Over the past 12 months, we've had the privilege of chatting some of healthcare's top leaders. Their insights on leadership and the skills needed to adapt and innovate in today's environment offer guidance on the road ahead as 2016 and a new year of opportunity begins. Please click on any quote or photo to read the full interview. And watch for more interviews in the weeks and months to come.
"If you believe in innovation and want to make a big difference, then you have to experiment." -- Susan DeVore
"Leaders are going to be out in the communities in ways they never were before." -- Maureen Bisognano
"Data analysis is the lifeline of any business, particularly a healthcare organization." -- Patricia Maryland
"There's no handbook for where we are today. As a leader, you need to understand that and be willing to take out a blank piece of paper and create your vision." -- Karen Ignagni
"It's important ... to stand up for what you believe in, and not be afraid to be different or unpopular to get something done." -- Elizabeth Nabel
"If you influence decision-makers, you can potentially have a bigger imprint in changing policy." -- Deborah Bowen
"The future is going to require that we pursue partnerships rather than try to control everything in healthcare." -- Marna Borgstrom
"When I am speaking from the perspective of a purchaser who is spending more money on healthcare than they earned in profits last year, they expect tough talk." -- Leah Binder
"It's just a sheer privilege that we get to be in a role where, by our actions, we can improve the lives of thousands." -- Penny Wheeler
"I think anyone I know who has worked in healthcare and then has encountered the healthcare system as a patient … is changed by that experience." -- Mary Brainerd
"As a leader, you need to be nimble and you need to be confident that the people who are working for you can execute." -- Donna Lynne
"If you start to pay for value, part of the value is quality and safety. Boards are going to have to become more knowledgeable." -- Tejal Gandhi
"Whether it's the Catholic Church or whether it's healthcare, if you only use 50 percent of the talent you've got, that’s a problem." -- Sister Carol Keehan
"If you think about a typical hospital, over half of the personnel and usually more than half of the budget is under the leadership of the chief nursing officer." -- Pam Cipriano
"What I've found in life is that the most important things you do are probably the hardest, and I think that’s why a lot of people don’t do them." -- Nancy Schlichting