve patient care and outcomes?
At Fox Chase, we have invested heavily in new technologies and equipment to improve cancer treatment. We have a new linear accelerator called Ethos, which has a built-in CT scanner that allows doctors to see exactly where the beam is going and adjust it for more accurate treatment. We also have a new minimally invasive robotic Aquablation® therapy device that can remove enlarged prostate tissue with the power of water, without surgery. Fox Chase has invested heavily in research, with new machinery and equipment that allows them to do an MRI of a mouse to detect tumors and to develop new compounds to treat lung fibroids in partnership with a hospital in Boston. There’s also a new molecule that is going through clinical trials right now and it is expected to have an effect on all types of cancer, so that is extremely exciting.
At our Main campus, we have specialists who use deep brain stimulation implants to treat epilepsy. They also do minimally invasive spine surgery with a machine called Globus Robot, which combines CT and MR to give doctors a real-time picture of the patient’s spine and allow them to make precise cuts and insert screws at the perfect angle. We have hired almost 250 new doctors across our health system, making access to care faster than ever, as we continue to grow and expand our offerings.
We also use new technologies and techniques such as AI, patient navigation, and specialty disease platforms to improve clinical outcomes. For instance, we can remotely monitor our diabetic patients to ensure they are taking the right amount of insulin and have adequate supplies. In many areas, we are in the top 10% in clinical outcomes by program. That’s how you know you are doing well — when your achievements compare well to Stanford or UPMC.
How is Temple Health connecting with the community and are there any partnerships you are working on?
We are here for the community and to figure out their issues. For example, we have a new head of COE who goes out in the community to gather information about cancer, so that researchers can focus their work on the most relevant areas. Additionally, the Women & and Families campus in North Philadelphia is dedicated to improving maternal and infant outcomes in a population that historically struggles in this regard. After all, by focusing all of their maternity care efforts on this community, the hospital is able to more effectively address the unique issues facing patients in the area.
Our approach to healthcare is holistic, and we understand that improving patient outcomes also means improving economic outcomes in our community. By growing our workforce and providing good-paying jobs, we are helping to improve the overall economy and quality of life for everyone involved. It all fits together, just like the organs of the human body. This is why, while many organizations are starting to understand the importance of social determinants of health, and we are no exception, still, I don’t really like the phrase “social determinants of health” because to us, every one of our patients has a social need in terms of their health. We want to focus on providing individualized care to each patient based on their unique needs.
We also have won awards for our population health programs, including the Hospital and Healthsystem of Pennsylvania’s ‘Living the Vision’ Award for 2023 — HAP’s top achievement award.
As for partnerships, we have a new partnership with Chestnut Hill and Redeemer Health, both of which have significant expertise in primary care. This move will help Temple grow its family and community medicine program while learning from these two institutions that excel in primary care. Temple Health–Chestnut Hill is already a partnership between the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and Redeemer Health, and this acquisition and growth will strengthen that bond.
What is your outlook for Temple and the healthcare industry in Greater Philadelphia for the next two to three years and what are your top priorities moving forward?
We are going to be in Struggleville for a while for sure. The current financial health of healthcare providers is a major concern, which is expected to be the norm. For example, one organization lost $976 million in the first three quarters, and they seemed pretty calm. If I lost that kind of money I’d probably be fired. So yeah, the market is tough, with downgrades and bond covenants being violated, and external pressure from other healthcare providers trying to take high-end, profitable patients away. This is particularly true in over-bedded markets such as Philadelphia, located within an hour of New York and Johns Hopkins. This is the toughest market I have seen in my 35-year career, and so I expect there to be potential program closures, hospital closures, and mergers across the country will increase. Thus, it is important for healthcare providers to get their financial health under control to weather this storm.
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