Impactful Leaders Podcast | Running Towards a Challenge: Sanjeeb Khatua, MD
Sanjeeb Khatua, MD, took an unconventional route to medicine, leaving California after high school to pursue a medical education in Poland. This willingness to embrace...
Sanjeeb Khatua, MD, took an unconventional route to medicine, leaving California after high school to pursue a medical education in Poland. This willingness to embrace uncertainty and get out of his comfort zone continues to serve him as Chief Physician Executive for Illinois-based Endeavor Health. His path to leadership evolved through roles in value-based care and population health, eventually leading to executive leadership. “I kept saying yes, yes, yes, and I kept learning,” he says.
In this Impactful Leaders Podcast with WittKieffer Consultant Vinny Gossain, Dr. Khatua discusses the evolving role of physician leaders in today’s healthcare landscape, noting that physicians are increasingly expecting, and expected to, engage in strategic and operational decisions. He highlights the importance of “stakeholder management” and communication, especially during times of organizational change. “You don’t run away from conflict, you kind of run towards it . . . and if you run towards it with an open mind, usually logic takes over,” he explains. He also touches on the challenges of physician burnout, the shifting dynamics of team-based care, and the need for physicians to have a real voice in governance and enterprise decisions.
Looking ahead, Dr. Khatua expresses excitement about the opportunity to continue to help build a top-notch integrated health system at Endeavor Health. He stresses the importance of overcommunication, data-driven decision-making, and maintaining engagement to create a culture that attracts talent, including physicians in a time when demand outstrips supply. He quotes his father to underscore his philosophy of continuous improvement: “The second you think you’ve made it, you actually haven’t.”
Listen to their conversation:
