“Group seeking industry's next set of leaders”

 Nashville Business Journal, by Dave Raiford, October 4, 2002

In a town with no shortage of professional organizations and meet-and-greet functions, the Young Health Care Leaders is one of many. But the group means more than after-hours cocktails and card-swapping and has nothing to do with age, its organizers say.

"It's a great networking opportunity, but it is viewed by the people participating as more than networking," says Michael Drescher, member and organization spokesman. "Nashville is a health care hub, and part of it was the sense that we need to make sure the next generation of health care leaders was taking some initiative to make sure it remains a hub."

Young ideas and young people in the industry looking for the right connections – the motive behind the formation of the Young Health Care Leaders could almost be put to music, maybe George Jones singing "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" asking who will take the place of the current crop of high-powered health care stars as they edge closer to retirement.

Young Health Care Leaders is currently being led by Kimberly Goessele, assistant vice president of information systems at CHD Meridian; David Killean, regional director of operations for AmSurg; and Kyle Duke, senior systems engineer at CHD Meridian.

The group looks at meetings as more than an opportunity to pass out business cards, Drescher says. Look at the current leaders in the health care industry and the deals that have spawned more than 20 public health care companies in the Nashville area as well as a plethora of privately-held groups. Oftentimes, those deals are born from the personal and professional relationships between executives that have been fostered over time.

"A lot of these people are friends because they've worked together for years and one of the things we want to do is establish those professional relationships," he says. "A lot of those people are still around, but at some point there needs to be a leadership transition. We're looking at being the people who will take an active role in cultivating the future generation of health care leaders. This group is focused on making sure that Nashville is the home of health care."

It wasn't too long ago that Nashville woke up to find a gaping hole in its health care business community.

When HCA Inc. decided in 1994 that Louisville would be a better place to call home and the change of address had its repercussions.

"At the time, HCA's headquarters had moved to Louisville, a number of businesses had been acquired by outside firms and local offices were closed or were significantly reduced," says Laura Campbell. "I think a fear factor was one of the key things that caused the development of the council. That, and a focus on community mindedness."

Campbell, who now runs her own consulting business, was the first executive director of what would become the Nashville Health Care Council. She recalls plenty of talk about getting a health care industry group started, but not much was being done to make it happen. HCA's move to Louisville crystallized those efforts and led to the creation of the Health Care Council.

This summer, the group turned seven. Led by Campbell and seed capital from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, it is now a force in the industry locally and nationally, organizing trade missions to Europe, teaming with the chamber and helping fledgling professional organizations get off the ground.

The council also has been lending a helping hand to the start-up Young Health Care Leaders. The aims of both groups dovetail nicely, says Charlotte Graeber, director of programs and communications for the Health Care Council.

"They came to us asking if we could offer some support from the administrative and membership side," she says.

Young Health Care Leaders plans to offer continuing education programs, peer learning opportunities, speaker forums and the obligatory, semi-social functions.