Sometimes You Just Need a Clear Compass

Dr. Baligh Yehia on Jefferson Health's Integration and Growth

By Jerry Penso, MD, MBA

When Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network came together in August 2024, over 18 months ago, it marked a landmark integration that began one of the most exciting stories unfolding in healthcare.

Baligh Yehia, MD, is president of Jefferson Health, and the executive vice president of Jefferson, with 65,000 employees across an enterprise that spans multiple markets.

I sat down with him to talk about what integration means to him, how it's helping Jefferson Health grow, and some of the strategies he's using to make it a success.

"As Standard as Possible, As Different as Necessary"

Baligh said that part of the organizations' integration philosophy was to "Be as standard as possible and as different as necessary."

The phrase sounds simple, but the execution is anything but.

"Standard" means having everyone on common technology platforms, offering consistent quality programs, and sharing policies and procedures. It means people receive a reliable experience regardless of which door they walk through.

"Different" means respecting what makes each community unique. They each start with their own identity that are crucial to build upon.

According to Baligh, "Recognizing and respecting the local differences of our sites is really important. We want to add to those identities, not take away from them."

Many organizations treat standardization as the goal, but Baligh sees it as the basis for building a strong foundation. Jefferson anchors its culture in three values: Put people first, do the right thing, and pursue excellence. Built on that foundation is enormous nuance, including all the things that make each hospital and physician group feel like itself.

Access and Affordability

Two things that are priorities for Baligh and Jefferson Health are access and affordability.

With the addition of Lehigh Valley Health Network, Jefferson Health has expanded its footprint and now includes 32 hospital campuses and over 700 sites of care. Shared resources also mean increased access to more medical specialties, more specialists, and the latest research and technology.

But when it comes to access, measuring wait time is no longer enough.

He said, "When you look at apps like OpenTable or Amazon, how people fundamentally do things has changed. We need to meet people where they are."

Jefferson moved in this direction with same-day, next-day cancer care with patients seen within 48 hours of a new diagnosis. There's also virtual primary care and standard appointment slots that include early mornings, evenings, and even weekends.

On affordability, Baligh says it's the challenge every region faces and one that is high on the list of priorities. The compass points toward better care for patients. Getting there requires solving for cost as much as access.

Being Decisive in the Face of Uncertainty

Baligh also says a big part of integration is being comfortable with uncertainty. Uncertainty has been a companion throughout his career, and he's come to see it as something that shapes you rather than stops you.

"I've taken paths in my career that were not conventional or planned," he shared. "I learned that while uncertainty can be uncomfortable, it can also help you develop character and resourcefulness as a leader."

For a health system president who has led multiple integrations, it's not just his philosophy, but a daily operating reality.

According to Baligh, "Sometimes you don't have time for a full plan or map. You just need to have a compass and start moving deliberately in the right direction."

Lehigh Valley Health Network Integration Update

When Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network came together it was significant by any measure, bringing a different market, a different identity, and real scale.

I asked Baligh how it's going.

The medical group integration, quality programs, nursing leadership, and operational structure have all come together well. They did something smart before coming together: a cultural assessment of both organizations to map where they were aligned and where they were not. That deliberate preparation paid off.

Work still to be done includes expanding the research footprint in the Lehigh Valley and answering questions about variation across a now-enormous geographical area.

"When we look at services like telehealth, there's most likely not a standard solution that will make sense across our rural and urban locations," he said. "Those are really interesting challenges for a system that wants to operate as one."

Those aren't flaws in the merger. They're the realities of scale, and they're the work.

"Pull the Band-Aid"

I asked Baligh what he would tell a health system president earlier in their integration journey.

He offered two things.

First: Get the physicians together. Aligned physician cultures make everything easier. Without alignment, integration stalls.

Second: Go as fast as you possibly can.

"Pull the Band-Aid," he said. "Because it does take years. If you don't start on day one with a plan, it could take forever."

He has been part of systems that did not move quickly enough. The moment passes. The energy dissipates. It gets harder, not easier.

Speed does not mean disruption for its own sake. It means being intentional about the end state: better clinical outcomes, better cultural outcomes, better operational efficiency.

He said, "We're not integrating for integration's sake. If the integration does not improve outcomes, then why integrate?"

Invest in Yourself and Invest in Others

I always end these conversations with the same question: What did I not ask that health system leaders need to hear?

Baligh's answer was straightforward: invest in leadership.

"To grow Jefferson Health, we will continue to invest in our own leadership and the leadership of others," he said. "Getting the right people in the right roles is the most important work a leader does."

Coming from someone leading one of the most complex integrations in healthcare, the message is practical, not philosophical. You won't always have a perfect plan. But if you have a clear compass, strong leaders, and the willingness to move, you can make real progress.

I used AI tools to help develop this article from our conversation transcript. The ideas, questions, and editorial judgment are mine.

Dr. Baligh Yehia reviewed and approved this article. I am grateful for his candor and his time.

Jerry Penso, MD, MBA, is president and CEO of AMGA.

Originally published on LinkedIn.