3 little words: A CXO’s love letter to healthcare

In December, after a routine appointment with my primary care provider, I heard three little words that would change everything.

“You have cancer.”

Suddenly, the world stopped spinning. With those three little words, I was stepping into unfamiliar territory, navigating a system I thought I knew from the inside out. I felt vulnerable. But I also felt closer to my work than ever.

Cancer isn’t the death sentence it once was. It's one disease where survivorship rates have transformed during my lifetime. And mine was caught early. I was in the hands of a fantastic healthcare system—a system I had been part of for more than 20 years. I personally know how responsive, caring, and safe this industry can be, especially in moments like these. By all accounts, I was lucky.

So I did what any CXO would do. I opened my laptop, and wrote this blog.

Technically, the blog would come later. But I did open my laptop. And then I got to work, mapping out next steps—not as a healthcare leader, but as a patient looking for answers.

When you learn you have cancer, where do you even start?

Despite working alongside some of the best healthcare professionals in the world, I found myself relying on the same tools as everyone else. I turned to Google, searching for a doctor—not by name, but by “best endometrial cancer doctor near me.”

This was a first for me. And the results didn’t exactly meet my hopes or expectations. Listings were incomplete, or outdated. Or they simply didn’t have the information I needed to make a confident choice. I clicked, scrolled, and searched again—only to end up more frustrated than before. How could something so important be this hard to navigate and find? It made me realize how crucial it is for patients to have reliable information where and when they need it.

1. The first hurdle is knowing whom to trust

The past few months have made one thing clear: The “consumer experience” is inseparable from the “patient experience.” It's the first leg of your healthcare journey, and an amazing opportunity for organizations to build trust. And it sets the stage for what’s ahead.

During those daunting early days, you need to cut through the sheer volume of messages, to find accurate, authentic, and trustworthy information. Some of the greatest reassurance comes from patients like you, describing their experiences with doctors—how they helped them navigate an uncertain journey—in online reviews.

2. Sharing our stories creates a web of support

I found a lot of comfort in those reviews, in hearing from others who have walked this path before. They were honest and validating—an indispensable part of my process.

These kinds of stories become our lifelines in times of crisis. I was an early champion of transparency—of amplifying the patient voice in a public, accessible way. It’s what fuels our faith in the healthcare system. Reviews help us understand what to expect, so we can make the best decisions for ourselves and our loved ones. And they make us more engaged. When we read reviews, we feel empowered in our own care. When we leave them, we feel like our voice matters—that our feedback will be heard and acted upon, that we are helping others who will follow in our footsteps.

3. At its heart, healthcare is a system of gratitude and love

We often talk about healthcare in quantifiable terms. Data and metrics. Benchmarks and outcomes.

But more recently, this concept of the Human Experience has woven its way into the narrative. The idea that healthcare isn't just about numbers, but about the people those numbers represent. And we are each on a lifelong journey, where connection matters as much as clinical results. Where care is most effective when it's also personal, and every person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

4. We make healthcare better through research, safety, and high reliability

Lastly, healthcare is always getting better, and safer, for us all.

Having spent the best part of my career in academic medicine, I’ve always understood the importance of research. But now, it’s also personal.

The reason cancer is no longer the perilous journey it once was is because we, as an industry, have made significant strides in detection, education, and treatment. In the lab, advancing genetic understanding. In our national Comprehensive Cancer Centers, where research and care go hand in hand. Overseen by our primary care providers, who keep up to date on the latest screening protocols. And supported by our delivery teams, who are building systems to identify and respond to risk as soon as possible. Every part of this system is passionately dedicated to improving safe and effective care.

I credit the success of my treatment and recovery to a thorough and careful primary care provider, an amazing GYN/ONC surgeon, and skilled nurses who quickly detected and responded to safety concerns. The entire system just worked—and worked together so I received the best possible care, and realized the best possible outcome. And that’s why I’m continuing the chain of improvement by participating in future cancer research.

In a sense, I write this as a love letter to the healthcare community. I’ve worked in this industry for over three decades. It has been nothing short of exhilarating. Healthcare has transformed. We've seen profound innovations that have left a lasting mark on our field. Some detect diseases earlier, faster, and more accurately. Others have made care safer than it's ever been. But all help people live longer, richer lives—and are a testament to our unwavering commitment to exceptional, reliable care.

I’ve also seen our industry become more engaging, more consistent, more mindful. And that brings me the greatest joy—joy in helping shape a system that builds trust as it heals bodies.

Because that is our eternal mission: to create a system that puts the Human Experience first. A system that’s accessible, reliable, and truly human-centered. One that makes each person feel seen and understood, no matter who they are, or where they are on their journey.

I’m blessed that I had that experience at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital at University of Utah Health. And I carry that same sense of care and compassion with me, every day, and bring it back to my work at Press Ganey.

So that, when someone else hears those three little words, or any life-altering diagnosis, they have the strength to find hope in the unknown, and the courage to press forward.

And to do so knowing none of us is alone.