2023 Dynamic Dozen No. 11: CoxHealth

Max Buetow

1423 N. Jefferson Ave.
Top executive: Max Buetow, president and CEO
2022 revenue: $5.9 billion
2020-22 revenue growth: 18%
2022 employees: 12,619
2020-22 employee growth: 3%
Services/products: Health care

SBJ: What has been key to your recent growth?
Max Buetow: Our region continues to attract new residents, and we continue to grow to meet that need. The key to our growth has always been the same in my opinion. Growth does not happen without passionate, committed employees. Since our organization was founded in 1906, our staff members have always been critical to our development. Their adaptability and willingness to serve patients is the key to CoxHealth serving a rapidly growing region and the need in our community.

SBJ: What are your top issues when it comes to managing growth?
Buetow: The top issues we face, particularly in health care, can largely be tied to workforce. We have to find the right talent to fuel our growth. We are working on several innovative, collaborative solutions to support a workforce pipeline to meet the needs of tomorrow.

SBJ: What has the company’s growth enabled you to do?
Buetow: Now more than ever, we are in a position to provide better, more convenient options for our patients. Our ultimate goal is to continue to make CoxHealth the easiest place for colleagues to do great work and for patients to receive great care. We have combined the ability to be nimble from the pandemic with the maturity as an organization as we prepare for the future with the strategic plan.

SBJ: Is your fast growth sustainable?
Buetow: I believe it is. Like I said, I believe we have the best team of colleagues in the region. We are prepared to accelerate our growth. Accelerated growth in health care sometimes means you have to stretch your comfort zone. Our priority is to serve our patients but also serve our team and that requires evaluating growth in a balanced way.

SBJ: Where is the tipping point?
Buetow: That can be different for every organization. Growth for growth’s sake isn’t our goal. It has to be growth that specifically makes CoxHealth the best place to work and receive care.

SBJ: Have your goals changed as the business has taken off?
Buetow: I have been in my current role for about a year, and in that time our team has launched a new strategic plan, which will set the guidelines for the next five years. I believe it’s important to always set new goals and challenge both myself and our teams to continuously better ourselves. Our main goal has stayed the same: care for our community by being the best for those who need us.

SBJ: What is the best business advice you’ve received?
Buetow: I believe you always get farther with collaboration. Steve Edwards used to reference an African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This has never been truer than at our current point in health care and as a state. At CoxHealth, there are things we can do nimbly as an organization to create change. However, the longitudinal change we are going for is only possible with a high level of community collaboration.