Meet the Team is our blog series introducing some of the amazing professionals at Ascendient – who they are and what makes them tick. This month, meet David Meyer, a Senior Manager in our Strategy practice, who joined the firm in July 2023.
You spent more than 20 years at a large, nonprofit health system. With all of the seniority and institutional knowledge that comes with that kind of tenure, why did you decide to pivot to consulting?
Candidly, the organization I was working for decided to restructure how they managed the strategic planning process. For some time, I was considering a career change and considered pivoting into consulting, but I needed to find the right cultural fit for me. Almost two years ago I came across an Ascendient job posting and, from my very first conversation with them, I knew it was time for me to become a consultant. Most importantly, Ascendient’s values are 100% aligned with mine and we take our roles seriously to improve the health of our clients’ communities. Although Ascendient is a consulting firm, at the end of the day, the Partners hold themselves to a high standard, which is to improve healthcare throughout our great country.
As a Chief Strategy Officer overseeing multiple hospitals, you must have worked with a lot of outside consultants. Now that you’re the outsider coming in with a slide deck, how do you try to add value for teams that already have a lot of knowledge and expertise?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of consulting firms, from campus planning to firms assisting with population health management. My approach when working with clients and their leadership team is to listen and truly understand the problem they’re trying to solve. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to develop dozens of strategic plans for health systems and I often draw upon those experiences. Since I served on the provider side of healthcare for almost 25 years, I can appreciate the challenges our clients are facing; however, I try to add value by first setting my experiences aside. I first learn about my client, the community they’re serving, and the unique problem that needs to be addressed. Once I can humbly walk in the shoes of a client, then I draw upon my experiences to help craft unique and differentiating strategic plans and actions.
You’ve been with Ascendient going on two years now. What’s the most interesting or rewarding engagement you’ve worked on so far?
Goodness, I have been fortunate to work on a variety of engagements with fantastic clients! We have one client who utilizes our services on a routine basis, which has allowed the team and me to gain a deep, deep understanding of the organization and its daily challenges, which in turn allows us to take a holistic approach when recommending strategies and action plans. The most rewarding engagements are those where we’re involved from the very beginning all the way through to Board approval.
From healthcare to homelessness to economic development, your LinkedIn is full of volunteer board service. Talk to me about your philosophy or drive for giving back.
I truly believe serving in the healthcare industry has been my calling. As a healthcare strategist, I think it’s vital to not only learn about some of the amazing organizations providing needed services throughout the communities we serve but also view volunteer board service as a responsibility of a healthcare strategist. It’s an opportunity to utilize my talents and help grow the organization I’m serving, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity for me to learn about the services they provide and learn more about other organizations in the community through my fellow board colleagues.
In addition to everything else, you’re currently pursuing a Doctor of Health Administration degree at MUSC. What’s that about? Do you just hate sleeping?
Sleep is definitely hard to come by! Honestly, the healthcare industry has gone through massive transformations since I received my master’s in health administration from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Population health management, health equity and disparities, diversity and inclusion – these topics were not part of the curriculum when I was going through school. Fortunately, they are today, so I felt compelled to go back and hone my skills and knowledge in these areas. Additionally, the DHA at the Medical University of South Carolina has a significant focus on literature research and reviews, and the importance of conducting research that is rooted in deep ethical and peer-reviewed methods.
I’m a better healthcare strategist now as I can quickly conduct research (e.g., why are oncology patients willing to travel for care?) for clients and know it’s accurate and well-designed. Spoiler alert: Perhaps I’ll make my way back in the classroom one day – just not as a student.
You’re known around Ascendient as the guy who never misses a workout. What else do you enjoy when you’re not working (or volunteering or studying)?
Hands down, spending as much time as possible with my wife, Amy, and our two daughters. There is so much truth and wisdom in the saying, “It goes by so fast.” Finding those moments of awe, when my oldest kicks a goal kick 30+ yards or my youngest lands her beam routine, those moments are the most special and rewarding times in my life. The joys I have in my personal life allow me to better serve our clients and help them achieve their business goals. Also, I also take the yard of the month contest very seriously!
And our standard exit question: If you could solve one issue in the US healthcare system that would have the greatest impact, what would that be?
Access to care. Our healthcare system has come a long way in the past several decades, but there are still way too many people who do not access healthcare when it's needed. Perhaps people don’t have adequate health insurance resources, or they lack trust in the healthcare system. It pains me to see people go without care. In my very first class in the MHA program, the professor (an MD), wrote one symbol on the whiteboard, which was a $ sign. Key point, the healthcare industry is about the $. My wish is that the $ symbol be replaced with a picture of a healthy community.
Please click here to view David's full Ascendient bio and connect on LinkedIn.
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