JEFFREY LAWRENCE, MD
Barrington,RI
Summary
Seasoned physician leader specializing in innovative healthcare models that significantly improve care quality while propelling operational excellence, competitive advantage, and top/bottom-line benefit. Skilled strategist able to effectively reposition clinical operations for success in population health as well as digital and physical convergence, expanding quantity and quality of patient services. Senior executive with proven ability to design and successfully deploy data-driven strategies to resolve complex healthcare problems leveraging a physician's insight and Lean Six Sigma expertise to optimize business efficiencies across the organization. Collaborative and approachable colleague able to partner cross-functionally to enhance organizational culture, engage and inspire healthcare workforce, and build productive relationships with diverse stakeholders across the healthcare industry.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Vice President, Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer, Physician-in-Chief for Primary Care and Urgent Care
SOUTHCOAST HEALTH
New Bedford, USA
03.2021 - 03.2024
- Company Overview: Key member of the executive team leading a $1.2 billion not-for-profit community health system with multiple access points throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island
- Contributed to strategic planning, KPI, policy, procedure and program development, budgeting, compliance, and risk management as a key member of the executive team leading a $1.2 billion not-for-profit community health system with multiple access points throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island
- Transformed the Primary Care group (16 practices, over 100 providers, $60 million budget) from a legacy of federated operations and management suffering from cultural dissonance with the parent organization to a cohesive and well-organized enterprise with clear leadership accountability, a provider-friendly culture of respect and communication, investments that improved care quality while reducing burnout, and a vital, board-supported position in health system strategy
- Led the development of a daily, tiered operational management system in which frontline operational leads analyzed real-time readiness data to predict and collaboratively resolve performance risks upstream while pulling support from as high as the C-suite first thing in the morning, resulting in an improvement in provider efficiency to over 90%, far surpassing top decile performance nationally and earning the opportunity for novel dashboards and digital tools to be presented at Epic's 2024 User Group Meeting
- Skillfully managed 20 direct reports across Primary Care, Urgent Care, Southcoast's Integrated Health Network, and Digital Health Services, actively coaching, developing, and managing underperformance through open, direct, and clear communication, making changes in leadership when necessary to advance Southcoast Health's mission
- Oversaw population health strategy for Southcoast Health Network including profitable Medicare and Medicaid ACOs, advancing clinical integration of network services for higher impact and ROI including complex, chronic, and transitional care management
- Clinically led Digital Health Services Department, driving changes to reduce provider burnout and enhance efficiency including reducing unnecessary messages in EMR In Basket by 40%, establishing an Epic Physician Champions program to enable all departments to effectively channel EMR optimization initiatives, developing several novel analytics to accurately visualize key performance drivers like provider utilization, billing patterns, network referral retention, quality and HCC care gap closure, and patient panel accuracy and engagement
- Key member of the executive team leading a $1.2 billion not-for-profit community health system with multiple access points throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer
CARE NEW ENGLAND
Providence, USA
04.2020 - 03.2021
- Company Overview: Served as both Chief Medical Information Officer and Chief Medical Officer for Care New England Medical Group while developing and directing an innovation strategy aimed at advancing the organization toward becoming the most progressive healthcare platform in the region
- Reported to President and CEO of $1.2 billion not-for-profit community health system, serving as both Chief Medical Information Officer and Chief Medical Officer for Care New England Medical Group while developing and directing an innovation strategy aimed at advancing the organization toward becoming the most progressive healthcare platform in the region
- Rapidly developed and operationalized cornerstone capabilities for success in virtual health care delivery including telehealth and HIPPA-secure, multi-channel patient engagement platforms
- Strengthened system-wide COVID-19 response including deploying a standardized safety management system applauded by RI Department of Health during practice audits and innovating automated text-based solutions for efficient scheduling of COVID tests and vaccines, employee screening, ambulatory patient navigation and post-discharge care management
- Invited to join Strategic Advisory Council for Amwell, Care New England's telehealth partner
- Served as both Chief Medical Information Officer and Chief Medical Officer for Care New England Medical Group while developing and directing an innovation strategy aimed at advancing the organization toward becoming the most progressive healthcare platform in the region
