Her aim: Give Tufts-NEMC intensive care
For 10 years, Ellen Zane oversaw community doctors for Partners HealthCare, the parent organization of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals and the biggest and most profitable hospital and physician network in Massachusetts. Then in December, she became chief executive of a very different institution: Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. Tufts-NEMC is not only smaller, it's struggling financially, having lost $25 million in fiscal 2003. Zane spoke with Globe staff reporter Liz Kowalczyk.
Q: Last week you disclosed that Tufts-NEMC's Floating Hospital for Children, which has been losing patients, and Children's Hospital are holding negotiations. When two institutions agree to partner or merge, the devil is in the details. Is working out the details of this affiliation harder than you expected?
A: Not so far. To be fair, we're just in the process of exchanging a lot of information. Folks from Children's, now that it's announced, want to come tour our facilities. We had folks here this week. We're in the due diligence process, so we're exchanging questions and information. So far, it's very amicable.
Q: What other changes are you contemplating at Tufts-NEMC?
A: It falls into two buckets, the operating infrastructure and our strategic horizons. On the first front, we noticed that the revenue cycle was broken. Our days in accounts receivable were very high. We were waiting too long to get paid. On the other end we were paying our bills too quickly. These are breathing-in-and-out issues. We needed to fix the way we do business.
For the second bucket, we are looking at the reality of the Boston market and where we fit in. There's more to come on that front.
Q: You came from Partners, an organization with significant resources. What's it like moving to an institution with fewer resources?
A: It's a very interesting transition. I came from an environment that is indeed resource rich to an environment that is resource poor. I've been here before. I managed Quincy Hospital, which was a public hospital. I can tell you it's more rewarding to manage in a resource-poor environment. There's a much greater sense of urgency. People have a much greater appetite for change.
Q: Who do you think would be better for the hospital industry, George Bush or John Kerry?
A: Kerry's healthcare plan is more in line with the needs we have in the region. He has a thoughtful plan on how to deal with the uninsured, children in particular. He has not been so overarching that he's led people to believe he can insure everybody. But he has developed a plan that can insure most children.
On the other hand, a number of my colleagues would not agree with me. What Bush has done for the Medicare HMO side has been very good. There are a number of people who love to hate Medicare HMOs. What he's done is infuse them with enough cash to keep doctors in the game.
Q: Will the World Series have an impact on hospitals in Boston?
A: You bet it will. It certainly does a lot for morale. It's like a shot in the arm for people. I was walking out of the garage with one of our security people, and he was saying it's unbelievable for the people of Massachusetts having the Patriots and the Red Sox doing what they're doing at the same time. I've been sitting in bed, answering e-mails and watching the games every night.
Q: Where do you go for your healthcare?
A: I had started seeing a primary care doctor at the Brigham when I worked for Partners. It's been a lot of years, so I've stayed with her.
Q: Have you found a favorite lunch spot in Chinatown yet?
A: Lunch? What's that?
