dr tom gill

Dr. Tom Gill
Chairman of Orthopedics, St Elizabeth's Medical Center

After working at a large downtown academic medical center for more than 20 years, people often ask me "Why did you decide join Steward Health Care and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center?" The truth is, there are multiple answers to that question.

The reason I went into medicine was for one simple reason - to take the best care of patients that I possibly could. While this might seems like an obvious statement, anyone working in the field of medicine today knows that it is not always so easy to do. The opportunity with Steward meant I could dedicate my time to focusing on innovation, team building, and the actual care of our patients.

When asked if I would join Steward and build the orthopedic department at St. Elizabeth’s, I said I would do so under one condition - that all decisions made moving forward would have the patients’ best interests in mind. In other words, I wanted every clinical and administrative decision to be made based on one simple question - "If I was a patient, how would I want to be treated in this situation?" In the past, I have been told that this type of "simplistic" approach was not practical. At Steward, I was given a much different answer: “We couldn't agree with you more - please do it."

And that is exactly the atmosphere that I have been able to create since coming to St. Elizabeth's. I have been given the support to recruit the very best clinicians from around the city, and nationally. I have been able to put together clinical care teams of physicians, physician assistants, medical assistants, and administrative assistants, run by the very physicians that have the ultimate responsibility for their own patients' well-being. What's more, this approach is 100% supported and facilitated by the system and hospital leadership teams. They stand behind every initiative that I try to implement, providing real guidance and administrative support. Their motto is "How can we do better for our patients?”

At the end of the day, what truly sets Steward Health Care and St. Elizabeth's apart from other places I have worked is its people. There is a real shared community among the physicians. I can call any one of them at any time for consultation, support, or advice. I can't walk down the hallways without a smile and greeting from almost everyone I pass. We are all there for one reason, and for one reason only - to give our patients the very best care possible. I go home at the end of day with a smile on my face, knowing I was able to make a difference for my patients, and my team.