Pros
’ve worked at OU Health for more than a decade, and the transformation since new leadership arrived has been nothing short of remarkable. As Oklahoma’s flagship academic health system, OU Health has aligned teams around a clear strategic framework and purpose, and the enterprise has taken concrete steps to evolve how we work and communicate. The cadence of CEO town halls/livestreams and enterprise-wide culture resources makes it easier to understand where we’re headed and how our work connects to system priorities. Since Richard P. Lofgren became President & CEO in March 2022, OU Health moved from a holding-company structure to an operating-company model and launched an “OU Health Way” framework that helps hardwire quality, safety, inclusion, and performance into daily operations.
Pros:
• Accessible, transparent executive communication channels (regular CEO town halls, clear messages about vision, priorities, and culture).
• A clear strategic framework (“OU Health Way”) and shared purpose that align teams across departments; resources are easy to find and consistently referenced
• Academic medicine focus with opportunities to work on complex, high-impact care for patients who need the most advanced services.
• Strong enterprise alignment—transformation sessions helped connect 11,000+ team members to system values and goals.
• Growing organizational discipline (operating-company model, clinical business units) that clarifies roles and accelerates outcome.
Advice to Candidates:
If you’re energized by academic medicine and a high-performance culture, you’ll find plenty of room to grow here. Ask about current system priorities, the OU Health Way framework, and how your team contributes to enterprise goals. Expect a fast pace—and a lot of support to help you navigate it.
Cons
• OU Health can feel like a startup at times — fast-paced, high growth, and constant change. If you prefer a slower environment, the velocity here may be challenging.
• As a top-tier academic referral center focused on the sickest patients, the work is intense and not the right fit for everyone.
• Alignment and transformation require sustained effort; pockets of work remain as processes mature.
