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.