Rush University System for Health President and CEO Dr. Omar Lateef recently reflected on how health systems can remain anchored to their nonprofit mission while sustaining operations in a challenging financial environment. In an interview with Becker’s Hospital Review, Dr. Lateef emphasized the importance of staying grounded in a clear “true north” and using collaboration as a strategy for both impact and resilience. For Rush, partnering with community organizations and working alongside other anchor institutions has proven essential. Rather than viewing neighboring hospitals and institutions as competitors, Rush has leaned into collaboration across Chicago’s Medical District to amplify shared goals around health equity and neighborhood investment.
As Dr. Lateef explained, “If everything you do is in partnership with the community and you find other community leaders to invest in these programs, and the other hospitals who are amazing, including UIC and all the hospitals in the medical district, Mount Sinai Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital, they are our partners and we do this work together, not our competitors.” He added that the future of health care lies in collective action, noting, “What I see in the future is for all of us to leverage our collective weight as employers, to leverage our weight as inspirational leaders, to change our neighborhoods so everybody gets healthy.”
This perspective reflects the core principles of the anchor mission approach, where health systems use their economic power, relationships, and leadership to strengthen communities while advancing long-term organizational sustainability.