Elizabeth C. Malko, Senior Vice President And Chief Medical Officer, Fallon Community Health Plan
Malko
Elizabeth C. Malko is both an engineer and a doctor by training. Now, she's also the new chief medical officer at Worcester-based Fallon Community Health Plan. In this Q&A she talks about how both parts of her background help her in her new position.
Vital stats:
Age: 52
Residence: Shrewsbury
Family: Husband, David, and children, Devin and Sydney
Education: Bachelor's degree in biology and master's degree in environmental engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Doctorate in medicine from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, with residency training in family practice
Previous job: Eastern regional medical director for state-sponsored business at Anthem/WellPoint
Q. How are you settling in at your new office?
A. Very nicely. My pictures are hung and the office is starting to feel like home. All of my colleagues at Fallon Community Health Plan have been warm and welcoming.
Q. What's the biggest surprise you've had in starting the job?
A. Fundamentally, the overarching challenge is to improve health care affordability while maintaining access and quality. At Fallon Community Health Plan, we are focusing on being brilliant at the basics and cultivating innovation. There are no easy solutions, but I believe we have a tight focus on the cost of care and are building programs and relationships that will redefine how we both deliver and pay for health care in Massachusetts.
Q. How different is this job from your previous position?
A. The depth of collaboration with provider groups is a refreshing change. Additionally, the flexibility at Fallon Community Health Plan is a joy after working for a large national organization, and working for a not-for-profit organization brings a very different perspective.
Q. How close is this to what you imagined in high school you'd end up doing?
A. I wanted to be a physician since the seventh grade and I never wavered. Even when I was an engineer, I always wanted to change my course to medicine. But when I thought of practicing medicine, I never imagined that I would be in an administrative position, and the opportunity to create and support systemic change in health care is so exciting. When I went to medical school, I assumed I left behind the skills I had acquired as an engineer. Like most physicians in a management role, it just happened that I ended up in an administrative role. I love what I do and it turns out to be such a perfect blend of the process and project skills, and the problem solving skills that I developed as an engineer, and the clinical skills I developed as a physician.
Q. Where's the best place to get lunch near your new location?
A. I really hate to admit this, but I am an "at your desk" kind of gal--I almost never leave the building, but we have Chestnut's Café in the building which is lovely!
Q. What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
A. I would be quite content to remain where I am today. In 10 years, Fallon Community Health Plan will have become a larger and more diverse provider of care and coverage, and I would be thrilled to be a part of that growth and expansion!
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