Our Leadership

At Aspirus, our continued growth into rural communities means we approach strategic operations differently than most health systems. The patients we serve, many of whom live in rural areas that are geographically diverse, pose unique challenges when it comes to transportation, access to care and the use of modern technological tools for health care. These are issues our physicians think about constantly, and frankly, there is no magic solution to all the issues that come with providing care to patients in rural settings. 

Aspirus uses what we call a regional hub, or hub-and-spoke, model to reach our patients. It’s at the root of our foundation and strategy as a health system, and it means we can offer high-quality care in local settings without forcing patients to travel hours for appointments or procedures. It’s an inspiration and a privilege to continue to show up in these communities and serve patients when most health systems are limiting care in rural areas or leaving them entirely. 

Another key difference at Aspirus is that our leaders know what our true north is. I’m a strong believer in a comprehensive strategy and having an organizational foundation in place to help our staff and leadership see where we are headed. And that’s exactly what Matt Heywood and our leadership are doing at Aspirus. We’re diligent and purposeful about our strategy and how we grow with the challenges in health care, and I believe it has been a difference maker in how we show up to care for patients and grow the Aspirus model. 

Ultimately, this will help us handle the big challenges facing health care, like figuring out how to deliver care to our patients differently due to the shrinking pool of health care professionals, increased patient needs within an aging population, and decreased financial reimbursement for care.

Recruiting physicians and advanced practice clinicians is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in rural areas. It’s always been difficult, but I think we are starting to see the challenge intensify. While markets across the country have experienced physician and APC shortages in certain specialty areas, Aspirus is seeing shortages across all physician practice areas, as well as primary care. Aspirus is fortunate to have our own provider recruitment team, as well as partnership residency programs with two Wisconsin medical schools and a robust scholarship program. Our leadership team does a lot of pre-work to make sure that the position or specialty is needed within a region as well, which connects to our regional hub model.

We work hard to promote the rural environment that we are privileged to serve, along with the Aspirus mission to build thriving communities. We have great people in this organization, and usually when we get to the point of an on-site interview, the chance of signing a contract is at least 70-80%.   

The Aspirus network is spread out geographically, with 1,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians serving across central and northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This market presents additional challenges when communicating with physicians. 

We have found a mixed communication approach works best. Our efforts are intentional and include one-on-one conversations, regional all-staff physician and ACP meetings, forums via WebEx and monthly written communication. 

Our physicians benefit from a variety of communication touch points and know where to look for key information, as well as how to provide feedback. Addressing challenges directly as they arise has been a successful strategy for us and goes a long way toward building trust with physicians. Like many types of communication, you need to be consistent, proactive and an active listener. It is a process and approach we are always building, refining and improving. 

Compared to the day I stepped into a leadership role in health care, there are now significantly more women leaders and CEOs in the health care space. Yet women only make up around 15% across health care, so it’s still a male-dominated environment. At any level of leadership, you are often working to prove your credibility and earn respect as a female leader.

I have a saying that I’ve stood by for years that goes, “You have to know your business and own your business.” As a leader, knowing and “owning” how your business operates is how you build credibility with peers, staff and leaders. And like any strong leader, in my opinion, you have to show that you’re human, be humble and be willing to learn. It is a lot to ask, but I think if you try to follow beliefs similar to these, you can be a strong and effective leader for your teams.