Impactful Leaders Podcast | Accelerating Physician Leader Impact: Paul R. Hinchey, M.D.
From Systemness to the “Spaces in Between”: Building an Integrated, Patient-Centered Enterprise
From Systemness to the “Spaces in Between”: Building an Integrated, Patient–Centered Enterprise
As Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals in Northeast Ohio, Paul R. Hinchey, M.D., MBA, leads clinical operations across a $6B health system spanning 21 hospitals and 200+ physician offices. In this Accelerating Physician Leader Impact episode, he shares how a career that began in paramedicine shaped his approach to scale, integration, and value—and why the story leaders tell across a system matters as much as the structure they build.
In conversation with host Michael Anderson, M.D., Dr. Hinchey unpacks UH’s journey toward true “systemness”—aligning culture, incentives, and operating models around the patient journey rather than isolated sites of care. He explains how redesigning incentives, governance, and processes helped break legacy silos and created “systems of care” that align disparate pieces across the enterprise. The aim: deliver consistent value and experience across academic and community settings while keeping patients at the center.
Dr. Hinchey also highlights the underused potential of EMS as a proactive, payer-agnostic, 24/7 asset for navigation, follow-up, and care-at-home—illustrating why UH selected a system CMO with deep prehospital expertise to lead “the spaces in between.” Looking ahead, Dr. Hinchey is energized by ambient AI, virtual consult scalability, and remote monitoring to reduce burden, elevate clinical decision support, and expand access—without putting a screen between clinician and patient.
