Physicians Who Make a Difference: Marc Katz, M.D.

February, 2014

Experience maverick Marc Katz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Bon Secours Heart and Vascular Institute was recently recognized in OurHealth Magazine’s annual Bedside Manner Award.

Dr. Katz is a minimally invasive heart surgeon who was the first to adopt robotic heart surgery after FDA approval.  He is constantly pushing the boundaries on clinical procedures and looking at how those impact patients’ outcomes and experience.  When Dr. Katz started doing the minimally invasive surgery, colleagues ask what value there is in doing a six-hour robotic procedure when they can crack the patient’s chest and be finished with the procedure in two hours.

Dr. Katz says what keeps him pushing the envelope is knowing that his innovations help patients return to their desired level of functioning as quickly and easily as possible.   Dr. Katz says he gets photos from patients who are back to their normal lives in just days instead of weeks or months with more invasive surgery.  He once got a picture of a 75-year-old patient on a jet ski within 2 weeks of surgery!  Dr. Katz says that when health systems take the long view on healing, and on the innovations that drive healing, the patient and the system win.

Dr. Katz credits part of his success to the support he gets from the CEO down.  His Chief Administrative Officer, James Sherwood, RN, describes his own role as “managing the wake behind the speedboat.”  Dr. Katz is that speedboat!

Creating the optimal human experience in healthcare requires the perfect dance between organizational commitment to building a culture that fosters efficiency and empathy, and individuals who live, breathe, and lead others in engaging with the values of caring and respect.  At ExperiaHealth, we are privileged to work with experience mavericks who embody a spirit of innovation and excellence in delivering a more humanized care experience.

Congratulations, Dr. Katz on merging clinical excellence, innovation, and a commitment to the human experience of care.  We’re proud to have you as a dedicated member of the Experience Innovation Network.

You can follow Dr. Katz on Twitter at @marcrkatz.