Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy
CEO
With vast experience in the medical field in India and UK and managing more than 2000 liver transplant patients in the perioperative period, Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy has be-come the CEO of Rela Hospital which is one of world’s largest, JCI-accredited, transplant centre for both adults and children.
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy discusses his expertise, struggles, and path to success in this exclusive interview.
Tell us about your professional journey and the inspiration that led you into the healthcare sector.
The idea and passion to become a doctor hit me when I was 11. In India, I completed my MBBS and post-graduation in Anesthesia. To enhance my expertise, I travelled to the UK for more training. Six years of training and experience at the National Health Service in the UK moulded my abilities. When I returned to India, Liver transplantation was at a nascent stage but today I am proud to be part of the team which has developed one of the world’s largest liver transplant centers. Since then, I've held a variety of leadership positions at various levels, which has helped me hone my talents for the best in the healthcare business. Today, I am the CEO of Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, which serves patients from all over the world.
Tell us about the unique experiences ISB Hyderabad offers and what did you learn from the campus beyond academics?
With highly accomplished faculty from the top business schools around the world makes the learning experience truly global at ISB. The diverse pool of peers, access to the alumni network, and invaluable resources make the ISB experience unique. ISB has provided me with the opportunity to learn and evolve in response to changing needs. Being innovative, thinking beyond the box, and continuous learning are things I learned at ISB.
You possess over 15+ years of experience, how has been your path to success and what is your success mantra?
I believe that focus, integrity, and patience are the three key mantras for my success. Being transparent to the people helps in developing trust with colleagues and all stakeholders which aids in building teams and organizations. Despite ups and downs, sticking to the core principles has made me grow professionally and personally.
How would you define Rela Institute & Medical Center as an organization and its current position in the healthcare industry?
At Rela Institute, the patient is the center of every interaction in the care process. To accomplish this, we employ a customer-centric mindset in which the primary focus is on patients and their complete "experience." Treatment choices, surgical outcomes, and patient experience are not merely considered as another health metric or indication, but as acritical component of our strategy. We examine each impact and opportunity to connect with it, looking for personalization and proactivity. This progressed towards personalized, predictive, preventive, and precision-based decisions leading to advanced clinical outcomes and enhanced patient experience. Today this experience goes beyond a specific moment to impacting and delivering a self-respecting healthcare organization with credibility, trust, and reputation.
With highly accomplished faculty from the top business schools around the world makes the learning experience truly global at ISB. The diverse pool of peers, access to the alumni network, and invaluable resources make the ISB experience unique. ISB has provided me with the opportunity to learn and evolve in response to changing needs. Being innovative, thinking beyond the box, and continuous learning are things I learned at ISB.
You possess over 15+ years of experience, how has been your path to success and what is your success mantra?
I believe that focus, integrity, and patience are the three key mantras for my success. Being transparent to the people helps in developing trust with colleagues and all stakeholders which aids in building teams and organizations. Despite ups and downs, sticking to the core principles has made me grow professionally and personally.
Sharing empathy for the distressed mind of patients and achieving the best possible outcome at the lowest cost should beconsidered a successful strategy
How would you define Rela Institute & Medical Center as an organization and its current position in the healthcare industry?
At Rela Institute, the patient is the center of every interaction in the care process. To accomplish this, we employ a customer-centric mindset in which the primary focus is on patients and their complete "experience." Treatment choices, surgical outcomes, and patient experience are not merely considered as another health metric or indication, but as acritical component of our strategy. We examine each impact and opportunity to connect with it, looking for personalization and proactivity. This progressed towards personalized, predictive, preventive, and precision-based decisions leading to advanced clinical outcomes and enhanced patient experience. Today this experience goes beyond a specific moment to impacting and delivering a self-respecting healthcare organization with credibility, trust, and reputation.
What are the latest technologies embedded in your medical equipment?
in your medical equipment?We believe that any technological tool that allows us to make strategic and clinical decisions based on information would be an investment, not just in disease analysis but also in risk management. Since its inception, our technological investment has always been focused on anything that helps us to improve the quality of care we provide to our patients. It includes, among other things, the most advanced surgical suite, integrated clinical pathways, drug traceability, online information with clinical laboratories, Diagnostic Imaging, and Pathology. We are now more interested in robotic surgical suites and AI in lab and radiology.
Tell us about your leadership approach, and the guidelines or methodologies you follow to lead your team.
For me, leadership is about managing people. In any successful organization, there is a triangle: the brand you represent, the service you offer, and the people. The brand is the ethos, the culture that the organization strives to carry forward and that’s primarily driven by its people. You can have very powerful brands,accompanied by spectacular products or services, but if you don't have the right people to manage them, the equation doesn't work. I like to be very close with the people on my team to find out what's going on with them. This closeness, makes the relationship work better. It develops the ability to empathize.
As a leader, what would be your advice to the individuals who are starting anew in healthcare?
“Caring for patients” is the core of the value chain in healthcare. Creating a “patient-centered” environment where patients would be getting highquality care and a good experience is the key to success.Sharing empathy for the distressed mind of patients and achieving the best possible outcome at the lowest cost should be considered a successful strategy.
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO Of Rela Hospital
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy is a liver transplantation specialist and a health care administrator with 20 years of experience in India and the UK.
Hobbies:Music, movies, books, exploring food and culture
Favorite Cuisine:Chettinad and Japanese cuisines
Favorite Book:Billion Dollar Lessons
Favorite Travel Destination:Goa and Maldives
in your medical equipment?We believe that any technological tool that allows us to make strategic and clinical decisions based on information would be an investment, not just in disease analysis but also in risk management. Since its inception, our technological investment has always been focused on anything that helps us to improve the quality of care we provide to our patients. It includes, among other things, the most advanced surgical suite, integrated clinical pathways, drug traceability, online information with clinical laboratories, Diagnostic Imaging, and Pathology. We are now more interested in robotic surgical suites and AI in lab and radiology.
Tell us about your leadership approach, and the guidelines or methodologies you follow to lead your team.
For me, leadership is about managing people. In any successful organization, there is a triangle: the brand you represent, the service you offer, and the people. The brand is the ethos, the culture that the organization strives to carry forward and that’s primarily driven by its people. You can have very powerful brands,accompanied by spectacular products or services, but if you don't have the right people to manage them, the equation doesn't work. I like to be very close with the people on my team to find out what's going on with them. This closeness, makes the relationship work better. It develops the ability to empathize.
As a leader, what would be your advice to the individuals who are starting anew in healthcare?
“Caring for patients” is the core of the value chain in healthcare. Creating a “patient-centered” environment where patients would be getting highquality care and a good experience is the key to success.Sharing empathy for the distressed mind of patients and achieving the best possible outcome at the lowest cost should be considered a successful strategy.
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO Of Rela Hospital
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy is a liver transplantation specialist and a health care administrator with 20 years of experience in India and the UK.
Hobbies:Music, movies, books, exploring food and culture
Favorite Cuisine:Chettinad and Japanese cuisines
Favorite Book:Billion Dollar Lessons
Favorite Travel Destination:Goa and Maldives