From Turning Around Written-Off Hospitals to a Billion-Dollar Health Network with Paul Hiltz

In this episode, we talk with Paul Hiltz, President and CEO of Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH), an independent, locally governed health system in Southwest Florida. Paul spent 30 years turning around underperforming hospitals across Ohio and Kentucky before taking over NCH in 2019, where he has grown a $600M community hospital into a billion-dollar comprehensive health network with the #1 heart program in Florida. He is also a Forbes bestselling author. We cover his career journey, the grow-or-die culture he built by borrowing teamwork from the Blue Angels and a NASCAR pit crew, why he hires athletes and problem-solvers over pedigree, how he fights physician burnout, and where AI is taking healthcare. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction: NCH brought in a NASCAR pit crew to teach doctors how to work as a team. 01:28 30 years turning around written-off hospitals, now CEO of Naples Comprehensive Health. 04:15 Why Paul left a 20-year home in Ohio to test whether an independent hospital can thrive. 06:20 Paul's operating rule: if you are not taking care of a patient, take care of someone who is. 08:51 The board's mandate: quality is job one, and average is not good enough. 12:21 Grow or die: the physician leadership academy and what the Blue Angels taught doctors. 16:21 Philanthropy: $100M+ raised last year, and the state's lowest heart-attack mortality rate. 21:23 Hiring philosophy: athletes, team players, and service backgrounds over pedigree. 35:29 AI: ambient documentation that frees doctors from typing during the exam. 39:52 Advice to a 20-year-old self: have less fear, become known as a problem-solver. Thank you for listening to "Hire Learning with Oz Rashid." Don't forget to leave us a review and subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes. Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn:   / ozrashid  . To learn more about MSH, visit https://www.talentmsh.com. RESOURCES MENTIONED "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins (Paul's book recommendation): https://hbr.org/books/watkins "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle (referenced by Oz): https://danielcoyle.com/the-talent-code/ #Leadership #HealthcareHR #TalentAcquisition