By his junior year at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978, Barry A. Wolfman already knew that he wanted to become a hospital administrator. His very deliberate career was a result of what he calls the meshing of his interests in medicine and business. “It was crystal clear,” he says. “And I’ve done it ever since.”
What he did not know at the time is that 28 years after completing his Master of Health Services Management degree at the George Washington University, he would return to Foggy Bottom as the CEO and Managing Director of the GW Hospital.
Wolfman arrived back at GW in April, 2012 after three decades in healthcare management that took him from Nashville to South Florida, Philadelphia, and California. His executive experience in a variety of settings – the investor-owned National Medical Enterprises (now Tenet Healthcare), the faith-based Providence Health & Services, and the pre-paid side of medicine at Kaiser Permanente – have given him a diverse perspective on hospital administration. “I feel really well-rounded in understanding what it takes to be successful,” Wolfman says.
This background will no doubt assist Wolfman in his attempt to define and pursue excellence in clinical care at the GW Hospital. “I want to execute on a game plan to cement the hospital’s reputation based on excellent clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and high-end services that are attendant to being at an academic medical center,” he says. Working closely with his colleagues at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the Medical Faculty Associates will be crucial in developing this plan, Wolfman says, especially given the competitive landscape.
He sees staffing shortages and the need to provide uncompensated care as major challenges the hospital currently faces. “As a hospital, we have so many unfunded mandates that are imposed on us,” Wolfman says “but we do our best to ensure that everyone is working toward a common goal.”
And there is nowhere he would rather face these challenges than at GW. Wolfman was attracted by the strong reputation of SMHS and Universal Health Services, the hospital management company that operates GW hospital, and says it feels natural to be back at GW after all these years. He is looking forward to exploring the city with his wife, especially the food scene, which was out of his reach as a graduate student.
In his free time, Wolfman enjoys traveling – he has made recent trips to Cuba with a fellow hospital administrator and to London where his daughter lives. He is also an avid runner and has competed in two triathlons to date. He would like to attempt another, but is hoping to find one where the water temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the swimming segment.
The lessons of his athletic pastimes carry over to Wolfman’s professional life as well. “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he says in regards to reaching his goals for the hospital. He plans to make a difference, but he wants to be measured in his approach. “This is a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to settling and immersing myself – to spending time with our physicians, the dean, and the leadership of the Medical Faculty Associates,” he says.
Marc D. Miller, President of Universal Health Services, said “We are excited to welcome Barry Wolfman to The George Washington University Hospital. His proven track record of exceeding objectives and creating a strong culture of excellent physician, employee and community relations establishes him as a strong leader for one of the country’s most prestigious university hospitals.”
Wolfman enjoys being around students again, too. “Being in medicine is a great thing,” he says. “It’s a very noble profession.” But he’s saddened by the astronomical debt that medical students are saddled with after graduation. “I wish society would understand that you can’t impose that kind of debt on a young person.” As with everything else, Wolfman believes that teamwork will help us bring about positive change in this realm. “You can’t be a constituency of one and be successful,” he says. “Whether you’re a physician or a business person or a nurse, or whatever. You have to be very pragmatic about things.”
As the new CEO of GW hospital, Wolfman intends to create an environment where the teamwork and pragmatism he values can flourish. “If I can build the right culture and collaborate with the medical staff and influence our employees, I think that’s what it’s all about.”
