Matthew Fry on Growth, Innovation and Building a Sustainable Health System
Becker’s Healthcare PodcastSummary
Freeman Health System, a nonprofit healthcare provider based in Joplin, Missouri, is experiencing significant growth as it marks its 101st anniversary. Recently, the system expanded its footprint by acquiring four hospitals in Northwest Arkansas and opening a new facility in Fort Scott, Kansas. With a total of eight hospitals and approximately 9,000 employees, Freeman Health is focused on enhancing patient services through technological investments, including the implementation of Epic electronic health records across its operations.
CEO Matt Fry highlights the health system's robust service lines, particularly in cardiovascular care, women's health, and oncology. The organization is actively working to address healthcare access gaps in Southeast Kansas, Northeast Oklahoma, Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas. Fry emphasizes the importance of investing in human capital and operational efficiency to navigate the challenging healthcare landscape, which includes rising labor and supply costs and potential changes in reimbursement structures.
Looking ahead, Fry notes the need for health system leaders to be agile and responsive to rapid changes in the healthcare environment. He cites the importance of understanding patients as consumers and meeting their needs effectively to maintain loyalty and business. Fry also admires leaders from both healthcare and other industries, such as Walmart and Amazon, for their innovative approaches and commitment to accessibility, suggesting that healthcare can learn valuable lessons from these organizations.
Show Notes
In this episode, Matthew Fry, President and CEO of Freeman Health System, discusses the system’s rapid expansion, investments in technology and key service lines, and strategies for improving access across rural communities. He also shares his perspective on operational efficiency, workforce investment and adapting leadership strategies in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.
More from Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
In this episode, Tieraona Low Dog, MD, ABOIM, Founding Director of the Integrative and Functional Medicine Fellowship and pioneer in integrative medicine, and Shaista Malik, MD, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and Vice President of Integrative Health at UCI Health, join the podcast to discuss acupuncture and the integration of integrative and functional medicine into patient care. They also share insights on addressing skepticism, fostering an open-minded approach to healthcare, and the leadership principles that guide the fellowship.
This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Marola Kraczek, MA, Senior Change Enablement Specialist, HCA Healthcare, who discusses the role of change management in turning healthcare data into actionable insights, reducing workflow fragmentation and supporting clinician adoption.
In this episode, Phoebe L. Yang. a former C-suite executive across four public companies, an appointee in two Presidential Administrations, and a Fortune 250/S&P 500 board director (GE HealthCare, Doximity, CommonSpirit Health, JudiHealth), most recently General Manager of Amazon Web Services Healthcare, and faculty of Stanford Law School, where she designed and teaches a popular course, "Business Leadership in the Age of AI”, discusses AI governance, cybersecurity, and responsible AI adoption. The views and opinions expressed by Phoebe Yang in this program are her own at the time of the recording of this podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any organization with which she may be affiliated
In this episode, Jason Hinkle, CFO, Deaconess Illinois, discusses the system’s rapid growth, expansion of oncology and outpatient surgery services, and financial pressures facing rural hospitals. He also shares how rolling forecasts, enterprise wide data governance, and reliable data can strengthen financial decision making and prepare health systems for broader AI adoption.
In this episode, Fritz François, MD, Executive Vice President, Vice Dean, and Chief of Hospital Operations at NYU Langone Health, joins the podcast to discuss managing healthcare demand and improving patient access while navigating the evolving needs of health systems. He also shares insights on strengthening cybersecurity and the importance of authenticity and transparency in healthcare leadership.