Vice President, Quality Assurance & Improvement
THE OHIO STATE HEALTH ACO, LLC
Columbus, USA
07.2017 - 03.2020
- Company Overview: Led the development of population health strategy for a newly established Medicare ACO comprised of all employed primary care and specialty providers of The OSU Wexner Medical Center
- Reporting to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's Chief Medical Officer and CEO/COO, led the development of population health strategy for a newly established Medicare ACO comprised of all employed primary care and specialty providers of The OSU Wexner Medical Center
- Chaired all clinical committees and sets the agenda for numerous workgroups
- Led diverse stakeholders (e.g., physicians, clinical analytics team, board members) in the development of a data-driven care transformation strategy
- Initiated and drove a Hoshin Kanri (strategy deployment) process to link key result areas (KRAs) with provider and frontline staff behaviors
- Co-authored evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for several high impact chronic diseases and leveraged advanced understanding of Epic EMR functionality to design/deploy seamless decision support that effectively reduces unexplained clinical variation (e.g., end-to-end asthma management process that increased symptom assessment reliability from <10% to as high as 93%, drove 5x increase in evidence-based treatment decisions, and reduced asthma encounter times by 4 minutes)
- Creative, clinical, and business lead behind one of the most expansive eConsult programs in the nation (reduced specialist recommendation lead time from months to <3 business days)
- Secured ~$1M in grant funding for a teleophthalmology program to improve rates of annual eye exams among diabetic patients, a community health worker program, and a community para medicine program
- Selected by CMS to serve as Quality Payment Program Clinician Champion
- Led the development of population health strategy for a newly established Medicare ACO comprised of all employed primary care and specialty providers of The OSU Wexner Medical Center
Associate Chief Quality Officer, Ambulatory Care
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
Columbus, USA
07.2016 - 03.2020
- Company Overview: Ranked among the top hospitals in the area, state, and across the nation in ten specialties
- Reported to the Chief Quality & Patient Safety Officer of an $8.9 billion multidisciplinary, seven-hospital academic medical center ranked among the top hospitals in the area, state, and across the nation in ten specialties
- Promoted to leverage prior quality program innovation successes to lead the design-to-execution delivery of an ambulatory quality program impacting a medical center with 29K+ employees, 1.7K+ attending physicians, and 1.8M outpatient visits annually
- Created and evangelized 'Vision for High-Value Ambulatory Care' - an organizational culture/framework that linked core care transformation values with KRAs
- Secured C-suite buy-in for and convened a multidisciplinary subcommittee that prioritized 12 focus areas as the most clinically/ financially relevant from 70+ metrics
- Work enabled prospective alignment of payer contract negotiations with clinical operations as well as the creation of a payer-agnostic Epic performance dashboard that allowed care teams to seamlessly close quality gaps for all empaneled patients
- Built and deployed the Active Improvement Management System that engages providers and clinical teams in a collaborative critique of performance data, and speeds the development, standardization, and dissemination of best practices; the impact of the system yielded sustained results despite the challenges of COVID-19, an accomplishment meriting publication in NAHQ's Journal for Healthcare Quality
- Constructed and staffed cross-functional Performance Excellence Team that ensured robust support for efficient continuous improvement by consolidating project management, Lean Six Sigma, data analytics, and IT expertise
- Ranked among the top hospitals in the area, state, and across the nation in ten specialties
Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
Columbus, USA
09.2014 - 03.2020
- Company Overview: An academic medical center with a focus on education and mentorship
- Maintained an ongoing commitment to research, public speaking, and role as a mentor and advisor to up-and-coming clinician leaders
- Faculty member and mentor for the Health Systems, Informatics & Quality curriculum; Internal Medicine Resident Leadership Development Program; Internal Medicine Senior Medical Student Honors Program; and others
- Co-lead for development of Quality Improvement curriculum as part of Primary Care Training & Enhancement HRSA grant
- An academic medical center with a focus on education and mentorship
Medical Director of Continuous Improvement
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
Columbus, USA
01.2016 - 07.2016
- Company Overview: An academic medical center with a focus on quality and patient safety
- Hand-picked by Chief Quality & Patient Safety Officer to serve as an internal operational excellence consultant for various workgroups
- Clinical lead for CMS Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative; quality co-lead for Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Program
- Inspired stakeholders to adopt lean thinking and visual management in inpatient/outpatient quality improvement work
- An academic medical center with a focus on quality and patient safety
