Effective Hospital Leadership through Collaboration, Tech Skills and Negotiation

Bona Fernando, M.D. Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia with over 8 years of experience in healthcare management, I am a seasoned hospital administrator, once served at Siloam Hospitals Group, one of the largest hospital chains in Indonesia in multiple positions. Currently, leading Mayapada Hospital in Surabaya overseeing the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care and service delivery. As a trained internist and a Fellow of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), I have a strong clinical background and a keen interest in improving healthcare standards and outcomes. I have also been involved in several healthcare startups, launching new services, creating solutions, and fostering innovation and digital transformation in the healthcare sector. I am passionate about leading and empowering my team to achieve its goals and to deliver excellence and value to our patients, partners, and stakeholders.

Bona Fernando, Hospital Director, Mayapada Hospital, a part of PT Surya Cipta Inti Cemerlang [JKSE:SRAJ] is an internal medicine doctor with over eight years of experience in hospital management. Previously, with one of Indonesia's largest healthcare chains, he served as Customer Relations Manager, Ancillary Head and Hospital Director, developing facilities like an IVF clinic. Fernando then joined Mayapada Healthcare Group as Hospital Director of their 18-story facility in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city. His breadth of expertise makes him an invaluable healthcare leader, from overseeing radiotherapy, pediatrics and other specialty centers to leading operations at multi-bed hospitals.

Recognizing Fernando’s leadership in hospital administration, this exclusive interview explores his insights on Mayapada Hospital's innovative strategies for fostering teamwork, leveraging technology to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.

AT A GLANCE:

●  Our goal is to break down silos and foster a culture of collaboration and multidisciplinary teamwork for a unified approach to patient care.

●  We have very accessible Leadership. By creating an open-door policy (physically and digitally), we ensure accessibility and encourage direct communication with the leader.

●  The primary focus is always on quality care. By prioritizing quality care as the foundation for overall success, we drive positive patient experience and revenue outcomes.

Addressing Integration Challenges: Promoting Synergy and Breaking Silos

Most hospitals often operate in silos, with teams working well individually but lacking synergy and integration across the organization. Throughout my career as a healthcare administrator, I've ensured that all teams, departments and doctors from different specialties work collaboratively towards a unified goal of providing excellent patient care. In every major initiative or project, I've adopted a multidisciplinary approach to overcome the challenge of individual egos and territoriality and unite diverse professionals with different areas of expertise. It's immensely satisfying to witness varied specialists from distinct clinical departments working hand-in-hand, sharing insights and coordinating treatment plans, even though they differ vastly in their specific medical expertise.

Fostering Innovation and Teamwork: Open-Door Policy Encourages Accessibility

As a director of a large organization, the common assumption is that staff and team members find senior leaders difficult to approach and intimidating. However, in my case, my office door is always open to everyone. If I'm not in an important meeting or call, anyone from any level or department can come right in to speak with me. 

I actively encourage everyone, regardless of their profession, role or job within the company, to access me through multiple channels - a personal approach by visiting my office, via WhatsApp or team messaging apps or even through social media. I have an active Instagram account where they can directly message me anytime on any topic, whether work-related or not, and I make a point to reply promptly. This open communication lets me directly receive their feedback, suggestions, and concerns. Due to my busy workload and schedule, I may not always be able to go down to different floors or sites and interact with all employees personally. However, leveraging technology makes it easier for me to stay connected and approachable to the entire workforce.

Integrating Innovative Technologies: Implementing Hospital Information Systems

In my previous hospital, we had technology implementations like an integrated hospital information system and an employee app for appreciation and feedback. The organization had a super app for patient appointments, portals, etc. Many hospitals are leveraging technology to enhance patient experience. Clinically, there's a move towards robotics and advanced medical tech, which is positive. While Indonesia may be a step behind countries like Singapore and Malaysia in this aspect, we're on the right track technology-wise and not too far behind overall. That summarizes the situation regarding hospital tech adoption in Indonesia.

Hospital Goals: Focus on Quality Care Foremost

The ultimate goal for a hospital's success lies in delivering good quality care. Quality should always be the top priority. If the quality is good, everything else – revenue, patient experience scores, etc. – will follow. Above all else, quality must be number one. We are taking numerous steps, innovations, and actions to ensure we meet all our quality indicators.

Critical Decision: Investing in Fertility Program

We undertook a major project many doubted would succeed or attract patients and revenue. However, I looked at the bigger picture - this program would surely help a lot of people. Not just patients, but also our own employees facing fertility issues in Indonesia. It was a tough decision requiring significant investment. But after two years, we're delighted with its success - over 300 healthy babies born and thousands of fertility cycles completed. Despite initial negative assumptions from others, sometimes you need to step back, consider the greater good and proceed if you believe it will significantly benefit many people.

Leading Healthcare Institutions: Negotiation Skills Are Crucial

As a hospital leader in Indonesia, being a doctor is the primary requirement. However, transitioning from clinical practice to management demands acquiring crucial skills. One of the most important is negotiation – the ability to foster win-win situations. When dealing with doctors, specialists and staff, you must be receptive to their demands while offering viable alternatives. This back-and-forth negotiation is critical for effective leadership. An autocratic approach is inadvisable; instead, leaders must listen attentively and counter-propose through a negotiation process. Negotiation skills are paramount for hospital leaders.