"As a physician in training, we have been trained to believe that we are the leaders of every team. That we should know more than anyone in the room, or we must not be a good doctor. Throw that out."

Dr. Saria Saccocio spent months during COVID not sleeping, trying to solve every problem herself while managing care for 1.3 million people. She was drowning under the weight of leadership until she had an epiphany that would fundamentally change how she leads: "Maybe I don't have to have all the answers myself. Perhaps I'm not the only one who comes up with solutions." That realization—that her medical training had actually taught her the wrong leadership model—became the foundation of her approach as Chief Medical Officer of Essence Healthcare. Five years later, she describes watching her team shift "from a brain drain to a recharge," becoming one of the most creative and innovative teams she's ever led.

Dr. Saccocio's leadership philosophy centers on what she calls "let go and lead"—a mantra she returns to whenever anxiety creeps in. "Leading is not always directing," she explains. "Leading is inspiring, empowering and enabling everyone to sit at the table, speak up, show up, and do things. Build everyone else's confidence." After a year with Essence, she's most proud not of her own decisions but of "the work that they do, the creativity that they have now that they're working across swim lanes and doing things together." This approach hasn't just prevented burnout—it's unlocked innovation. From eliminating prior authorizations through physician collaboration to providing Oura rings to Medicare Advantage seniors, Essence Healthcare's solutions emerge from empowered teams, not top-down mandates.

What makes Dr. Saccocio's perspective particularly powerful is her refusal to abandon clinical practice. After two decades as a family physician, she still sees patients at a free clinic, maintaining what she calls "a sacred relationship" that keeps her grounded in the vulnerability patients experience. Her closing advice to women leaders is deceptively simple but hard-won: "Don't forget to be you. Let's stop trying to be someone else. You are at that table because you are you. Bring your whole self to work. Bring your whole self wherever you go."

Key Insights:

About the Guest: Dr. Saria Saccocio is Chief Medical Officer at Essence Healthcare, a 21-year-old regional Medicare Advantage plan with consistently high star ratings. A practicing family physician for over two decades, she previously held leadership roles at CareMore Health, Elance Health, Securas, Carilion Health, and LifePoint Hospitals. She continues seeing patients at Greenville Free Medical Clinic. Recorded live at Nashville Sessions conference.

Health Podcast Network

Chapters

00:00 - Redefining Physician Leadership

01:11 - Why ESSENCE Healthcare

04:04 - Navigating Medicare Advantage Disruption

12:35 - Why She Still Practices Medicine

18:33 - OURA Rings and Digital Health Literacy

24:28 - Leadership Evolution: The COVID Moment

29:33 - Bring Your Whole Self to Work

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