Episode 6: Lorrie Mohsen – From Occupational Therapist to Hospital CEO

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Lorrie Mohsen, CEO of Mount Wilga Private Hospital and National Rehabilitation Advisor for Ramsay Healthcare. Lorrie shares her remarkable journey from occupational therapist to executive leader, discussing how clinical experience shapes better healthcare leadership and her vision for truly patient-centered care.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction to Lorrie Mohsen and her dual role as CEO and rehabilitation advisor

1:09 – Early healthcare roots: Starting as a nursing home receptionist at age 16 and discovering a passion for caring

2:29 – The job shadow that changed everything: Discovering occupational therapy’s versatility over physiotherapy

6:24 – Why OT’s core mission—helping people reach their potential—applies to both patients and staff management

7:58 – Moving from Canada to Australia and finding opportunities in private healthcare’s smaller organizations

9:11 – Taking initiative: How proposing improvements and creating solutions led to unexpected career advancement

11:10 – Creating the rehab coordinator role: Pitching a clinician-led approach to patient liaison and recruitment

13:29 – Reframing “sales” in healthcare: When you believe in your service, advocacy feels natural

15:21 – Pursuing an MBA over healthcare-specific education: Learning from other industries to challenge “how we’ve always done things.”

19:27 – Developing future leaders: Internal team leader training programs covering budgeting, risk management, and operations

21:34 – Skip-level meetings: Annual one-on-ones with frontline managers to identify growth opportunities and interests

23:10 – Building structures around people: Creating new roles tailored to individual strengths rather than forcing fits

25:45 – The patient-first principle: Every decision must be evaluated through the lens of patient impact

27:07 – Becoming a patient in her own hospital: How an Achilles rupture deepened understanding of the rehabilitation journey

28:30 – The irreplaceable value of peer support in group rehabilitation settings for motivation and recovery

29:37 – Defending rehabilitation’s worth: Using outcome measurements and health economics to prove high-value care

31:34 – Vision for “happy healthcare”: A truly patient-centered system where individuals own and direct their health records

33:17 – The power of multidisciplinary teams: Specialists working together with holistic patient views

35:31 – Patient empowerment: Moving toward healthcare models where patients navigate and direct their own wellness journeys

37:10 – Closing thoughts on optimism for healthcare’s future with leaders who prioritize people development

Key Takeaways:

• Initiative creates opportunity—propose solutions and volunteer to implement them rather than waiting for promotions
• Clinical backgrounds make better healthcare leaders through deep patient understanding
• Build structures around people’s strengths, not the reverse
• Study beyond healthcare to challenge entrenched practices
• Rehabilitation is high-value care that prevents readmissions and improves quality of life
• The future requires patient-owned health records and seamless multidisciplinary collaboration