Forbes suggests that to strengthen healthcare, more scalable models are needed, founded on internal best practices that then can guide infrastructure creation and afford greater leveraging. In the Structure subcategory, Kern and Sentara Healthcare as a whole were honored for their Integrated Healthcare model, which delivers both care and coverage, creates a seamless integration with patients and plan members, and always keeps the community at the center. During Kern’s tenure, when he’s applied a ‘horizontal leadership’ model and modified some Amazon-like elements into healthcare, he’s been grateful for his Board’s strategic guidance. “Sentara is a complex organization, and the board has been an outstanding contributor to the vision and success of the organization supporting a diverse and dedicated leadership team.”

For Forbes’ Leader subcategory, Mihaljevic was highlighted in the Vision grouping; Cleveland Clinic was featured as taking the lessons from its first century and building a four-pronged model for the next. Summing up the core of healthcare, Mihaljevic said, “One thing that will not change is the importance of human interactions in medicine…caregivers will never lose sight of the noble purpose we have to care for others.”