At the time of this writing, Geoff Brenner is currently the president and CEO of TPC, a spin-off organization of Healthcare Coalition of Texas—the parent company that Geoff led as president & CEO from 2008 until its merger with TPC in 2014. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Brenner served as senior vice president and vice president of Business Development, and before that served at VHA, Inc. and MD Buyline. In addition to leading TPC, Brenner serves as chairman of the board of Southwest Insurance Services (a wholly-owned TPC subsidiary) and sits on several additional boards.
Brenner has great passion for the healthcare industry, which he explains is anchored in the experience of having been a patient himself. “It’s one thing to be a professional within a particular industry, and it’s a whole other experience to work from the vantage point of having been on the receiving end of that industry. What brought the experience alive for me, where I found great passion for this industry, was when I became a patient and had to navigate the system myself.” In his early thirty’s, doctors found a mass on Brenner’s thyroid and he had it surgically removed.
“As I said goodbye to my family and settled into a wheelchair to be pushed toward the operating room, it was then that the gravity of the situation really hit me. All the impersonal elements of the healthcare industry that I’d touched from the outside suddenly became very personal and I felt very alone in that moment. I knew I might have cancer and I knew that my thyroid might not be the primary source. I knew while I was unconscious, my physicians would make important decisions that could change the course of my life. Anxiety and fear were escalating and it was in that moment of vulnerability that I realized the incredible personal impact the caregivers around me could and did have on me. I remember thinking, ‘what an amazing and unique opportunity—a privilege really—to offer compassion to someone when they’re at their most vulnerable.’ And the amazing thing is that in the healthcare industry we have the opportunity to touch people like this countless times every day. So that’s where I truly experienced the impact… as a patient. That’s what made me passionate about healthcare.”
Though Brenner does not provide direct patient care himself, he finds great fulfillment in being part of a provider coalition that enables caregivers to provide high quality, compassionate care to their communities. “I am blessed to work with a phenomenal group of hospital leaders and physicians that are on the front lines of patient care. They are the heroes that do this amazing work every day. It is an honor to serve them as they serve others.”
When asked if he would do anything differently if starting his career over, Brenner responded without hesitation: “No, not a thing.” He explains that the best career advice he ever received was: “When it comes to career planning, there is no such thing.” Instead, Brenner believes that it is as simple as “Finding something that interests you, working hard to differentiate yourself with excellence, developing passion for it, and letting everything take care of itself. Excellence and passion are a great combination to build a career in any industry. I’ve been blessed to find both in healthcare.”
Brenner’s work ethic developed long before a career in healthcare was even a blip on the horizon. He remembers his first paid job when he was in second grade. “I started pushing my lawnmower around the neighborhood looking for customers,” Brenner explained. “I was young, but I figured out pretty quickly that although my single-parent mother could provide for my needs, if there were things I wanted, I had to get to work. Although it occurred at a young age for me, I experienced the same wonderful epiphany that people have found in this amazing country for centuries: if you’re willing to work, you can significantly change your situation.” That same work ethic that first surfaced that summer continues to drive this successful leader today.
As a firm believer in continuous learning, Brenner is committed to actively seeking out new ideas and perspectives. He explains,
“With two young sons, things start happening early each morning in our home. I get up two hours ahead of my family every morning so I can read and study. I’ve found that I need constant input to keep my mind stimulated and to live wholeheartedly. Technology has made access so easy, from podcasts to e-books to blogs. Never before have so much information, guidance and wisdom been available so easily.”
In addition to drawing ideas from books, blogs, and podcasts, Brenner has also benefited from outstanding advice from mentors, colleagues, and friends. “I’m blessed to have a fantastic board of directors made up of some of the most admired leaders in healthcare. The advice they provide me on an ongoing basis is invaluable. They are the source of the coalition’s innovation and success.” When asked what he would say was the best advice he has ever received, he responded,
“Don’t let other people make your decisions for you. There will always be others that control variables around you and it’s easy to fall into the trap of marginalizing choices. You always have a choice. Take responsibility, balance boldness with prudence, and own your decisions.”
Though strongly advocating personal responsibility, Brenner also believes in extending grace. He says the most important “people lesson” he ever learned is that, “We are all just trying to find our path forward. It becomes complicated because along the way, difficult things happen and it can harden us. It’s helped me to realize that to some degree, we’re all broken and in need of redemption.” He goes on to explain, “The good news is that redemption is possible, and choosing to see the world that way helps me understand why someone just erupted and behaved irrationally and why I can and should have grace. I certainly make mistakes and need grace too. We all do.”
When asked what he envisions for the future, Brenner responded,
“The healthcare industry is going through change unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The magnitude of the disruption is stunning and I think we are just now beginning to see the first fruits of healthcare reform’s impact. TPC will unquestionably change significantly because it has no other option. For me personally, the ambiguity of the future is not frightening. My life and career are anchored in a faith that does not shift with healthcare reform. I will keep learning, developing, and growing, and I believe things will work out. When I graduated from college over twenty years ago, I never could have imagined then that I would be doing what I am doing today, and likewise, I don’t feel compelled to project where I will be in the future. If I had developed a ‘concrete plan’ previously, I believe it would have actually limited my thinking and openness to possibilities that have led me to where I am today. Part of me actually enjoys the ambiguity of the future because it gives my heart room to live fully in the present moment.”
In addition to work, family, and his commitment to constant learning, Brenner pursues another very unique passion whenever he has the chance—adventure travel.
“My wife, Emily, is also very adventurous and she too enjoys global travel, however she encourages me periodically to take solo trips where I go somewhere internationally by myself. I’ve gone to Istanbul, Normandy, Palestine, and Auschwitz on these trips. I remember once seeing the Tower of London and the Tower of David (Jerusalem) within a 24-hour period; it was breathtaking to see those two historical seats of power separated by one sunset.”
When traveling solo, Brenner travels light and follows a few simple, self-imposed rules: travel alone, go where you don’t speak the language, and make sure you drive while there. “Maybe I’m a sucker for a challenge, but there’s nothing like trying to navigate a foreign city or countryside while driving a stick-shift when you don’t speak the language or understand the signs. Hopefully,” Brenner smiled, “it’s been good practice for navigating healthcare reform.”