DGTL Voices with Ed Marx

Episode: From War to Wellness (ft. Dr. George Kikano)

Date: February 12, 2025

Overview

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Ed Marx welcomes Dr. George Kikano, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine at Central Michigan University. Together, they explore Dr. Kikano’s remarkable journey from growing up during the Lebanese civil war to pioneering medical education in rural Michigan. The episode weaves together stories of resilience, leadership philosophy, digital innovation in medicine, and the enduring importance of leading with purpose and empathy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life and Impact of War

Timestamps: [03:13]–[06:06]

• Dr. Kikano recounts his childhood in Lebanon, the sudden disruption of civil war at age 14, and the enduring impact of living through such turmoil.
• He shares the vivid realities of loss, fear, and surviving in a war-torn society, including the death of a close friend.
• Emphasizes how these experiences shaped his worldview:

  "Not to be dramatic about it, but these life experiences shape who you are, shape how you approach decisions, build resilience for someone who, I mean, you know how to deal with adversity and leaves you with physical scars and emotional scars for the rest of your life, unfortunately." – Dr. Kikano [05:20]

2. Coming to America and Medical Career Beginnings

Timestamps: [06:32]–[08:36]

• Details his academic journey from the American University of Beirut to a postdoc at Case Western Reserve, and subsequent residency in family medicine at University Hospitals, Cleveland.
• Relates the satisfaction of building a department and enriching clinical programs in the US before taking on the challenge in Michigan.

3. Motivation to Become a Physician

Timestamps: [08:42]–[09:58]

• Personal motivation drawn from witnessing his father's chronic illness and inadequate care.
• Chose family medicine to make a real difference in patients' and families' lives across generations:

  "I said, you know what, I'm going to grow up and make a difference and I'm going to be different from the experience I've been seeing happening with a father who's older, with chronic illnesses." – Dr. Kikano [08:58]

• Continues to practice clinically, believing it grounds his administrative work and keeps him connected to patient needs.

4. Transition to Leadership and Philosophy

Timestamps: [09:58]–[11:30]

• Advocates for the importance of physicians in leadership roles, as clinical engagement brings credibility and helps inform decisions that affect patients and communities.
• Stresses combining business acumen with clinical practice:

  "...the combination of a practicing clinician with executive functions leads to better health outcomes..." [10:13]

5. Building Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine

Timestamps: [11:30]–[13:54]

• Dr. Kikano explains the rural physician shortage that inspired the founding of the new medical school.
• He led the effort to craft a mission-driven program focused on serving underserved and rural populations, primary care, and mental health.
• Celebrates placing >60% of graduates into primary care, and significant numbers in psychiatry, directly impacting health equity in Michigan.

6. The Modern Dean & Culture Building

Timestamps: [13:54]–[14:26]

• Views his role mainly as selecting, empowering, and supporting strong faculty and staff, while “getting out of their way.”
• Leadership centers on resource-providing, protecting his team from politics, and fostering alignment with mission:

  "My job is not to get in the way. My job is to manage politics, external worlds and provide resources for my team who is outstanding." – Dr. Kikano [13:54]

7. Digital Innovation in Medical Education

Timestamps: [14:26]–[17:03]

• Central Michigan’s curriculum is fully digital – no traditional lectures, textbooks, or PowerPoints.

• Emphasizes interactive learning, digital libraries, and immersive simulation centers using robotics and advanced models (e.g., Da Vinci robot for surgical simulations).

• The sim centers also serve wider communities, providing training for rural medical professionals and emergency simulations across Michigan.

  "We have no books, we have no PowerPoint at this point. The other tech piece of it, which is very exciting is the simulation center... You can practice anything as real life as possible." – Dr. Kikano [14:54]

• Dr. Kikano highlights how starting a new program allowed them to avoid legacy constraints and embrace high-tech, learner-centered education from the start.

8. Broader Responsibilities: Health Affairs and Rural Health Equity

Timestamps: [17:03]–[18:46]

• Coordination across allied health professions, promoting interprofessional education.
• Development of the Rural Health Equity Institute to address severe provider shortages in underserved communities throughout Michigan.

9. Personal Philosophy and Leadership Lessons

Timestamps: [18:46]–[21:00]

• On Failure: Mistakes are inevitable and essential for growth; avoidance of failure is a sign of lack of risk or progress.
• On balance:

  "You can be successful in one unless you have peace, unless you're balancing the other part of your life... The balance between personal and professional is key to success." – Dr. Kikano [19:57]

• He shares a memorable piece of business school advice:

  "If you're climbing the ladder of success and you reach the top, the last thing you want to do is find yourself that your ladder was in the wrong wall." – Dr. Kikano [20:35]

10. Guidance for Non-Clinician Healthcare Leaders

Timestamps: [21:00]–[22:41]

• The US healthcare system is highly complex and often frustrating, but digital and IT are now the essential backbone.
• Urges non-clinician leaders to focus on the difference they can make in patients’ and communities’ lives, despite systemic imperfections.

11. Respect, Trust, and Leadership in Action

Timestamps: [23:59]–[24:28]

• Final lesson: Leadership success is built on trust, respect, and cultivating positive culture.

• "Trust your team. Treat people with respect. I mean you're as good as your weakest link ... unless you have a good culture ... you’re not going to be successful." – Dr. Kikano [23:59]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Living with Purpose:

  "You have to live your life in purpose. You live once... Just focus on the purpose and the mission." – Dr. Kikano [02:08]

• On Cultural Roots and Music:

  "One of my favorite [artists] is Feyrouz... unless you grew up in the Middle East, you would not know what these songs are." – Dr. Kikano [01:22]
  (Feyrouz added to the Digital Voices podcast playlist.)

• Leader’s Role Defined:

  "...my job is not to get in the way. My job is to manage politics, external worlds and provide resources for my team who is outstanding." – Dr. Kikano [13:54]

• On Digital Transformation in Training:

  "We have no books, we have no PowerPoint at this point... The SIM center... is quite core to what we do." – Dr. Kikano [14:54]

• Resilience and Growth:

  "What does not kill you makes you stronger... you retool and move forward." – Dr. Kikano [06:18]

• On Success and Meaning:

  "As you're climbing, as you're going up, make sure, I mean, this is your North Star. You're not putting work for things you're not passionate about." – Dr. Kikano [20:45]

• On Healthcare's Mission:

  "...your North Star should be patients and communities. Yeah, that's what matters." – Dr. Kikano [22:41]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:22] – Dr. Kikano shares musical tastes and cultural heritage
• [03:13] – Accounts of surviving the Lebanese civil war
• [08:58] – Why he became a physician
• [10:13] – Physician leadership and staying grounded in clinical practice
• [11:47] – Founding Central Michigan University's College of Medicine
• [14:54] – Digital and simulation-based medical education
• [17:28] – Role of EVP Health Affairs and rural health focus
• [19:57] – Balancing personal and professional life
• [20:35] – Window on meaningful career progression
• [23:59] – Fundamental values: trust, respect, positive culture

Conclusion

This episode of DGTL Voices delivers both inspirational anecdotes and forward-facing strategies for digital transformation and leadership in healthcare. Dr. George Kikano’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, mission-driven leadership, and the transformative potential of combining clinical wisdom with digital innovation. The conversation is rich in practical leadership advice, personal reflection, and a clear call to keep patients and communities at the heart of all healthcare endeavors.