A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO

Dr. Stephen Markovich was a family doctor who worked in the emergency department one night a week and volunteered as a high school sports team doctor when he was approached to help OhioHealth. The former Air Force general was happy where he was, but his sense of mission urged him to consider the request. What came after was Markovich’s boldest move. 

WHAT WAS YOUR RISKIEST DECISION? They say making decisions, especially risky ones, is like having a tug of war in your brain, and sometimes in your heart. That’s how it felt when I had to decide between giving up my family practice to help a hospital run its ER better. My undergrad is in engineering. I love to fix things, but I thought it would be temporary. I was wrong. After we got the ER running smoothly, there were other projects, and 10% of my time turned into 25 and then 50. And then it was time to decide which way to go.

WHY WAS THAT MOVE RISKY? I was leaving my dream situation, something I was comfortable with, and good at, and passionate about—bedside care. I’d never operated a hospital. I didn’t know how a cath lab ran or an OR or how revenue cycle all worked. I had to learn it all. On top of that, I wasn’t sure how I would fit in with the “suits” in administration. Relationships between operators and bedside caregivers can get a little tense at times. But I told my colleagues it was about trying to make everyone’s work lives smoother and our patient experiences better, and I won their confidence. They came to see me as a guy who could bridge gaps between administration and the medical staff. I’m happy to report they still welcome me into the physicians dining room.

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? Happily, I discovered I made the right decision. I still round and precept occasionally. I’ve kept my boards up as well as my privileges. I was eventually promoted to COO and then president of OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital and, just last year, to president and CEO of OhioHealth.

RESPONSE FROM THOSE INVOLVED: It was an unusual situation in that I was becoming a hospital operator in the same system where I once was a physician. So you run the risk of ticking people off, literally, trading your white coat for a suit coat. I was fortunate, though, that those things didn’t come to pass.

ADVICE TO EXECUTIVES IN SIMILAR POSITIONS: I didn’t know I would be a general in the Air Force. I just wanted to fly fighter jets. I didn’t know I’d be a president and CEO of a big health system. I just wanted to be a family doctor. You don’t have to go through every door that opens. But these things can happen if you are open to it. Don’t ever pre-ordain your future because there could be another path you never saw coming that could lead to great things.

DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE: I am, first and foremost, a servant leader and expect everyone on my team to be servant leaders. That means putting team and organization before self; being a good listener and being empathetic to other’s needs. It means creating a positive, inclusive work environment where everyone feels safe and respected. My job is to bring people together who are smarter than me and inspire them to solve problems and create a vision for the future.

HOW WOULD OTHERS DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I like to think they find me to be calm and reassuring, especially in these strange times, while also being positive, energetic and forward-thinking. I still have to hold people accountable, of course, but I hope they know I do it fairly, and in a supportive way and that I will never BS them.

I think they know I genuinely care about them and what happens here at OhioHealth and that it’s not just a J-O-B to me, but a great responsibility that I hold above all else.