David Henley
VP and Chief Compliance Officer, Passport Health Plan
Chair-elect, Health Enterprises Network
FAST FACTS
Leadership style: I change leadership styles based on the team and the situation. My primary leadership style is a democratic style in which I involve team members in discussions about issues while making the critical decisions. In some situations, I use a transformational leadership style where I focus on setting high goals and objectives with deadlines and have my staff work in unison to accomplish goals and objectives on time.
Mentor: I view a mentor as someone that is invested in my long-term success and who gives me advice and support. Using that as a definition, I would say that I do not have a mentor. What I do is build relationships with those who I can learn from and whose advice and counsel I value and trust.
Dream job as a child: A race car driver or a football player.
Book on nightstand: The last book I read was “The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership” by James Hunter (Prima). Although I will confess that I really don’t read many books. I mostly read magazine articles and two of my favorites are the Harvard Business Review and Success Magazine.
Hobbies: Running and travel.
Medical News: Looking back on the past year, how has the healthcare system changed and what is the health-related business community doing to adapt to the changing environment?
David Henley: In a broad sense, healthcare is comprised of those who provide care (hospitals, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals) and those who pay for medical care rendered to their insureds and members (health plans and employers).
For most of my career, I have functioned in the health plan space and currently function in the government programs space (e.g., Medicaid and Medicare). From that perspective, (1) regulatory activity for health plans is being driven by enrollees/members and providers more than by state regulatory agencies; (2) healthcare policy is occurring at the state level more than at the federal level; and (3) social determinants of health have come to the forefront of health plan strategy.
MN: How do you envision the health-related business community working together to make Kentucky (or Louisville) a location of choice for companies that work in this industry?
DH: Various healthcare organizations in the Louisville metropolitan area have recognized that our healthcare ecosystem consists of many of the leading and impactful organizations in the healthcare industry. These significant organizations are looking for opportunities to collaborate on healthcare matters that will improve the economy of the Louisville metropolitan area.
For example, these healthcare companies are using value based contracting and incorporating social determinants of health into their strategies to improve the health of their insureds and members.
And, of course, Passport Health Plan is helping transform an entire underserved community through its innovative health and well-being campus.
MN: What was the biggest accomplishment for the Health Enterprises Network over the past year?
DH: Continued engagement with and support of entrepreneurs through our Health Enterprises Network (HEN) VIP Program. We established the HEN VIP Program in 2017 and it now consists of over 50 companies.
HEN VIP, as it’s known, brings entrepreneurs and healthcare leaders together to bridge the corporate engagement gap between startups and big corporations. HEN VIP provides an unparalleled opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect and engage with the healthcare leaders, decision makers and community resources they need to develop and grow their business.
Members have established pilot programs with local healthcare facilities, gained access to additional investment funding, engaged in customer discovery conversations and formed strategic relationships with area leaders.
MN: What is your top priority for the Health Enterprises Network in 2019?
DH: Solidifying organizational structure and process, making the HEN Healthcare Fellows Program the professional program of choice for those in the healthcare space and ensuring that HEN plays a significant role amongst healthcare organizations in the Louisville metro area.
MN: What is your long-term vision for the healthcare community in our region?
DH: To be aligned and support each other’s efforts to improve the economy of the Louisville metropolitan area.
