A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. It has been said that the best way to secure a bright future for the next generation is to share our stories, wisdom, and experiences so that they can learn and grow from them. Hence, our responsibility is to pave the way for success and illuminate the path for others and provide them with the resources they require to forge their paths. Therefore, we must seek to make a difference in our fields of expertise and strive to bring less of ourselves and more of our calling. However, to do such things, we have to grasp our ultimate passion and purpose. For instance, doctors can make a significant impact in medicine and healthcare by addressing health disparities. Physicians can close the gap and ensure that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or cultural background, receives the care and support they require to achieve the best possible health outcomes. Hence, it can be done by providing culturally competent care and promoting health equity. Consequently, it often requires us to acknowledge and close existing gaps in our service and make room for improvement to serve our communities better. Making it our goal to reach and bring hope and care, most importantly, to our community's vulnerable populations. Our guest speaker says, "We have to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible." Dr. Derek J. Robinson is a husband, father, board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine, and author of the new book Improbable MD: From the Bayou to the Board Room. He is vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a Health Care Service Corporation division – the nation's largest non-investor-owned health insurance company. From an early age, Dr. Robinson has been driven to make the world a better place for others, especially for the marginalized. He attributes his career success and ability to overcome life's obstacles to the support provided to him by others along his journey. As a physician executive, Dr. Robinson has been a champion for weaving equity into business priorities to advance financial returns and health outcomes. Over the years, he has brought together diverse stakeholders to align a focus on health equity, develop business incentives to catalyze action and share best practices across organizations for durable change. In this special episode with Dr. Derek Robinson, we will discover the humbling story of an inspiring man who deeply cherishes the privilege and responsibility of being a physician and having the opportunity to be part of somebody's healing. He has a thirst to engage with individuals and inspire others to be their best in whatever path they seek. Be enthralled by the essential lessons he learned that helped him surmount the pressures, hesitations, obstacles, and limitations he encountered and get him to where he is today. "You need to have the energy, fire, ability, and willingness to be a good leader to go forward. But you also need to ensure that your experience is less about you and more about what you've been called to do." – Dr. Derek Robinson Topics Covered: (00:00:00) Introduction + Episode Snippet (00:00:41) Introducing our special guest, Dr. Derek Robinson. (00:01:14) A bit of the Backstory: Words of Gratefulness (00:03:44) A competition to improve each other. (00:04:03) The Legacy of Collaboration (00:05:34) Core Service: What is Leadership? (00:07:07) Less of Me, more of My Calling (00:07:51) The Path to Medicine (00:09:30) Healthcare advocacy and policy (00:10:58) How prominent are doctors who work for big insurance firms? (00:12:28) Diversity and Health Equity: Why is it important? (00:14:12) Be prepared to do the right thing. (00:14:47) What tangible steps can doctors take daily to address the health disparities we observe? (00:16:20) Doctors are not infallible. (00:17:15) Quick Reminder: Are you enjoying this episode? Please share it, leave a five-star review, and give feedback. Go to TimeOut with the SportsDr website. (00:17:50) Acknowledging the gap. (00:18:28) The interconnection of the healthcare delivery system and society (00:19:26) Do not ignore the vulnerable communities. (00:21:04) What inspire Dr. Robinson to write a book? (00:22:17) Bringing hope to communities. (00:23:55) The importance of reaching out (00:24:37) Learn from others' mistakes. (00:25:39) Share not only your successes but also your failures. (00:26:59) Every step of our journey is significant. (00:27:37) Final TimeOut with Dr. Derek Robinson: How can you encourage someone to surmount the limiting factors we can encounter in sharing your story? (00:28:11) Your limit starts inside of your head. (00:29:30) The therapeutic work of writing. (00:30:17) Connect with Dr. Derek Robinson. Key Takeaways: "We were competing to improve each other. It was never cutthroat." – Dr. Derek Robinson "Leadership is putting the interest of ...
