From the March 2022 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


Now, our scope has expanded dramatically. We offer general pediatrics, primary care, sports medicine, urgent care and other specialty services. We’re a solution for healthy children, too.

HCB News: What are the biggest differences between your current role and your previous role with OhioHealth?
RL: Many people don’t realize the complexities of working in pediatrics. We don’t just treat the child — we truly care for the whole family.
At Phoenix Children’s, we are deeply connected to our mission to provide hope, healing and the best healthcare for children and their families. We are privileged to do what we are doing. That spirit was alive and well at SSM Health, as well.

OhioHealth’s strategy team was more entrepreneurial in nature. There were other departments that focused on filling gaps in the delivery system, but our role as business strategists was to build and grow lines of business.

My current role at Phoenix Children’s is a blend of the sense of privilege and responsibility we felt at SSM, and the entrepreneurial spirit of OhioHealth.

HCB News: What has the experience and response to COVID-19 been like at Phoenix Children’s?
RL: The last two years of the pandemic have represented some of the most difficult in Phoenix Children’s history. The abrupt suspension of elective procedures, a dramatic drop in patient volumes, a system-wide shift to telehealth and a litany of other operational and financial considerations have challenged our health system in countless ways.

Despite the hardships of the pandemic, I am so proud of what Phoenix Children’s has accomplished. Perhaps our biggest success is our continued focus on our strategic goals, including physical expansion across greater Phoenix.

As Maricopa County continues to grow at record-breaking speed, so does our population of children and families — and so do the demands for healthcare. In our sprawling metropolis, we are focused on expanding our sites of service to bring care closer to home for Arizona families. This work never slowed during the pandemic.

In the last year alone, we announced five major expansion projects totaling more than $200 million, including a new hospital, free-standing emergency department, multispecialty clinics and sports medicine clinics. We have also continued work on a new hospital and Women and Children’s Pavilion in greater Phoenix’s East Valley region, which will open next year in partnership with Dignity Health.

Ultimately, our goal is to improve access to high-quality pediatric care for families in every corner of the state.

March 2022 Magazine

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