A Leadership Challenge That Demands Our Attention
I’ve often asked myself this question: Do we value caring as a top priority in healthcare? It’s a question that keeps me up at night, especially when I look at the metrics we focus on in our industry. So often, they circle back to revenue and efficiency. Don’t get me wrong—these are important.
But I can’t help wondering if we’re missing something fundamental.
Here’s what I know for certain: there is quantifiable data demonstrating the real value of empathy, compassion, and respect when it comes to patient outcomes. I like to look at this really simply. Empathy, compassion, and respect build relationships between patients and providers. Those relationships build trust. And that trust directly impacts patient compliance and, ultimately, the outcomes we’re all striving to achieve.
So why do I sometimes feel like we devalue these traits in exchange for the bottom line?
When Caring Costs a Job
Let me share a story that still haunts me.
Several years ago, I worked with a primary care provider who was everything you’d want in a healthcare professional. He was smart, competent, and absolutely beloved by his patients and co-workers. His bedside manner was impeccable, and you could see the genuine care in everything he did.
One day, he shared with me that he had been put on probation due to his low productivity numbers. I fully understand the need for efficiency and productivity—we have to meet patient demand while staying within budget constraints. Healthcare economics are real, and ignoring them isn’t an option.
But it was a very sad day when this caring physician had to say goodbye to his patients and co-workers because he lost his job due to productivity metrics. His patients were devastated. His colleagues were shocked. And I was left wondering: Are we placing more value on productivity and efficiency than we do on the human caring elements that drew most of us into healthcare in the first place?
The Leadership Dilemma
As a leader, I’ve had to address time management issues and productivity concerns myself. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of healthcare leadership, especially when you’re working with people who have incredible interpersonal skills and build meaningful relationships with patients and co-workers, but struggle to meet productivity standards.
This tension isn’t going away. If anything, it’s intensifying as healthcare systems face increasing financial pressures, staffing shortages, and demand for services. But here’s what I believe: we cannot afford to lose sight of what makes healthcare fundamentally different from other industries. We’re not manufacturing widgets. We’re caring for human beings at their most vulnerable moments.
The Real Question We Need to Ask
Instead of asking whether we value caring enough in healthcare, perhaps the better question is: How can we create systems that make caring and efficiency mutually reinforcing rather than competing priorities?
The answer lies in understanding that truly patient-centered care is actually more efficient in the long run. When patients trust their providers, they’re more likely to follow treatment plans, show up for appointments, and communicate openly about their concerns. This reduces complications, readmissions, and the costly downstream effects of poor compliance.
When we hire for compassion and coach for efficiency, we create the kind of healthcare environment where both patients and providers thrive. When we recognize that the human element of healthcare isn’t a luxury but a necessity, we make better business decisions.
Moving Forward
The story of that primary care provider still serves as a cautionary tale for me. Yes, he struggled with productivity. But before terminating him, did we explore every option to help him succeed? Did we provide coaching, adjust his patient panel, or examine system inefficiencies that might have been contributing to his challenges?
As healthcare leaders, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to create environments where caring and efficiency work hand in hand. It requires intention, creativity, and a commitment to seeing our employees as whole people, not just productivity units.
The question isn’t whether we can afford to prioritize caring in healthcare. The question is whether we can afford not to. Because when we lose the human element, we lose what makes healthcare truly healing. And that’s a cost none of us can afford to pay.
Finding the Balance
So how do we help our teams place a high value on caring—the human element that defines healthcare—while upholding necessary efficiency standards? It starts with recognizing that this isn’t an either-or proposition. The most successful healthcare leaders I know have figured out how to honor both.
We can support healthcare leaders in striking a healthy balance between efficiency and care. We’ll take you through practical and proven action steps to ensure that your recognition efforts are aligned with organizational strategies and designed to achieve measurable impacts.
What’s your experience with balancing compassion and efficiency in your organization? I’d love to hear your thoughts and strategies for addressing this critical leadership challenge.