Lead Physician, OSU Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Multispecialty Clinic at Hilliard
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
Columbus, USA
09.2014 - 07.2016
- Company Overview: An academic medical center with a focus on internal medicine and pediatrics
- Recruited as a new residency graduate to lead a seasoned team with deeply embedded practices
- Managed 5 primary care physicians and provided local leadership for 10 specialists
- Drew upon Lean Six Sigma methodologies to translate voice of patient/provider/business into an integrated, data-driven operations management system that increased access/revenue, strengthened resource stewardship, reduced documentation burden and response times for urgent patient needs, and promoted top-of-license work distribution
- Designed algorithm to shift pre-visit chart preparation to medical assistants, enabling efficient, preventive health and chronic disease management gap closure during any visit type; Saved ~$17K/ provider/year via time-driven activity-based costing
- Delivered customized Collaborative Communications curriculum that improved all team culture domains and engagement survey results; program became a management standard across multiple ambulatory clinics
- An academic medical center with a focus on internal medicine and pediatrics
Education
Master of Business Operational Excellence for Healthcare -
Fisher College of Business The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH01-2016
M.D. -
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, MA01-2010
B.A., cum laude - Psychology
University of Massachusetts At Amherst
Amherst, MA01-1996
Skills
- Visionary Senior Leadership
- Excellent Interpersonal Communication
- Operational Excellence
- Strategic KPI Analysis and Improvement
- Cross-Functional Team Building
- Healthcare Innovation and Transformation
- Population Health Management
- Strategic Technology Integration
- Clinical Quality Improvement
- Workforce Engagement and Activation
Highlights of Qualifications
- Transformational Leader: Aligned Southcoast clinicians, senior leadership and Board of Trustees with a vision and investment strategy to stabilize and grow the Primary Care enterprise. Drove change initiatives that shifted the department from a position of cultural and operational distress with high provider attrition to a thriving centerpiece of health system strategy with providers actively engaged in positive change and continuous improvement. Exceeded recruitment and retention goals while optimizing provider efficiency within the group to generate revenue gains equivalent to adding 4 productive, full-time PCPs.
- Healthcare Innovator: Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer with refined ability to identify and distill key drivers of success and translate insights into actionable data that clearly communicate opportunities for clinical, operational, and technological innovation. Proven talent in aligning clinicians and operations to enable effective integration of new technologies. Examples include leveraging six sigma design principals to create an exemplary eConsult program at The Ohio State University and developing a strategic technology partnership that rapidly achieved ROI and scalability at Care New England by automating patient engagement, enabling self-service, and using remote patient monitoring to potentiate early discharges and reduced readmissions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Population Health Strategist: Led development of population health strategies in both academic and community settings, including designing and deploying a system for reliably driving success in value-based contracts that was published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality. Deep experience in leading program design and implementation across population health priorities including reducing unexplained clinical variation, risk adjustment and quality performance improvement, complex/chronic/transitional care management, 24/7 telehealth triage, and integrated behavioral and pharmacy care team support. Consistently secured grants to fund innovation including support for a teleophthalmology program that enhanced preventive screening and disease detection in diabetic patients and for programs that bring care to patients in their homes via community paramedicine and community health workers.
Certification
- Massachusetts Medical License, active, 2021
- Rhode Island Medical License, expired, 2020
- Certified Physician Executive, 2019
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, 2016
- Ohio Medical License, expired, 2014
- Board Certification in Internal Medicine, 2014
- Board Certification in Pediatrics, 2014
- Global Health Certificate Program, 2014
Awards
- CGCAHPS Top 10% of Doctors Nationwide in Patient Satisfaction, 2015-2020
- Outstanding Senior Resident, UMass Medical School, 2014
- The Bob Thomas Teaching Award, Pediatrics Residency, UMass Medical School, 2013, 2014
- Outstanding House Officer Award, UMass Medical School, 2012, 2014
- Fellow for Life, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, 2006-2007
Teaching
- Coach, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Program, Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, 2019, 2020
- Faculty, Health Systems, Informatics and Quality Curriculum, The Ohio State University Medical School, 2016, 2020
- Faculty, Resident Leadership Development Program, The Ohio State University Internal Medicine Residency, 2016, 2020
- Faculty, Senior Medical Student Honors Elective, The Ohio State University Internal Medicine, 2015, 2020
