Advisory Board Spotlight: Jag Gill
Charlotte Eye, Ear Nose and Throat Associates (CEENTA) CEO and MHA Advisory Board member Dr. Jag Gill, FACHE, FACMPE, has had the distinct privilege of receiving honors as Charlotte’s top place to work two years running. “We are all very proud of [this recognition]” Dr. Gill stated as he went on to explain that while his company is relatively small compared to the competition, their small size has not stopped them from striving to be the best.
Dr. Gill believes this success begins with CEENTA’s organizational culture: patient centeredness and employee satisfaction. Everyone in the company strives to cultivate a high performance culture that is centered on the patient. Dr. Gill further stressed that employee satisfaction is a high priority on all levels. For example, employees look out for each other by creating flexible work environments that reinforces their corporate value that family is a high priority. Internal promotion is another key factor in employee satisfaction. Dr. Gill mentioned several CEENTA employees who have been with them for 30 plus years and who have successfully moved up in the ranks. Transparency and being open minded to new ideas are other successful attributes of CEENTA’s organizational culture. The organization stresses open communication among everyone, which helps to foster respect.
Maintaining this organizational culture takes continuous effort. Dr. Gill believes culture is guided by CEENTA’s three corporate goals: independence, quality, and growth. CEENTA is driven to maintain its independent, privately owned organization status. CEENTA focuses on quality, providing patient-centered quality care by carefully selected physicians and other providers who share the organization’s culture of high performance. Lastly, CEENTA is focused on sustained growth. Dr. Gill emphasized that, as CEENTA expands, it is imperative that he considers the cultural compatibility of the practices they are considering acquiring. This mentality is evident across the organization, beginning with the hiring process. Physician interviews seek to uncover the potential employees’ interpersonal skills…how they would work with other employees and how compassionate they are. Dr. Gill said that CEENTA’s goal is for every patient is to be treated “as if they were that employee’s mom or dad.”
Dr. Gill also stressed the importance of knowing where the landscape of healthcare is now and more importantly, where it will be going forward. The morning of this interview, for example, the company had just learned the verdict on a new advanced payment procedure that affects one of the most important parts of any company—revenue. Interactions between companies, such as CEENTA and insurance companies are vital to doing well in the field now and for the foreseeable future.
Dr. Gill’s advice for current MHA students is to “be a sponge” during this opportunity of higher education. Furthermore, he states that going the extra mile by doing meaningful activities, such as internships and fellowships (especially ones that show how various departments work), is essential “if you aspire to be a CEO.” Also, Dr. Gill advised not to forget to ask as many questions as possible to teammates and professors to help build a knowledgebase and network. He stressed that it is important to remember: “this is the time to prepare yourself for the next step.”