Innovation & Insights

Scott Burton Shares Insights on Transforming Sales and Healthcare

15 April 2025

Scott Burton, Market President of Providence Health Plan (PHP), recently shared his journey from television journalism to healthcare leadership and his strategies for building successful sales teams. In an interview with Authority Magazine, Scott revealed how personal experience drove his career transition and offered insights into his leadership philosophy.

From Journalist to Healthcare Transformer

Scott’s path to healthcare began with his daughter's birth, when a challenging hospital experience sparked his desire to improve healthcare for future generations. "That patient experience instilled in me a desire to do whatever I could to make healthcare better for my daughter's generation," he said. This purpose became his "fundamental North Star," guiding his transition from television journalism to healthcare communications and eventually to his current leadership position.

Leadership Philosophy and Team Building

With over a decade in sales leadership, Scott emphasized that successful teams require diverse talents working cohesively toward a common goal. "I deeply value the collective abilities of a team and the results that can come from bringing together diverse sets of skills toward a common cause," he said.

Scott shared five key strategies for transforming good sales teams into great ones:

1. Create a mission larger than sales goals

2. Set specific short and long-term objectives

3. Listen closely to your team's market insights

4. Remove barriers that slow down progress

5. Foster an environment where people have fun while performing

Historic Growth at PHP

Since Scott joined PHP, he’s helped the organization achieve remarkable results, increasing commercial membership by nearly 7% and revenue by more than 17% over two years.

"When we first started talking about this growth a couple of years ago, people openly told me they didn't think it was possible," Scott said. "Now we look ahead and ask ourselves, 'How high can we go?'"

Looking Ahead

Scott also hinted at exciting new projects in 2025, including a digital-first solution that will help members better navigate their healthcare needs.

"One of the core reasons I entered healthcare was to make it easier for folks to get the help and care they need," Scott said, noting that the upcoming initiative will represent "a material step forward in the personalization and navigation for many of our members."

Throughout the interview, Scott's commitment to PHP's promise to "know me, care for me, ease my way" was evident in his approach to both customer service and team leadership.

You can read the full interview here: https://bit.ly/3GehjLo