Spotlight On: Michael Young, President and CEO, Temple Health
April 2025 — Michael Young, president and CEO of Temple Health, talked to Invest: about how the organization uses technology and innovation as leaders in the healthcare sector. “While other health systems are laying people off and freezing pay increases, we are expanding and growing. We are not just staying afloat, we are surfing on top of the wave.”
What have been some significant milestones and achievements for Temple Health over the last 18 months?
Despite struggles in the rest of the healthcare world, we are doing well economically. We successfully met our budget last year, which saw an $80 million improvement since February. Operations are running smoothly. Our revenue is up 20% and expenses are up 10%. Our biggest milestone is Fox Chase, our NCI-designated center, celebrating its 100th anniversary. We have partnered with Microsoft to build a clinical trial-matching software on a new AI product. Previously, nurses had to navigate medical records click-by-click, which was inefficient. We were able to build our own AI program to improve speed, quality, and cost-effectiveness. I’m excited for AI in both the operating world and the clinical world. The biggest issue in the healthcare world is patient access. We’re doing AI development in our call centers to ensure patients are directed to the right specialist efficiently, reducing wasted resources and time. Our goal is to get patients to the right doctor at the right time.
The expansion of our medical team is also significant. We’ve added 45 new doctors to our practice plan and we’re on target for a total of 55 starting July 1. The medical community is excited to work at Temple, as shown by our continued growth.
Also, our new women’s hospital will open in June, at a time when many healthcare systems are stepping away from OB services. Women’s obstetrical morbidity and mortality are one of the biggest unmet areas in clinical delivery. We’re going to join the 10 other major academic medical centers in having a dedicated women’s hospital, opening opportunities in care and research.
We’ve received a significant number of grants to transform how care and information are delivered to patients. We have seen growth in transplants, with a 25% year-over-year increase, an essential expansion for patients in life-or-death situations. Our wait times are among the lowest in Philadelphia. Research funding is increasing, allowing us to attract high-caliber researchers and strengthen partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. Temple has minimal bureaucracy and a strong decision-making infrastructure, enabling us to stay ahead in research and innovation.
What initiatives is Temple Health taking to expand healthcare access to underserved communities?
We are investing $15 million in new primary care facilities, including one directly across the street. We even funded the university to secure what was retail space, which we will convert to clinical space that will allow us to further expand primary care services. We will have doubled our primary care space by the end of fiscal year 2026. Primary care access is a challenge around the country. One example that illustrates this difficulty involved a patient who needed treatment but almost ended up in the ER due to scheduling difficulties. All of our primary care sites are up dramatically in volume, and AI is helping us optimize appointment availability. Self-scheduling will soon be available, which is an exciting development. We are in a growth phase, with a 30% increase over four years. The new women’s hospital will give us backfill space as well as outpatient and exam room space, addressing our previous capacity challenges. We’ve also initiated a contract for the completion of an ICU expansion that can handle the expansion and growth of our transplant programs.
Workforce shortages are a challenge in the healthcare industry. How is Temple Health able to grow amid a challenging workforce environment?
It’s the brand that is Temple Health. Clinicians, doctors, and nurses espouse who we are, what we do, and how we operate. For example, our corporate lawyer chose to join us because of the access to leadership and the streamlined decision-making process, which allows innovation to happen quickly. While other health systems are laying people off and freezing pay increases, we are expanding and growing. Case mix and the acuity level of service are greater than it was 10 years ago. Many healthcare systems around the country are struggling. We are not just staying afloat, we are surfing on top of the wave.
What are Temple Health’s priorities for the next few years, and how do you see the healthcare landscape evolving in the Philadelphia region?
The focus on the future is on faster research lab-to-bedside translation. Activity at the federal level is going to upend the research world. Those who can do it faster, better, and cheaper will continue to get grants. We have a history of spotting and adopting new technologies. For example, 18 months ago, we implemented a linear accelerator CT scanner, enhancing the accuracy of radiation oncology. Being closely connected with our doctors helps us identify the best new technologies and allocate resources effectively. Our research labs and medical school are seeing major advancements. We recently acquired a significant new lab model that enables full genome sequencing in less time and at a lower cost, keeping us at the forefront of medical research. With our new leadership at Temple University, we’ve seen greater partnerships across departments. For example, the pharmacy school’s PET CT scanner is now accessible to other departments, eliminating a redundant purchase. There is a new spirit of collaboration and coordination, allowing us to reduce processes that once took two years to just two months. Temple is often an unrecognized partner in the Philadelphia community. We are building a new Women and Families Hospital in partnership with the state, reinforcing our role as a key healthcare provider in the city. Admissions and applications to our programs are rising, and new research leadership is bringing in a national perspective, further strengthening our position in the life sciences corridor. Our partnerships in genomics are expanding, and we are adding supercomputers to support advanced IT-driven life science research.
Would you like to add any final thoughts?
Temple Health is a great place to work, which is why we continue to grow. Enthusiasm from people from the outside who want to come and work here is remarkable. For readers interested in joining us, there are opportunities, and they should come and see us. We use cutting-edge technology for everybody in a personal way. Many organizations talk about their vision, but we take action to ensure our clinicians can fully express their mission, not just perform their clinical duties. Our staff goes home tired but fulfilled. While others are withdrawing from Philadelphia or acquiring external health systems, we remain deeply committed to the city. We recently developed 25,000 square feet of primary care space in North Philadelphia — an investment no one else is making. We are not moving out of Philadelphia, acquiring other health systems, or downsizing. We are Philadelphia’s health system.
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