Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Tina Garrison, Chief Operating Officer of SSM Health’s St. Louis and Southern Illinois Region
Date: February 11, 2026
Host: Laura Deardle
Guest: Tina Garrison

Episode Overview

This episode features Tina Garrison, Chief Operating Officer of SSM Health’s St. Louis and Southern Illinois Region. Tina discusses her career journey, the ongoing transformation at SSM Health, major achievements in operational efficiency, and her perspective on growth and collaboration within the healthcare ecosystem. The conversation explores how SSM Health remains grounded in its mission while adapting to industry demands, and what priorities and challenges the organization is focusing on for 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tina Garrison’s Background and SSM Health’s Mission

• Tina’s Career Path
  • With SSM Health for nearly 25 years, Tina began in quality improvement (not as a clinician), rising through several executive positions to COO.
    • "I've been with SSM health for almost 25 years. I started in the quality department, so before I became an executive, my career was in quality improvement." (01:03)
• Mission-Driven Organization
  • SSM Health’s Catholic, not-for-profit structure spans Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, employing about 15,000 doctors and 40,000 team members.
  • The organization’s mission—"through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God"—is a core motivation for long-time staff.
    • "When you ask people who've been at SSM...what keeps you here? The most common and most popular answer is the mission." (01:57)

Major Initiative: Project Core

[02:39–04:16]

• Project Core (Clinical Optimization and Repositioning for Excellence)
  • Multi-year operational transformation project focused on optimizing all aspects of care delivery, from workforce to supply chain.
  • SSM Health dramatically exceeded its financial goal in the first year:
    • "We set out to achieve a goal of $100 million...we were able though to achieve $155 million." (03:23)
  • Additional savings of $139 million in the second year, with an ongoing commitment to iterate and refresh strategies going into the third year (2026).
  • Emphasis on "ever better every single day," keeping patients at the center.
  • "It's our ongoing commitment to be ever better every single day, with the focus always being on patients and ensuring we deliver the most exceptional care right place at the right time." (04:13)

2026 Priorities and Navigating Headwinds

[04:38–06:17]

• Optimizing Patient Experience
  • Focus on delivering superior clinical quality and patient satisfaction, connecting both as markers of health outcomes.
• Service Line Innovation
  • Implementing and refining service line strategies to determine best location and approach for each specialty, driving centers of excellence.
  • "We've been able to improve outcomes, improve quality, improve satisfaction and improve access to care by using service lines." (05:12)
• Mission and Adaptability
  • Patient-centered, mission-guided decision-making is core to responding to new challenges.
  • "We are always guided by our mission. Those two things are the things that keep us grounded..." (05:50)

Biggest Challenges Ahead

[06:40–07:42]

• Financial Pressures and Industry Change
  • Adapting to financial constraints and rapid transformation in healthcare systems.
  • Tina sees hardship as an opportunity for innovation and stronger sustainability:
    • "It's about turning challenges into catalysts for improvement, ensuring we deliver exceptional care while building a sustainable path forward." (06:53)
  • SSM Health’s legacy—rooted in the ministry started 150 years ago—serves as inspiration for perseverance and evolution in uncertain times.

Growth and Collaboration Opportunities

[08:03–10:52]

• Inter-System Collaboration
  • SSM Health values cooperation with other strong health systems in St. Louis to serve the community better, with examples such as food distribution and addressing social determinants of health.
    • "One of the great things about healthcare is by and large we collaborate a lot more than we compete." (08:03)
  • Joint-venture laundry facility in a challenged zip code provides jobs and meets crucial patient care needs:
    • "...really amazing to see because we know that laundry and linen are some of the most basic needs that we have to take care of patients to protect their infection status as well as their dignity..." (09:22)
• Affiliate & Rural Strategies
  • Projections for growth include partnering with rural healthcare facilities, supporting community hospitals, and providing quaternary care when needed.
  • "Rural healthcare is changing all the time...we have a strategy to make sure that we can support those rural locations to the best of our ability..." (10:02)
• Centers of Excellence
  • Continued investment in service lines and developing new centers of excellence strategically contributes to both quality and expansion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On SSM Health’s Mission:

  "Everything we do at SSM Health is guided by our mission, which is through our exceptional healthcare services, we reveal the healing presence of God." – Tina Garrison (01:43)

• On Surpassing Operational Goals:

  "We set out to achieve a goal of $100 million...we were able though to achieve $155 million." – Tina Garrison (03:23)

• On Turning Challenges into Growth:

  "It's about turning challenges into catalysts for improvement, ensuring we deliver exceptional care while building a sustainable path forward." – Tina Garrison (06:53)

• On Community Collaboration:

  "One of the great things about healthcare is by and large we collaborate a lot more than we compete." – Tina Garrison (08:03)

• On Addressing Basic Needs and Dignity:

  "Laundry and linen are some of the most basic needs that we have to take care of patients to protect their infection status as well as their dignity..." – Tina Garrison (09:22)

Key Timestamps

• [01:03] Tina’s career and SSM Health’s mission
• [02:39] Project Core explanation and achievements
• [04:38] Priorities for 2026 and continuous innovation
• [06:40] Financial pressures and adaptive leadership
• [08:03] Growth through collaboration and rural outreach
• [09:22] Community impact of new laundry facility
• [10:02] Affiliate strategy for rural healthcare

Conclusion

Tina Garrison provides insight into how SSM Health is transforming operations, nurturing a mission-driven workforce, and collaborating across the St. Louis region and beyond. With a relentless focus on patient experience, operational sustainability, and community partnership, SSM Health aims to navigate industry challenges and continue its legacy of exceptional, compassionate care.