Ellington Jones, DrPH, MHA, MBA, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer of Surgical Specialties at UC San Diego Health

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Summary
Episode Title: Ellington Jones, DrPH, MHA, MBA, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer of Surgical Specialties at UC San Diego Health
Release Date: June 23, 2025
Host: Scott Becker

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Introduction

In this episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast, host Scott Becker engages in an insightful conversation with Ellington Jones, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Surgical Specialties at UC San Diego Health. The discussion delves into Ellington’s extensive career in healthcare administration, his current initiatives at UC San Diego Health, and his valuable advice for emerging leaders in the industry.

Ellington Jones' Background and UC San Diego Health Overview

Ellington Jones shares his professional journey, highlighting his current role at UC San Diego Health, a distinguished part of the University of California system. As CAO for Surgical Specialties, Ellington oversees a broad spectrum of services, including surgery, obstetrics & gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, and urology, collectively referred to as the "four O's." Additionally, he collaborates with pediatric faculty, managing approximately 12,000 annual admissions, 400,000 outpatient visits, and 19,000 surgeries each year.

Notable Quote:
"I oversee our ambulatory and service line operations and strategy for all of our clinical enterprise." [01:06]

Before his tenure at UC San Diego Health, Ellington served as the Executive Director of Digestive Diseases at UChicago Medicine and held various roles at Tennant Healthcare, where he gained substantial experience in service line strategy and national healthcare operations.

Advice for Emerging Leaders

When asked about his best advice for aspiring healthcare leaders, Ellington emphasizes the importance of positivity, stakeholder management, emotional intelligence, and executive presence. Reflecting on his own journey from an MHA student to a seasoned administrator, he underscores these attributes as critical for fostering collaboration and effective leadership.

Notable Quotes:
"Be positive. Positivity is the most strategic attribute I think that you can possess in leadership." [02:58]
"Hone your emotional intelligence and executive presence... Your emotional intelligence isn't just a soft skill, it's really your superpower as an administrator." [04:45]

Ellington advises emerging leaders to maintain a positive attitude to inspire and support their teams, effectively manage diverse stakeholders, and develop emotional intelligence to navigate the high-stakes decisions inherent in healthcare settings.

Current Focus and Excitement in Healthcare

Ellington expresses enthusiasm about the transformative era in healthcare, particularly at UC San Diego Health, under the leadership of CEO Patty Mason. He highlights three main areas of focus:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Note-Taking

UC San Diego Health is strategically implementing AI to enhance physician wellness by reducing the administrative burden of charting. A pilot AI note-taking program aims to increase the time physicians spend interacting with patients rather than on computer tasks.

Notable Quote:
"With AI, it's really going to help physicians spend more human minutes with patients than computer minutes." [06:04]

Ellington acknowledges the importance of leadership in integrating AI, mentioning Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Chris Longhurst and Chief Health AI Officer Dr. Karendeep Singh's roles in this initiative.

2. Expansion Through East Campus Acquisition

The acquisition of East Campus, a newly acquired hospital in East San Diego, marks a significant expansion for UC San Diego Health. This move enhances capacity, community outreach, and maintains the institution’s academic mission.

3. Hillcrest Redevelopment and McGrath Outpatient Pavilion

A major redevelopment project in Hillcrest involves the construction of the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, a six-floor, 250,000-square-foot facility set to open on July 14th. This pavilion will consolidate top-tier outpatient services, including oncology, neurosurgery, urology, digestive diseases, and various surgical specialties, thereby elevating the patient experience.

Notable Quote:
"It's really going to give us a little breathing room and a chance to elevate the patient experience." [07:30]

Team Collaboration and Data-Driven Communication

Ellington praises the collaborative culture at UC San Diego Health, attributing much of the institution's success to effective communication and data utilization. He advocates for using data to support claims and drive value-based decisions, ensuring that discussions about resource needs and operational efficiencies are grounded in measurable metrics.

Notable Quote:
"Without data, you're just another person with an opinion." [09:02]
"We need help... These are the conversations and the tactics that we use to sort of prioritize where we're going to invest and how we're going to grow." [09:30]

By incorporating data into communications, the team can clearly demonstrate needs and outcomes, facilitating informed decision-making and strategic investments. Ellington highlights examples such as nurse triage efficiency and patient satisfaction scores to illustrate the impact of data-driven strategies.

