Note: Healthcare Coalition of Texas became TPC after a merger in 2014. This article was originally written based on a 2013 interview before that merger took place.
The Healthcare Coalition of Texas (HCT) is a member-led organization that has represented community-based hospitals and healthcare systems across the state since its inception in 1985. HCT specializes in strategic collaboration and aggregation, peer networking and best practices, and education and shared learning. Geoff Brenner has served as president and CEO of the organization since 2008.
When asked about HCT’s highest priorities, Brenner responded without hesitation: “As an effective coalition, our priorities must be our members’ priorities. Strategically, they set the agenda.” He went on to describe the highest priority as exploring alternative care delivery models to succeed in a post healthcare-reform world. Two more high priorities, which are linked to the first, are to continually drive down costs, and to stay focused on providing patients with high quality, compassionate care.
Addressing the biggest challenge now facing HCT, Brenner cited the provider consolidation trend. Many industry experts are questioning the long-term viability of smaller, standalone hospitals and healthcare organizations, and clearly there is a trend of those organizations merging with and/or being acquired by larger healthcare systems. “Simply stated, HCT is a virtual system that enables stand-alone hospitals and healthcare systems to achieve many of the advantages of ‘systemness’ while retaining significant independence. However, as industry consolidation creates real systems, the need for a virtual system changes.” Although this trend is clearly a challenge to HCT, Brenner noted that the organization has always recognized that consolidation and systemization are likely industry eventualities.
“For as long as I have been with the organization, the leadership’s posture has consistently acknowledged that as coalition members merge and become systems themselves, their need for virtual systemization through HCT will change. As a result, the coalition’s mission has never been to perpetuate its own existence, but rather to constantly develop meaningful business and relational linkages between coalition members that support their missions.”
“The day will come,” noted Brenner, “when coalition members will no longer need HCT to serve as their linkage to each other, and at that point, HCT will have completed its mission.”
Brenner went on to share that HCT’s two most recent incubations, TPC and Texas Care Alliance, hold enormous potential value, even in a consolidated industry. “The healthcare organizations in HCT have a really great story to tell when it comes to collaboration. They’ve created several companies over the past twenty years, but the two most recently created organizations could eclipse HCT in the future.”
When asked what he believes to be the greatest strength of HCT, Brenner quickly pointed to the members’ leadership:
“Without question, it’s the leaders within our membership. They have demonstrated, as individuals and collectively, an amazing willingness to commit to each other and develop innovative strategies together. Given the industry changes on the horizon, I believe that culture of commitment and innovation will play an integral role in their continued success. The greatest strength of HCT is its members’ commitment to each other.”
Brenner went on to note with appreciation how difficult it is when starting from scratch to achieve the kind of meaningful collaboration and trust so prevalent in HCT. “I’ve been asked to work with other groups from other parts of the country that are trying to replicate our coalition model, and those initial conversations highlight how difficult it is to create a culture of trust, commitment, and innovation. Starting from scratch is not impossible, but it is tough.” Brenner readily acknowledged that he didn’t have to start from scratch with HCT:
“HCT’s management team has never taken credit for the organization’s success, or for building the culture that makes it unique. Culturally, those that came before us did the heavy lifting. The founders were the true innovators and they saw an opportunity to improve healthcare delivery across the state by working together. That’s the real magic.”
In discussing how he hopes the stakeholders would describe the organization in twenty words or less, Brenner replied: “A values-based organization where healthcare leaders develop meaningful relationships, innovative ideas, and business ventures based on trust and commitment.” He followed that by simply saying, “It’s what the coalition has been doing for three decades.”