Adam Spiegel, CEO of NorthStar Anesthesia, discusses the importance of company culture and assuming positive intent in healthcare. He shares insights on investing in and hiring people, adapting to the impact of COVID-19, and offers career and life advice for aspiring top positions.
Building strong relationships with colleagues and mentors who can provide guidance and support is crucial for career progression.
Assuming positive intent in the healthcare industry fosters a collaborative and supportive culture, improving care delivery and strengthening relationships within the organization.
Deep dives
Focus on Building Strong Relationships
Adam Spiegel, CEO of North Star Anesthesia, advises mid-career professionals aspiring to reach the corner office to prioritizes working with people they enjoy. Building strong relationships with colleagues and mentors who can provide guidance and support has been instrumental in Spiegel's career progression. These relationships have opened doors, provided insightful feedback, and created opportunities for both personal and professional growth.
Assume Positive Intent
One of the key values at North Star Anesthesia is to assume positive intent. Spiegel explains that this value is crucial in the healthcare industry, where tensions and blame can run high. By assuming positive intent, not only with clients but also with coworkers, the company fosters a collaborative and supportive culture. It helps to prevent miscommunication and allows for a problem-solving mindset rather than finger-pointing, ultimately improving care delivery and strengthening relationships within the organization.
Enable and Empower Your Team
As a CEO, Spiegel has learned that his primary focus is on enabling and empowering his team to succeed. Instead of micromanaging, he trusts his team to take on responsibilities and encourages them to learn from their experiences, even if that means allowing space for failure. By providing resources, support, and opportunities for growth, Spiegel ensures that his team members can thrive and contribute effectively to the company's success.
Prioritize Regionalization and Local Support
During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Star Anesthesia adjusted its operations by prioritizing regionalization and local support. The company recognized the importance of being physically present and accessible to its clinicians, understanding that being in healthcare requires an on-site presence. By adapting to a more regional model for support services like HR and operations, North Star ensures closer collaboration, effective communication, and better support for its teams and clients.
Adam Spiegel serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar. In this role, Mr. Spiegel oversees all aspects of growing NorthStar’s anesthesia care platform and leads the company in its commitment to delivering solutions for the hospitals and surgery centers NorthStar serves.
Mr. Spiegel brings more than 20 years of business development and operations experience within the healthcare industry. Prior to joining NorthStar, he served as Executive Vice President of Provider Growth at Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Before his time at Optum, Mr. Spiegel spent more than 15 years at The Advisory Board Company, where he served in a number of different capacities, primarily focusing on general management, new product launches, and go-to-market strategies. Upon joining Optum following its merger with The Advisory Board in 2017, Mr. Spiegel successfully integrated the two companies’ sales and renewal organizations and managed all sales and renewals of Optum products.
Mr. Spiegel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business. He has more than 20 years of business development and operations experience within the healthcare industry.
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