Brief career overview

Throughout my career, I have helped leaders and teams tackle tough cultural and interpersonal issues and thrive while achieving business and quality objectives.

Leadership experience

Organizations include:

• Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Range and scope of responsibilities include:

• quality improvement for a state-wide, one billion dollar healthcare system
• development and piloting of a model for reducing costs of specialty services in healthcare (published in an Institute for Healthcare Improvement white paper)
• finances, administration and clinical care for behavioral health services with 130 staff, a budget of $8 million, serving 300,000 enrollees
• business and program development, training programs and clinical care for private and public academic psychiatric hospital services with 56 beds and more than 100 staff.

What clients say about me

(See partial client list to the left  and click on “Endorsements” for more details)

• “In a very short time, Neil was able to help me grasp the full complexity of my situation.”
• “He makes the complexity of organizational and interpersonal situations manageable.”
• “I have never before been so gently, warmly and effectively challenged to be my best.”
• “You will be encouraged, inspired and truly enjoy your most challenging work.”
• “Neil could really hear the issues when we couldn’t articulate the root causes clearly.”
• “He brings out the finest thinking, feeling and doing in others.”

Career path

Current Career:
Consultation and coaching: adaptive leadership; leadership and team effectiveness; change management

Neil Baker Consulting and Coaching, Bainbridge Island, Washington (2005 – present)

• Consultation and coaching: Served as a consultant and coach for organizational leaders, teams and change agents in a wide variety of healthcare organizations in the United States and Canada.
• Workshop facilitator and leader: Consistently have received high ratings by clients and participants for workshops on leadership and organizational change. Presented at multiple national professional conferences.
• Faculty and Quality Improvement Advisor for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): Served as faculty and quality improvement advisor for multiple quality initiatives over the last eight years for IHI, an organization internationally known for innovation in quality.

Mid-career:
Increasing scope of leadership and quality improvement responsibilities

Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington (1992 – 2005)

• Medical Director for Clinical Improvement and Education: (2002 – 2005) Led the development and implementation of quality initiatives in primary and specialty care services for a one billion dollar, state-wide delivery system.
• Chief of Seattle, Snohomish and Eastside Behavioral Health Services: (1996 – 2002) Led and managed the Seattle, Snohomish and Eastside Behavioral Health Services overseeing 120 staff, a budget of $8 million and services for 300,000 enrollees in the health plan.
• Chief of Seattle District Behavioral Health Services: (1992 – 1996) Led and managed the Seattle area behavioral health service overseeing 60 staff, a $4.3 million budget and services for 200,000 enrollees in the health plan.

Beginning career:
Leadership, teaching, research and clinical work in academics

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado (1981 – 1992)

• Associate Professor and Director of Psychiatric Inpatient Services: (1987 – 1992) Led and co-managed the University private and public psychiatric hospital services and their training programs including 56 beds and more than 100 staff; led program development, marketing and negotiation of contracts with outpatient systems.
• Assistant Professor and Hospital Unit Chief: (1981 – 1987) Responsible for clinical research, teaching, program development, quality of care and team building for a psychiatric hospital unit. Promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1987 based on excellence in leadership, teaching, research and clinical work.

Education and Awards

B.S. with distinction
Stanford University, Stanford, California

Doctor of Medicine
Stanford University, Stanford, California

Community medicine internship
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Residency in psychiatry
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Outstanding Leadership Award
Group Health Permanente, Seattle, Washington