Leadership in Healthcare: Treating Symptoms and Ignoring the Disease

Robert J. Greczyn Jr., retired chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), will talk about leadership as a team sport.  “Very few things in life are accomplished in a solitary fashion,” he said. “Even golf is a team sport when you think about all the people it takes to make a golfer great.”  To that end, Greczyn will talk about leadership in healthcare and share information on health reform.  Greczyn joined BCBSNC in 1998, was named president in 1999 and became chief executive officer in April 2000. He helped move the company's focus from "sickness insurance" to prevention. The healthy lifestyle choices program that he introduced provides financial incentives for people to adopt healthier behaviors (smoking cessation, more exercise, weight loss).