EnterpriseHealth
A Q&A to celebrate a year of EnterpriseHealth
Katie Heelis: Three years ago, I sat down with Barbara Fox to talk about my role at Enterprise and leading our Health Practice.
Today, I’m excited to sit down with our health team to hear from them after almost one year of formally launching EnterpriseHealth!
It’s been a busy three years for us and the entire health system. With health transformations happening across the country, a global pandemic and now helping health organizations navigate recovery, it’s been quite the adventure.
But it has also been incredibly rewarding. The connections we’ve made with Canada’s health care leaders and the achievements we’ve realized together wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and expertise of our team.
KH: Carly, you were our first official EnterpriseHealth hire. What made you take the leap to leave the hospital sector and join consulting?
Carly Ellis: I joined Enterprise during the pandemic at a time when I felt we needed more creative solutions in the health care system. The status quo wasn’t working anymore so I wanted to try something new.
With my move to Enterprise, I was looking to make meaningful impacts quickly. I wanted to work with brilliant leaders from different organizations who were making changes in the health care system.
I wanted to connect these leaders and organizations to lead to even bigger change and help them achieve their goals whether it was policy changes, securing funding or coming up with creative solutions to complex problems.
KH: What’s the biggest difference between working for hospitals and working for Enterprise?
CE: Our clients expect us to move quickly and we exceed that expectation. Every day is different, wild and FAST. Consulting has also allowed me to use my government relations and communication skills every day and in different ways while staying in the hospital and broader health care sector.
KH: Nate, I’m going to jump to you. Close second hire, and another jump from a successful political career, including chief of staff to Minister of Health in Manitoba. What made you excited about joining our team?
Nate Clark: Working in a Minister’s office during the pandemic, I saw firsthand how siloed the health system truly is. It came together when it needed to, but there are still so many barriers preventing Canadians from getting quality health care. I was excited to bring that experience from government to work with Canada’s top health care organizations and develop partnerships that are good for government and business but, most importantly, patients.
KH: What is the top thing you learned in politics that helps make you a good consultant?
NC: In politics you have to learn to reconcile views coming from every direction. You have external stakeholders, but also internal stakeholders like MLAs and MPs coming from their ridings with their own views. In the end, you have to put all those perspectives together and find a solution that works for everyone. The same philosophy holds true working with clients throughout the health system.
KH: What has been the best part of being part of EnterpriseHealth year one?
CE: One, I love the team. Everyone thinks about things in different ways and we challenge each other – and we all know I love a debate! Two, every day is different. You think you have a plan for the day, but then suddenly a client needs you immediately and that’s what we are here for. In a way, being pulled in many different directions forced me to be more flexible and enjoy every moment.
NC: The team, the team, the team. Some of the things we’ve been able to do have been exhilarating, including advancing files related to women’s health and ensuring Canadians have the access to the care they need. We’ve been able to move faster over the past couple of years than I’d ever seen in government. It really is impressive, and I love to see the difference it’s making.
KH: Kevin, before we hired you, we had a big gap with that national perspective. We were thrilled to find you and take you from the Minister of Health’s office in Ottawa. How do you think your experience in politics and policy helps us grow and support our clients?
Kevin Den Heijer: First, I can’t lobby since leaving government, but I have a deep understanding of how government decision-makers think about health care issues and their priorities. Additionally, when you’re boots on the ground you get a real sense of what is on people’s minds. There’s a big difference between watching Question Period from Toronto and actually being here.
KH: Like Nate and Carly, you had experience working in a health minister’s office, but how critical is it to have that health care experience?
KD: None of us are clinicians, but it’s important when you meet with clients that you understand the terminology, the language. There are so many health-specific acronyms and terms that you can and can’t use, so that understanding of the health care world is critical. Not everyone can jump in and deliver the same white glove treatment to health care clients as we can.
KH: White glove or white coat?(sorry, had to)
KH: Similar to Kevin – from politics but more on the communications side – Alex had one of the hardest jobs in politics as press secretary to a health minister during a pandemic. Alex, how’d that help prepare you for the work you do today?
Alex Hilkene: It allowed me to establish a good understanding of our health care system, while learning how to communicate complex and high-stakes issues to the public and media. These skills allow me to support our clients in navigating communications in high-pressure situations.
CE: You really bring that balance!
KH: What were you most surprised about working in consulting after politics?
AH: I expected everyone to be cut from the same cloth, but instead we have really diverse experiences, backgrounds and skillsets, which ultimately makes us stronger as a team.
KH: Nikita, you have a health care and health policy background, but from the Ministry side – so, what drew you to EnterpriseHealth.
Nikita Singh: I like to think about how to do things from a very practical way in a health context, but sometimes from a ministry perspective that progression can be slow. At Enterprise, we have the ability to move some of the gears or jump some steps – that you can’t do in government – to make astronomical impact in the system for the better.
KH: What skillset do you bring to the team?
NS: I think of the systems first – so when we work towards a goal as a team, I’m immediately thinking about the research needed and all the processes the government requires to move forward. I’m able to translate the political work in a way that works for government or will resonate.
KH: Now, Pete. You’re the glue that holds us all together. Everyone needs a Pete! Anything good we’ve ever said, you’ve likely written. Health care is a complex, scientific space. As our lead writer how do you help us and our clients keep it simple? Why is that important?
Peter Downs: Health care almost has its own language. There’s a lot of jargon. There are a lot of complicated words. There are a lot of acronyms that get sprinkled into everything. When you blend it all together, you get dense content that’s tough for the average person to digest, let alone get excited about. The basic principles of great writing are the same for health care as they are for any topic. Be clear, be concise, use simple words and use as few of them as you can. Boiling down complex ideas into simple but powerful language helps our clients resonate with the broadest possible audience.
Also, health care is two words, not one (inside joke).
KH: And now to our newest hire! Carly, you’re only a few weeks into the job, but you are not off the hook! As a former director of communications to a Minister of Health during the pandemic, you could have gone anywhere – why EnterpriseHealth?
Carly Bergamini: Working in government you understand the pressure health care workers are under and the pain points that exist. Despite their best efforts the system is not always supporting health care workers in delivering the best care possible to patients.
EnterpriseHealth was the perfect opportunity to work with people who are equally as passionate about health care to help leading health care organizations bring innovative and practical solutions to our health care system that work for everyone.
KH: What have you learned since starting?
CB: After years of working in politics, in both opposition and government, I was worried in my next role I might get bored – that certainly has not been an issue since starting! In health care there is always a new challenge to solve that requires consideration of a range of perspectives and priorities from different stakeholders. That was a welcome challenge!
KH: OK, maybe ONE more question! What’s next for EnterpriseHealth?
NC: Working with clients to introduce more innovation to the system so health care is sustainable and patient-focused moving forward.
CE: Connecting health care, clients, leaders, thinkers and solutions across the country.
CB: We’re at a tipping point in health care. We’re ready to deliver the bold and creative solutions our system needs.