The National Observer | Daily Edition | April 12| Health care CEO: 'We’ve got some work to do'

Now that Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health have closed their merger as Advocate Health, co-CEOs? Jim Skogsbergh?and?Gene Woods?have the task of integrating what is now one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the nation?amid stiff industry headwinds.

We really want more front-line clinicians and health care workers, not less.

"We have severe challenges in health care — not just here in the Midwest — across the country. It’s a challenging, challenging time for health care," Skogsbergh told Mark Kass of the?Milwaukee Business Journal?during a Q&A session alongside Woods. "So we’ve got some work to do. And frankly, everybody’s watching."

Among those severe challenges are the ballooning costs — in many cases associated with staffing — but the combined institution is making net hires across the system as it tries to overcome a shortfall of doctors and nurses, rather than making cuts to conserve costs.

"This is the most challenging time of my 30 years in health care," Woods said. "We really want more front-line clinicians and health care workers, not less.”

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