Diverse Job Experiences Can Enrich a Career

Ten to 15 years ago health care lawyers focused mainly on patient care, end-of-life issues, non-profit corporations and regulatory matters.

More recently, the issues have broadened. Health care lawyers now grapple with hospital mergers, joint ventures, reimbursement, agreements with physician groups and community hospitals, compliance with federal anti-trust laws, negotiating large contracts with insurance companies, as well as labor and employment issues.

Not only that, “individual mandate” has emerged as top policy issue. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has proposed that individuals must maintain basic health insurance as part of his larger plan to provide universal coverage to all state residents through employer provided insurance, Medicaid and the state’s children’s health insurance.

And a major union organizing drive of major hospitals in Boston is looming. (The Boston Globe, “Union looks to organize at Hub’s top hospitals,” Aug. 31, 2005).

Patricia McGovern was recently promoted to senior vice president and general counsel of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, a world-renowned academic medical center. This challenging position requires a deep understanding of a broad range of legal issues and wide career experience.

McGovern is a former legislative leader in the Massachusetts State House. She’s overseen a merger of two major Boston hospitals. She started her public sector career handling juvenile cases as a public defender. Her distinguished public sector career puts her in a good position to manage the complex issues she faces.

“It’s critical that I understand operations, research, education, the nature of an academic medical center, outside counsel, administrative issues, labor and employment issues – all of which cut across the private, public and non-profit sectors,” McGovern says. “I doubt I could balance all of these elements if it weren’t for the breadth of my experience.”

The interview below explores how her career experiences prepared McGovern for her new role.

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Q. What career experiences had the most impact on you?

McGovern: I started as a public defender in the early 1970s. This was a great way to start and it changed me in subtle and profound ways. I came from an intact family in Lawrence, Mass. and grew up in a crime-free environment. The cases I defended opened my eyes to many issues. I worked with delinquent kids and mental health issues…really everything you could think of in terms of children and the law. I also learned about family interactions, psychology – social services – and their impact on those I defended.

I was then on the Board of Massachusetts Defenders and during this time I was one of the founders of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. Under Gov. Michael Dukakis, I served as executive director of the Governor’s Committee on Law Enforcement in the Office of Public Safety. We prioritized prosecutions, worked on domestic violence and training of police – many of whom did not have college educations at that time.

These public sector positions gave me my first meaningful look at society’s problems and how the public sector operates at the grass roots level.

Q. Did these experiences motivate you to run for public office?

McGovern: They may have been a catalyst, but I always wanted to run for elective office. My uncle was in the Massachusetts state government, and when I was growing up my family was always talking about politics. I first ran for office in 1980 against an incumbent who had held the seat for 30 years. It was a liberal versus conservative kind of election and I won.

There were very few women in the Legislature. I quickly was appointed to be the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which I led until 1994. We had a multi-billion dollar operating and capital budget. We had to work with diverse groups, including public authorities and private entities, and build consensus, to get things done.

Q. Looking back, how did this experience mold you?

McGovern: A public sector person looks at everything more broadly, not just from one perspective. This was invaluable experience.

Q. After serving in state politics, what was you next career move?

McGovern: I joined Goulston & Storrs in Boston in 1994, the same year Boston Mayor Tom Menino appointed me to chair the McGovern Commission. Its purpose was to merge Boston City Hospital, a public entity, and Boston University Medical Center, a private teaching hospital.

Q. What was the reason for the merger?

McGovern: Boston City Hospital was bleeding red ink, and the merger would put them on solid financial ground and allow them to continue to meet the health needs of the people of Boston. Both hospitals had new facilities and there was a need to make better use of them. Mayor Menino deserves a lot of credit for staying the course on this merger, which met with some resistance.

Q. How was the merger actually forged?

McGovern: The right people – Dean Aram Chobanian of the medical school and Elaine Ullian, the president of the merged entity, were key to the integration. Dean Chobanian was a visionary and understood what had to happen to make this merger work. He anticipated the changes that had to take place and was already preparing for the integration. Elaine Ullian had been on the Boston University side and became chief of the new entity. She continues to do a great job of leading the merged hospital.

Q. What did you do after the merger took place?

McGovern: In 2001, I became executive vice president for external affairs at CareGroup Healthcare System, and served in that role for CareGroup and then BIDMC, until I was promoted to my current position in July 2005.

Q. How have all of your diverse job experiences helped you in your current position?

McGovern: I think of myself as a problem solver. My experience cuts across the public sector, the non-profit sector and the private sector. At BIDMC, all of these elements are present. We are a heavily regulated industry. We do business with many private and public entities. This job is most comparable to Senate Ways and Means Chair in its depth and breadth. It’s critical that I understand operations, research, education, the nature of an academic medical center, outside counsel, administrative issues, labor and employment issues – all of which cut across the private, public and non profit sectors. I doubt I could balance all of these elements if it weren’t for the breadth of my experience.

The dynamics of managing a hospital of our size and scope have changed dramatically over the past few years and there are more changes to come. Every day there are new challenges. It’s an exciting time.

Jane E. Sender is president of Sender Legal Search, which specializes in high level in- house placements in New England. She can be reached at www.jslegalsearch.com.