MGMA Insights: 'Leading from the Middle' – Healthcare Leadership Strategies with Lonn McDowell

Guest: Lonn McDowell, Vice Chair and Director of Administration, University of Florida Department of SurgeryIntroduction: Welcome to another episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, hosted by Daniel Williams. In today’s conversation, Daniel sits down with Lonn McDowell, Vice Chair and Director of Administration at the University of Florida's Department of Surgery, to explore his unique perspective on leadership ahead of his presentation at the MGMA Leaders Conference. Titled "Leading from the Middle," Lonn’s session addresses how leadership in healthcare is about collaboration, professionalism, and balancing operational efficiency with high-quality patient care.Key Takeaways:Leadership from All Levels: Lonn underscores that impactful leadership can happen at any level of an organization. "Leading from the Middle" encourages healthcare professionals to recognize that leadership isn't just for those at the top. "We need to work together towards common goals, and one person can't solve everything."Ethics and Professionalism: Lonn emphasizes the significance of leading by example. "One of my worst fears is to appear like a hypocrite. It's crucial that I follow everything I talk about." He highlights the importance of mutual respect, especially when disagreements arise, as essential to fostering growth and professionalism in healthcare teams.Balancing Efficiency and Quality Care: Lonn shares insights on how healthcare leaders can balance the dual priorities of operational efficiency and patient care quality. He recommends using the 80/20 rule to focus limited resources where they can make the most difference. "It’s about maximizing impact with the resources we have."Ethical Dilemmas in Leadership: Lonn offers a personal story about ethical decision-making. When a nurse who had resigned discovered a health condition and needed to rescind her resignation, Lonn advocated for her to stay, despite the legal right not to. "It was the right thing to do, and it resulted in her staying with us for many more years."Preparing for the Future: Lonn predicts that healthcare leadership will become even more challenging but encourages leaders to cultivate patience. "We need to be more patient with ourselves and others in times of crisis or challenge to keep working toward our goals."Resources and Links:Learn more about Lonn McDowell’s career and his upcoming session at the MGMA Leaders Conference here.Recommended books mentioned by Lonn:The 360 Degree Leader by John C. MaxwellResources:MGMA Leaders Conference - Register HereMGMA Leaders Conference Schedule - Check HereMGMA Resources:MGMA StatAsk MGMAMGMA ConferencesMGMA ConsultingWe Want to Hear From You:Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover, an expert you would like us to interview, or if you'd like to appear on an MGMA podcast. Email us at:Daniel Williams: [email protected] Reaves: [email protected] Luckett: [email protected] you for tuning in to the MGMA Podcast Network. Please subscribe and leave us a review. See you next time! This episode is sponsored by ModMed. Every denied claim costs time and money to rework — for care you’ve already delivered. While payers sharpen their own AI tools, ModMed RCM Services pairs seasoned billing specialists with AI designed to help flag claims at risk before they go out the door, so your team can fix issues upfront instead of appealing after the fact. Learn more here.