Every day, Ob Hospitalist Group’s clinical and operational leadership teams support our clinicians in their programs. The medical director of operations, regional vice president of operations, and director of hospital operations work to help ensure that programs run smoothly and facilitate hospitalists’ success. Dr. Charles Rollison is an MDO for the OBHG region that includes Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
He focuses on clinical operations, including clinical leadership, hospital relationships, new program starts, clinical strategic leadership, and business development support. Our MDOs help ensure the clinical teams are delivering quality programs that achieve both OBHG’s and the hospital’s clinical and operational objectives.
How long have you worked with OBHG and how have you seen the organization evolve?
I joined OBHG in September 2013 as a hospitalist after 15 years in a general OB/GYN practice, and was selected for the MDO position after being with the company for six months. I’ve witnessed expansive growth in the number of physicians, programs and support staff in the time I’ve been with OBHG.
What lessons has working in your current field taught you?
I’m always reminded that the most important things in this, and any role, are transparency, honesty, and clear communication.
What do you see on the horizon in the field of OB/GYN or hospitalist medicine?
I believe there will continue to be a rapid expansion of OB hospitalist programs across the nation, much as there was for internal medicine hospitalists not all that long ago.
What are the important ways that you think you can support our clinicians on the ground?
We select quality physicians for our teams, and give them a fair amount of autonomy to run the programs. They’re the best individuals to tell us what will and won’t work at their hospitals.
I think it’s important to be accessible, a good listener, and to respond promptly when help is needed. Specifically, I can help clinicians address relationships, either with their team or community physicians. I can also help with professional development and offer guidance when hospitalists want to advance within the company.
How we manage the team, address issues, and demonstrate that we want to provide people feedback speaks a lot to the longevity of the programs and the longevity of the clinicians themselves.
What do you love the most about what you do?
I really enjoy building new relationships with our physicians and team leads. It’s very rewarding to watch them become better leaders and better hospitalists. I also really enjoy new programs and start-ups where we build and implement a program from start to finish. It’s very rewarding to watch it all come together as we pick the team, build the program, suit it to the hospital, and launch on the first day.
Tell us about your background and your family.
I grew up in Pontiac, Michigan. I went to medical school and completed my residency at Michigan State University. After graduation I spent three years active duty as a staff OB/GYN at Naval Hospital Cherry Point, North Carolina. After leaving the Navy, I practiced general OB/GYN in Indiana and Michigan for 15 years. I also completed a master’s degree in Health Administration in 2014. My wife, June, is a maternal-fetal medicine physician. I have a son, Noah, who is 16 and daughter, Lauren, who is 13.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
We have a cabin in northern Michigan, and spend as much free time as we can there year round. We enjoy being on the water, whether boating, skiing, or fishing. In the winter months we do a lot of snowmobiling as Michigan has almost 6,0000 miles of groomed trails and we can ride right from our door. Travel is also a family favorite; our next destination is Paris.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve always wanted to be a physician. That’s all I ever wanted to do.
What is something that people might not know about you?
I was a state champion baseball player my senior year in high school. No one would look at me now and think that!