Alan Lassiter was only nine years old when he encountered his first career crisis. “I woke up one night thinking, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life,” he says, recalling his conundrum. Young Alan quickly narrowed his career options to three possibilities—astronomer, scuba diver, or physician—and gave himself three months to make what would presumably be one of the most consequential decisions of his life.
What followed was a period of independent research, conversations with peers and mentors, prayer—and ultimately, insight. He eliminated astronomy over concerns about funding. He conceded that scuba diving, as a full-time profession, was “more aspirational than practical.” That left only one option.
“Medicine just seemed like a great thing,” Alan says, the joy evident in his voice. “At age nine, that was when the commitment was made. And it never wavered.”
Sure enough, Alan grew up to become a doctor. But that’s not to say he never again found himself at a career crossroads. In a professional life that’s seen him work as a physician, a health system executive, a healthcare consultant, and even the proprietor of a chocolate shop, Alan has had to reconsider the direction of his career more than once. But no matter which path he chose, he always found himself in a similar place—being in a position to lift others up.
ECG Voices
This entry of our ECG Voices series chronicles the journey that led Alan to become a principal in our Payer Strategy and Contracting Division. He stepped away from the bedside years ago; but with the compassion of a clinician, the business savvy of a CEO, and an intrinsic determination to improve the US healthcare system, he’s still finding ways to help patients.
