🔒Former St. Francis Hospital President Rodis launches Farmington consulting firm

Leadership transitions can come at any time, but Trinity Health of New England raised some eyebrows when it announced in May 2020 — at the peak of the state’s pandemic response — that former St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center President Dr. John Rodis would be abruptly leaving his post.

What prompted the change?

Trinity Health “decided to go in a different direction,” the 66-year-old Rodis said in a recent interview with the Hartford Business Journal. “It was a mutual decision, though, to part ways.”

He declined to elaborate further. Trinity Health didn’t comment on what led to the leadership shakeup but did say it was “grateful for Dr. Rodis’ leadership and exceptionally strong commitment to our mission during an important period in the history of St. Francis Hospital.”

Regardless, Rodis — who spent five years as St. Francis’ top executive — isn’t looking back. In fact, he’s launched his own boutique consulting firm aimed at advising, primarily, hospitals and other medical practices.

Farmington-based Arista Health LLC’s services include helping healthcare organizations lower their risk of getting sued; creating better health outcomes at lower costs for employers; and even coaching and mentoring hospital executives who Rodis said “get lonely at the top and really have no one to bounce ideas off of.”

Rodis said he could have retired in his mid-60s, but decided to start his one-man shop because he still had more to offer.

“I started this business because I recognize that I have a lot of experience amassed at this point and I can’t hit a golf ball very well,” Rodis said. “It seems, though, that if I can use that knowledge and experience to help improve the outcome and health of individuals, then that is what I should be doing.”

The son of Greek immigrants, Rodis said he named his consulting business Arista because it means “the best” in Greek and in honor of his parents.

The company is based in Farmington, where Rodis also resides. His six active clients include hospitals, health systems and an insurance company.

A big part of Rodis’ business is helping organizations reduce the risk of medical malpractice lawsuits.

Medical malpractice costs are a big issue and expense for healthcare providers.

In Connecticut, the state’s 27 acute care hospitals spent an estimated $141 million on medical malpractice expenses in fiscal year 2021, according to the state Office of Health Strategy, down slightly from $143.7 million a year earlier.

The average medical malpractice payout in Connecticut is $844,186, according to the “CT Medical Malpractice Report” prepared in June 2021 by the state Insurance Department. That report showed there were 2,679 medical malpractice liability claims closed in the state from 2016 through 2020. Of those claims, 1,413 were resolved in favor of the plaintiff.

Rodis said his basic advice for hospitals and other organizations is to “provide better care, give better outcomes, and treat people nicely so they have a great patient experience” — all factors in substantially lowering the likelihood of a lawsuit.

Surgical procedures are the biggest risk for medical malpractice lawsuits, he said.

“As more hospitals employ more physicians, their risks go up, especially among surgical procedures,” Rodis said. “Having a culture of safety must extend to the doctors’ office, as well as the hospital. Educating physicians and their staff on things like informed consent and how to address dissatisfied patients is very important. Needless to say, prevention of medical errors is essential as well as addressing any bad outcomes directly and honestly.”

One of his clients is Boston-based medical malpractice insurer Coverys. He works with the company’s attorneys on best practices to reduce medical malpractice risks so they can be shared with the insurer’s doctor clients.

Rodis, who was the first physician to lead St. Francis as president, said he also recently coached a Connecticut hospital executive who he declined to name.

“All too often, these hospital executives and/or physician leaders end up in leadership roles but they don’t have much formal training in leadership,” he said. “As a personal coach, you can have a candid and honest conversation with them about what they are working on and what are the challenges they face. I really coach them through how to solve problems.”

Connecticut Hospital Association CEO Jennifer Jackson worked with Rodis, who served on CHA’s board for about a decade.

Jackson said Rodis was “very involved, committed, and active” during his time with CHA, eventually chairing the board committee on patient quality and safety.

Jackson said she would expect Rodis to be successful in his new venture because “he is high energy and knows how to motivate other people.”

Rodis said the most pressing issue facing hospitals and healthcare executives today is staffing. It’s a topic he discusses with his clients.

“There have been tremendous resignations in health care, particularly in nursing, but hospitals are facing huge shortages up and down the food chain,” he said. “Hospital executives are retiring at high rates now. These people are moving into less stress and strenuous positions. There are higher-paying jobs out there and there are more options for people.”

The answer to retaining employees, Rodis said, is “creating an environment where you want to be the preferred employer.”

“Part of that is creating an environment — for nurses in particular — where there is a commitment to quality, adequate staffing, compensation and good benefits,” Rodis said. “Good benefits are becoming more and more important.”