Conclusion

Scott Becker wraps up the conversation by commending Ellington Jones for his exemplary leadership and the progressive initiatives underway at UC San Diego Health. Ellington's commitment to fostering a positive and collaborative environment, coupled with strategic use of technology and data, positions UC San Diego Health at the forefront of transformative healthcare delivery.

Notable Closing Quote:
"I'm very proud of the teams and I'm really excited about the future." [09:45]

Ellington expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to share UC San Diego Health’s advancements and looks forward to continued growth and innovation within the organization.

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This episode offers a comprehensive look into the leadership and strategic initiatives shaping UC San Diego Health, providing valuable insights for healthcare professionals and leaders aiming to drive impactful change in the industry.

Transcript

[A]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Healthcare Podcast. I've got the complete pleasure today to speak to a remarkable leader. We're talking today to Ellington Jones. Ellington is the Chief Administrative Officer at UC San Diego Health. UC San Diego Health, part of the UC system, a magnificent system. Ellington, can you take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself and about UC San Diego?

[B]

Absolutely. First, I have to start by saying thank you, Scott. I've been listening since the early days when you were just getting this thing off the ground. And man, what a remarkable podcast that you've built. And it gives folks like me a platform to share their experiences in this industry. Many of us, we don't really have the opportunity to network as much as we'd like, so it gives us a chance to hear about what's transpiring out there. So thank you for this and congratulations.

[A]

Well, thank you. Thank you very, very much. Our goal is to amplify great health system leaders and great health systems. So thank you so much for joining us. Ellington, tell us about yourself and about UC San Diego.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. So I'm Ellington Jones. I currently serve as the Chief Administrative Officer for surgical specialties here at UC San Diego Health. We have three other exceptional CEOs in our system and each of us partner with our institutional leaders, our department chairs over in the School of Medicine, and we oversee our ambulatory and service line operations and strategy for all of our clinical enterprise. So my portfolio is soup with four O's. We come up with these crazy acronyms so they can remember everything. Surgery, ob, gyn, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, urology. And I also work with our pediatric faculty. We'll do about 12,000 annual admissions in our services, close to 400,000 outpatient visits, 19,000 surgeries annually. And we get to work with 155 brilliant academic faculty here at UC San Diego Health. Before joining UCSD, I had some great, great experiences in academic medicine at UChicago Medicine, where I was the Executive Director of Digestive Diseases there. It's an exceptional institution which I'm sure you're aware of in the greater Chicagoland area. And then prior to that I was at Tennant Healthcare, where I got to serve in various roles, from fellow to a national role in service line strategy. And it's also I learned a lot about healthcare working for Tennant. It's also a great organization as well.

[A]

Just fantastic. And take a moment, Ellington. You've had this great career, great institutions, and just continue to thrive and Grow. Before we talk about trends and where you're most focused, take a moment and give us what's your best advice you give to emerging leaders? What do you tell emerging leaders trying to impactful careers?

[B]

Oh, man. You know, it doesn't seem that long ago I was this big eyed MHA student, just graduating, wondering, you know, what the world health care was all about. And I could tell you, you don't really appreciate everything until you, you know, you're several years in. I guess I have four I, four big ones that I always keep in the back of mind. The first one is just be positive. You know, have some levity in your collaboration with others. Positivity is the most strategic attribute I think that you can possess in leadership. No one wants to be around someone who, you know, always has something negative or is always pointing out problems with no solutions. Right. People in this industry are drawn to help and support. Right. And definitely more so if they feel appreciated. So positivity leads to growth, collaboration leads to stronger relationships. I'd also say learn how to manage your stakeholders in healthcare, right. Particularly in academic medicine, you know, we've got our physicians, nurses, other administrators, researchers, community partners. They all have different goals, they all speak different languages. And as you move up in the organization, the list of stakeholders that you're tasked with partnering with, that becomes longer, right. And so you have to be able to manage your time. And trust me, you know, they'll, they'll remind you when they're not getting what they need. The other one I would probably say is hone your emotional intelligence and executive presence. I know those, those are kind of buzzwordy, but you know, in healthcare you're leading brilliant, passionate people through life and death decisions, you know, every single day. You don't really realize it at first. And your emotional intelligence isn't just, you know, a soft skill, it's, it's really your superpower as, as an administrator. And you know, just the other day, you know, we had a physician who pretty much worked a 30 hour day and it's kind of just reading that exhaustion. You know, maybe a surgery went wrong and now a research grant got cut. You know, in the, in our ED, we've seen a 32% increase in ED volume over the last couple of years. And when we round in the ed, we'll see, you know, nurses dealing with the packed ed, then they've got to turn around and deliver a crucial update to an anxious family. So giving them the space to express their feelings, but managing your response to that in a way that's productive.

