Presbyterian CEO Rishi Sikka finds strength in his core values — and a little ‘Star Wars’

Is it a coincidence?

Rishi Sikka, the new head of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, is a classically trained pianist who played through childhood, through college, through medical school and even through the grueling days of being an emergency doctor.

Now, he says, “I have to admit, I have not really hit the piano probably in six months. Did I mention I’ve been in this role for six months?”

Sikka has been busy since taking over Presbyterian’s top job at a deeply uncertain time for health care, with staffing shortages and the prospect of severe cuts in Medicaid funding. More than 60% of Presbyterian members are on Medicaid.

He is determined, though, that the health care system remains focused on its priorities — patient care, keeping members healthy and retaining staff — while working with the state to “see how any potential cuts can be mitigated.”

Sikka, who most recently was president of a primary care services provider, believes his experience as an ER doctor in some of the toughest areas of Boston and Chicago will help him steer Presbyterian through any difficulties.

In fact, Sikka’s medical career started much earlier than that: In his youth, he worked at the reception desk at an eating disorder clinic and transported patients as a hospital volunteer.

Direct experience like that, he says, helps him understand the needs of staff and patients.

“I spend a lot of time in the field … going out to our hospitals, to our clinics, to all of our sites of care,” Sikka says. “I like to go on the weekends, I like to go on evenings and nights. I feel super comfortable being able to walk onto the floor in the ICU, a (medical) unit, a clinic and talk with our providers, talk with our patients in the waiting room.”

And when the going gets tough, the health care chief has a hobby to distract him on the most difficult days: He’s a diehard Star Wars fan — avid enough to keep in his office a card with a drawing of Chewbacca and a Darth Vader PEZ dispenser.

What are you most worried about right now?

My sort of go-to answer is I think a lot about what’s happening at the federal level right now. Certainly, from a federal landscape level, things are so dynamic. I try to have this best practice for when I wake up: I don’t look at my phone the first thing. I do some meditation and prayer. I do some journaling.

But I’ve got to tell you, it is so hard to not look at the news first thing and say, “What happened, because things have been happening … between when I went to bed and this morning?” I would say that definitely occupies a good part of the mind share.

What has gotten you through difficult times?

I think for folks who have had a very difficult time in their career or their life, the truth is … you’ve just got to get through. When I think about a time when I got through, I think there were two things: my family, and a small — count on one hand — and incredible group of friends who were there for me.

And then, I think, a steadfast belief in certain core beliefs and principles. We (Presbyterian) have this potentially really hard thing that might be coming down the pike with Medicaid at the federal level. We’re going to just get through … with this steadfast belief in ourselves around great patient care and our people.

What do you do in your free time?

I’ve been playing piano since I was a kid. The last time I performed in public was at our medical school. We had a memorial service for all the families who had donated their loved ones’ bodies for medical science and for our gross anatomy class. I performed a concerto with violins. I also played a closing piece. I love to cook for my family. I don’t cook Indian food. My wife handles that. I cook everything else.

What has made you successful?

I think the first thing is I would just have to express so much gratitude to my family. I think another part is that I have been blessed with meeting individuals in my career who saw something in me and gave me opportunities that maybe I wouldn’t have otherwise had.

You know, I think that part of my success, and it’s always humbling, is rooted in caring about people and leading in a way that is very people-centered around their growth and development. And I’ve got to be honest with you, there’s just luck. Why me and why not somebody else? I think anybody who says they haven’t had luck is lying.

What values are important to you?

This comes back from my time in the emergency department. I’m a big believer in teams. When you look at how an emergency department works, how a trauma works, it’s always a team that makes it happen. It’s collaboration, it’s safety, it’s open dialogue, it’s having each other’s backs, it’s treating everybody as equals.

I’m a believer that interactions should be predicated on mutual respect, which should evolve eventually to transparency and candor. Look, I kind of grew up in a place where there weren’t a lot of people that look like me. I think that respectful interactions have always been important in my career.

Have you faced discrimination?

I think discrimination would be too strong a word to use. Are there circumstances where you know there are biases at play? Sure.

What book has influenced you?

One of my all-time favorite books, and I go back to it periodically, is called “The Book of Joy.” It’s the transcript of a conversation between the archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Although it’s called “The Book of Joy,” it’s actually about what does suffering mean in life. The archbishop talks about … (how) everybody’s life has ups and downs. And even when you think about an organization, there are ups and downs. We (Presbyterian) will go through this period of time as well.

What’s something few people know about you?

I kind of like Star Wars. Just a little bit. Do I have my own lightsaber? Yes. Do I dress up like the characters? No. I want to be really clear about that.