From welcoming babies into the world to performing hip replacements, physicians are an integral part of every stage of HCA Healthcare’s commitment to providing exceptional patient care. In order to ensure this mission is fulfilled, it is imperative that each physician is empowered to work at their full potential.
HCA Healthcare was established by physicians with a clear vision: to foster a healthcare environment where physician perspectives are central to decision-making. As of December 2024, HCA Healthcare works alongside 44,000 active and affiliated physicians. This includes more than 8,745 employed physicians and a total of 15,041 employed or managed providers, which encompasses physicians and advanced practice providers. HCA Healthcare strives to support these clinicians by providing the tools, resources and collaborative networks necessary for delivering exceptional care.
One of the core commitments to our physicians is the ongoing development and advocacy of physician leaders. This was one of the first things Pranav Mehta, MD, SVP and CMO, HCA Healthcare, noticed when he joined the organization in 2012. “What stood out to me was the ability to feel connected [to the larger mission] and the culture of physician leadership,” he says. “I felt like this was a place where a physician could really make a difference and work together to provide the best care for our patients.”
What stood out to me was the ability to feel connected and the culture of physician leadership. I felt like this was a place where a physician could really make a difference.— Pranav Mehta, MD, SVP and CMO, HCA Healthcare
Harnessing the power of HCA Healthcare’s scale and data allows our physicians to exchange insights, seek advice and find professional support. This collaborative structure informs decision-making and promotes lifelong learning.
“By improving communication and sharing best practices, we’re able to leverage the scale of HCA Healthcare,” Dr. Mehta says. “It allows us to drive standardization where it makes sense, and innovate at the same time, allowing physicians to practice at the top of their game.”
Our physicians are part of a broad, interconnected network of colleagues representing a wide range of specialties and experiences. This degree of diversity in expertise empowers growth and innovation throughout our global presence.
Providing avenues for physicians to share their thoughts, opinions and experiences takes place at every level of the organization. Ansley Miller, MD, CMO of North Carolina Division Physician Services, is a prime example of developing physician leaders.
“I see my role as a connector between the people taking care of patients and the operational leadership implementing the policies and regulatory initiatives,” she says.
From leadership roundtables to engagement campaigns, Dr. Miller is leveraging innovative opportunities to engage providers and help them retain their sense of autonomy at the bedside. “Building strong relationships between leadership and physicians is ultimately the critical element to helping physicians feel valued and supported, and a sense of belonging is directly tied to the joy of taking care of patients.”
When ensuring physicians are seen and heard in the goal-setting and professional development process, engagement is invaluable.
“It’s important to have administration engagement in the development of physicians,” says Megan Garcia, MD, medical director of Research Medical Center’s burn center in Kansas City, MO. “Recently, here at Research Medical Center, we had a leadership conference that was focused on growing our knowledge and teaching us how to be better leaders. These opportunities, mixed with things like the HCA Healthcare Physician Leadership program, make a big difference.”
Research Medical Center in HCA Healthcare’s MidAmerica Division has been a part of the Kansas City community since 1886. The trust built and maintained between patients, neighbors and their physicians is a critical part of empowering physicians to practice at the top of their license.
“At RMC, because we have so many different specialties, all the collective knowledge allows us to make a wider impact on patient care,” explains Dr. Garcia. “The teamwork and the ability to lean on each other allow us to provide the best patient care possible.”
From day one, physician leadership has been foundational to HCA Healthcare’s approach. “Being a part of HCA Healthcare has enabled me to link and connect with resources on a national level to create opportunities for our physicians to tap into,” Dr. Miller says.
For example, when a medical director reached out with a desire to grow in her career, Dr. Miller leveraged HCA Healthcare’s partnership with the Harvard mentoring program and the physician component of the Leadership Institute Academy. In 2024, HCA Healthcare’s Physician Leadership Academy welcomed 36 chief medical officers from across the organization and introduced expanded programs to reach a wider range of physician leaders. Today, physician leadership is embedded throughout every layer of our organization, reinforcing our belief that when physicians lead, care improves.
“Having good communication with leadership is really important,” says Dr. Garcia. “Knowing that we have leadership here at RMC that is available, night or day, to call on makes a big difference. Even if a newer or younger physician doesnʼt have that familiarity yet with leadership, knowing that it can be a resource is powerful.”
High-quality care begins with well-equipped caregivers. Ensuring physicians are heard and reflected in how we operate requires listening and gathering feedback from medical staff throughout the system. Each month, Dr. Mehta leads CMO Connect, an enterprisewide call dedicated to operational best practices. CMOs throughout the system join in to talk about key initiatives and receive first-hand knowledge of tools and resources they can bring back to their teams.
Another avenue of support comes in the form of continuing education. HCA Healthcare’s Graduate Medical Education program gives providers the opportunity to receive CME credits. One region has taken that a step further. Stacy Weiss, assistant vice president of Continuing Medical Education and EMS education, started a program in the Continental Division where she partnered with a leading provider of continuing education content and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Through this partnership, Weiss provides education at the facility level on new procedures or policies, and attendees receive CME credits. This program was so successful that it expanded to the Gulf Coast and Mountain divisions.
HCA Healthcare continues to foster a culture of physician leadership, working to find new ways to improve communication and help physicians share in the decision-making process. HCA Healthcare’s annual physician engagement survey is conducted with both affiliate and employed physicians and delivers important feedback from across the system. Our approach to action planning, communication and more is consistent across all of our physician stakeholders. In 2025, more than 14,000 employed and affiliate physicians participated in the annual survey, with an 84% engagement – 13 points above the industry physician benchmark.
Physician engagement remains the core of our medical community. Supporting physicians in professional development, improved communication and building relationships drives that engagement. These combined elements move the needle on improved career satisfaction, which leads to a better sense of belonging, loyalty, longevity and the delivery of high-quality care for our patients.
Dr. Ansley Miller celebrates Doctor’s Day at Mission Health, where she champions CMO growth and development.