[A]

Thank you very, very much. No, I love that advice, quite frankly. And taking people where they're at, reading the room, trying to be supportive because things aren't always easy and sometimes you don't know what's going on in somebody's life that they're working with and trying to just read that well and handle it well. I love that. Talk a little bit about there's so much information coming out and not coming out about what might happen to reimbursement, about different challenges, access and so forth. What are you most focused on and excited about currently? Ellington? Where are you most focused and excited?

[B]

Yeah, Scott. So there's a lot to be excited about in healthcare nowadays. I think we're probably in the most game changing era in the industry and particularly here at UC San Diego Health. And it's all led by our really exceptional CEO Patty Mason. And I'm just thrilled to be a part of it. I'd say a few things in my sphere and it's AI have a game plan for AI. We're looking at it strategically. So for example, note taking. We implemented a pilot note taking program to boost physician wellness. Cut down on charting, and it has proven to us already that these technologies should enhance the human interaction and not replace it. Right. There's been note taking and dictation for years, but with AI, it's really going to help physicians spend more human minutes with patients than computer minutes. And from a systems viewpoint, you know, you got to really have leadership around that. So Dr. Chris Longhurst, our chief Clinical officer, was the first to really embrace it and he brought on Dr. Karendeep Singh, who's our chief health AI officer, who's helping us lead it. The next one is really our expansion because we're really facing a crunch and we're bringing on East Campus, which is a newly acquired hospital on the east part of San Diego. It was a massive success. Folding that into our operation. It's boosted our capacity, our community outreach, all while upholding our academic mission. And then one thing that we're probably really excited about is our Hillcrest redevelopment, which is we've got a downtown campus on in Hillcrest, which is sort of our OG Medical center. But it's undergoing a three billion dollar redevelopment right now. And in July we're going to be opening the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion on July 14th to be exact. And it's a six floor, 250,000 square foot facility that's going to really bring top tier services all in one location on the outpatient in the outpatient arena, oncology, neurosurgery, urology, digestive diseases, and all of our surgical specialties like plastics, vascular, ENT, and orthopedics, all in one spot. It's really going to give us a little breathing room and a chance to elevate the patient experience.

[A]

Fantastic. How exciting is that? And take one more moment. Ellington, if you had to give a shout out to your, to your team, to the people you work with or about UC San Diego, what would you tell us to inspire us and give us positive thoughts about UC San Diego and your team?

[B]

Yes, Scott. I mean, one thing that I love about UC San Diego is that we have a very collaborative culture here. And I'm so proud of all of the exceptional work that everyone's done to create that culture and drive value to the communities that we serve. One of the things that I think we've been able to do to help us drive that is communicate with data. You know, especially with, you know, administrators, but also, you know, clinicians. I would, you know, really shout out to all of our clinicians and give that advice to really everyone else. You know, it's sort of like that. I think it was Edwards Deming who had a quote, you know, without data, you're just another person with an opinion. Or how about this one? You know, in God we trust. But everyone else, you got to bring data, right? So, you know, if you're communicating, you know, we desperately need more nurses in the clinic. We can't handle the. The patient load. Let's figure out how we can incorporate data into claims and statements in order to drive value. So, for example, last year our nurses triaged 18 patients a session. Our triage time was nine minutes. We had a net promoter score of 90%. This year, we're seeing 28 patients a session. Fifteen minutes is our triage time. So we're less efficient with a higher workload. And our Net Promoter score is down to 82%. We need help. These are the conversations and the. And the tactics that we use to sort of prioritize where we're going to invest and how we're going to grow. And it's been really successful to see that transformation at ucsd. And I'm very proud of the teams and I'm really excited about the future.

[A]

Thank you very, very much. I love that in this need to keep on focusing on not just your subjective thoughts, which are very, very important, but also the data. So you're really squaring them and centralizing them and making sure they're correct. Ellington What a great leadership career. Thank you for joining us today on the Beckers Healthcare podcast. Thank you so much.

[B]

Thank you, Scott. It was a pleasure to be on.