This Lifelong Learner — and Community Hospital President — Believes We Are All One

“I am a teacher in my soul,” says Margaret McKenzie, MD. “When you teach, you learn and I am a lifelong learner.”

Anytime she’s faced with a challenge, Dr. McKenzie, President of Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital, digs in and finds out all she can about the topic. And then happily shares what she’s learned.

“The more educated we get, the more we will understand that we are all one. If I get your kidney, it doesn’t matter what color or size you are or what your philosophy is — if we are a match, your kidney will function perfectly inside of me. We are all one.”

Margaret McKenzie, MD

Q: You’ve said the word “diversity” is overused. Can you elaborate on that?

Most of us misinterpret its meaning and feel it is related to race, but it is so much more. People from different backgrounds, life experiences and walks of life bring fresh insight into how we do our work. How we work has to reflect the clientele that we serve. It has to do with trust and building relationships. If we reflect the population — come from the same background, look the same, share some of the same family values — than we might better understand what is important to our patients. It’s that simple and that necessary.

Q: It’s been several months since you were named President of South Pointe Hospital. Anything you’ve learned so far that has surprised you?

That there is more systems-thinking going on within the enterprise than I even thought. Beforehand, it felt as though we were still siloed. While silos do remain, we are more systems-based than siloed. A great example is nursing with their shared governance model. They are very consistent across the board. I think we all could learn from them.

Q: You still see patients. Advice on balancing multiple demanding roles?

My first love: patient care. For me, it’s excellence and adopting a patients-first mantra. From there it’s easy to align all your work with that particular value.

Finding an advanced practice nurse to share my practice has been the one thing I’ve turned to for providing efficient patient care. Earlier in my career, I felt like I always had to do everything myself. While you may want to promote excellence in everything you touch, you can’t be everything to everyone. Find people who share your passion, your value and share your work with them.

Q: Advice you would give to your 20-year-old self?

Chill out. Follow your passion. Reinvention is necessary. If you wake up one day and are in some place that isn’t where you want to be, change it.

Q: Something your colleagues may be surprised to learn about you?

I rode a motorcycle on Highway 101 from Astoria, Oregon, to the California Coast in the summer of 1978.

Dr. McKenzie, an Ob/Gyn, is also Assistant Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.