We’re proud to share in the careers of so many incredible healthcare professionals who are not only experts in their field but also dedicated to the health and vitality of their community.
Meet Dr. Naveen Yellappa, Medical Director for our Sound Hospital Medicine programs at AdventHealth Palm Coast Hospital and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway Hospital in Palm Coast, Florida. As a passionate leader, he shares how Sound’s commitment to support and collaboration has facilitated the growth of his team and personal career.
What led you to Sound and what keeps you at Sound?
The wonderful opportunity to be a medical director led me to Sound. What has kept me with Sound is their commitment to organizational values and their ability to nurture clinicians’ interests and allowing us to grow.
Which of Sound’s values (Collaboration, Uncompromising Care, Ingenuity, Empathy, Accountability) shows up most in your work?
While all these values are essential to inculcate and show, collaboration stands out the most, followed by accountability. Collaborating with my local team, site partner leadership, and Sound’s regional leadership is at the core of our program. I receive a lot of support, which helps keep me and my team accountable for our quality metrics. The shared accountability inspires each of us to work towards the important expectations and goals that drive excellence.
What aspects of your personality, upbringing, or advice you’ve received come in handy when leading a team in the hospital?
I am a good listener and strive to show empathy in interactions with my patients and the team of clinicians I oversee. I learned the importance of these skills from my mentor a long time ago. I continue to utilize these tools in my medical practice as well as leadership duties. Another important lesson I took from early in my career was to always practice what I preached. Those you lead will notice when you do—and especially when you don’t.
What are some of your favorite things about Palm Coast, Florida, and the surrounding area?
The weather here is absolutely amazing. It’s also not very crowded, and those who do live here are often friendly. And, of course, living ten minutes from the beach is certainly a plus!
How does Sound support you in delivering better care or finding better ways of working?
One of the things that attracted me to become a Sound medical director is how invested the organization is in ensuring I am successful in my role. I am proud of our patient experience efforts and quality metrics tracking due to excellent support from our on-site practice manager and clinical performance nurse. Zooming out a bit, the support and involvement from my regional leadership team connects me to the greater Sound community and mission. Their willingness to answer all my questions gives me confidence in the way I lead my team in patient care.
What advice would you give to future clinicians joining our teams?
Sound is an organization that values your contributions and is always willing to support and collaborate with you as a clinician. They lay the path for career development early so team members can grow their clinical and leadership skills, all in the name of pushing the hospital medicine field forward.