- Faculty, Quality & Patient Safety Medical Student Internship, The Ohio State University Medical School, 2015, 2020
- Faculty, Lead Serve Inspire Longitudinal Practice Curriculum, The Ohio State University Medical School, 2014, 2016
- Project Advisor, Capstone Project Curriculum, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2013, 2015
- Course Coordinator, Understanding and Improving Our Healthcare System, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2006, 2008
Global Health Experience
- Global Health Certificate Program, Department of Pediatrics, UMass Medical Center, 2010, 2014
- Pediatric Clinical Rotation, Zumbahua, Ecuador, 2012
- Internal Medicine Clinical Rotation, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2010
- Pathways on Serving Multicultural and Underserved Patients, UMass Medical School, 2006, 2010
- UMass Medical Mission, La Romana, Dominican Republic, 2007
- Child Family Health International Volunteer, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2004
Publications
- Ambulatory quality improvement despite COVID-19: Blueprint for a successful system for continuous improvement, VanBuren, A. H., Montgomery, T. M., McConaghy, J. R., & Lawrence, J., Journal for Healthcare Quality, 46, 4, e1–e10, 2024
- Improved Patient Access and Outcomes with the Integration of an eConsult Program (Teledermatology) within a Large Academic Medical Center, Wang, R., Trinidad, J., Lawrence J., Pootrakul, L., Forrest, A., Goist, K., Levine, E., Nair, S., Rizer, M., Thomas, A., Wexler, R. Kaffenberger, B., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 83, 6, 1633-1638, 2020
- Implementing a Systematic Approach to Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in the Elderly, Coffey, C., Barnette, D., Wenzke, J., Lawrence, J., The Senior Care Pharmacist, 34, 1, 47-55, 2019
- Cross-cultural assessment of neuropsychological performance and electrical brain function measures: additional validation of an international brain database, Paul, R.H., Gunstad, J., Cooper, N., Williams, L.M., Clark, R.C., Cohen, R.A., Lawrence, J., Gordon, E., International Journal of Neuroscience, 117, 4, 549-68, 2007
- Patterns of cognitive performance in middle-aged and older adults: A cluster analytic examination, Gunstad, J., Paul, R., Brickman, A., Cohen, R., Arns, M., Roe, D., Lawrence, J., Gordon, E., Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 19, 2, 59-64, 2006
- Preliminary validity of 'lntegNeuro': A new computerized battery of neurocognitive tests, Paul R.H., Lawrence J., Williams L.M., Richard C.C., Cooper N., Gordon E., International Journal of Neuroscience, 115, 11, 1549-67, 2005
- Age-dependent change in executive function and gamma 40 Hz phase synchrony, Paul R.H., Clark, C.R., Lawrence, J., Goldberg, E., Williams, L.M., Cooper, N., Cohen, R.A., Brickman, A.M., Gordon, E., Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 4, 1, 63-76, 2005
- Apathy correlates with cognitive function but not CD4 status in patients with human immunodeficiency virus, Paul R., Flanigan T.P., Tashima K., Cohen R., Lawrence J., Alt E., Tate 0., Ritchie C., Hinkin C., Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 17, 114-118, 2005
- Sensitivity of the Dementia Rating Scale in vascular dementia: Comparisons between two sets of criteria to define cognitive impairment, Paul R.H., Cohen R.A., Moser D.J., Browndyke J.N., Davis K., Gordon N., Sweet L., Lawrence J.J., Zawacki T., Cerebrovascular Diseases, 15, 1-2, 116-120, 2003
Abstracts And Posters
- Process Improvement and Evidence-Based Clinical Decision Support, Lawrence, J., Oslock, W., Lan Y., Chandrasekaran, A., 49th Annual Meeting of the Decision Sciences Institute, Chicago, IL, 11/01/18
- Implementing a Systematic Approach to Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in the Elderly, Coffey C, Barnette D, Lawrence J., Wenzke J., American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 03/01/17
- Cognitive dysfunction in patients HIV-HCV co-infection is not mediated by severity of drug use, Paul, R.H., Taylor, L., Tate, D., Lawrence, J., Tashima, K., Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Denver, CO, 02/01/06
- Age-dependent change in executive function and gamma 40 Hz phase synchrony, Paul, R.H., Clark, C.R., Lawrence, J., Goldberg, E., Williams, L.M., Cooper, N., Cohen, R.A., Brickman, A.M., Gordon, E., Human Brain Mapping Conference, New York, NY, 06/01/03
Timeline
Senior Vice President, Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer, Physician-in-Chief for Primary Care and Urgent Care
SOUTHCOAST HEALTH
03.2021 - 03.2024
Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer
CARE NEW ENGLAND
04.2020 - 03.2021
Vice President, Quality Assurance & Improvement
THE OHIO STATE HEALTH ACO, LLC
07.2017 - 03.2020
Associate Chief Quality Officer, Ambulatory Care
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
07.2016 - 03.2020
Medical Director of Continuous Improvement
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
01.2016 - 07.2016
Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
09.2014 - 03.2020
Lead Physician, OSU Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Multispecialty Clinic at Hilliard
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER
09.2014 - 07.2016
Master of Business Operational Excellence for Healthcare -
Fisher College of Business The Ohio State University
M.D. -
University of Massachusetts Medical School
B.A., cum laude - Psychology
University of Massachusetts At Amherst
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