anamika
Growing up in a rural village in Southern India prepared Prem Reddy well for life in the dog-eat-dog world of American business. He made it to medical school, and like millions before him, emigrated to the United States where opportunity beckoned. He quickly earned respect as a cardiologist but eventually became disenchanted with the healthcare system, and was determined to leave his mark.
He had a vision that could change the system and improve efficiencies while focusing on patient care. In a volatile healthcare industry, Dr. Reddy began charting a course in healthcare management that would have a meaningful impact. It challenged the health plans and managed care entities that were squeezing the financial life out of many hospitals. It also addressed the needs of those without the ability to pay for needed medical services.
His fast-growing organization Prime Healthcare Services (PHS), is now changing the landscape of healthcare delivery in California. Financially crippled hospitals are being saved from closure, health plans are no longer running rough shod over the people who deliver care, and unions are getting a reality check on how to negotiate fairly with management. Over the past decade PHS has acquired a total of 14 hospitals throughout California and has risen to become the top rated healthcare system in the State.
It took a lot of grit and determination to come to a new country, learn to speak the language, come up through the ranks in the highly competitive medical field, and finally challenge the very foundations of a health system run amok. As a result, PHS has become a target of the traditional powers in the industry because Dr. Reddy has not only successfully demonstrated that his model is financially sound, but also that it delivers quality patient care in a more efficient way. Any successful entity will attract its share of detractors and PHS is no exception.
Ongoing battles with union PR machines and their political lackeys have been a distraction for PHS, but the organization has remained steadfast, a reflection of Reddy’s resoluteness in staying with his mission.
Lost in all of this is Reddy’s willingness to invest in community hospitals that might otherwise close down, or at best, suffer drastic cuts in needed services. His business acumen, intimate knowledge of healthcare delivery, and a passion for caring for others have created a healthcare delivery model that is the envy of other systems. Physician driven practices, optimum efficiencies in critical areas, and a commitment to heart programs borne of many years as a practicing cardiologist are at the core of Dr. Reddy’s model.
Today, Prem Reddy, MD, FACC, FACP, is Chairman of the Board for Prime Healthcare Services and is recognized as one of “The 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare” by Modern Physician and Modern Healthcare Magazines. His philanthropic work is well documented, donating millions of dollars to colleges and universities for scholarships as well as numerous charities and foundations.