My Morning Routine: Yahra Zamzam, CMO at Cleopatra Hospitals Group

Yahra Zamzam, chief medical officer (CMO) at Cleopatra Hospitals Group: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Yahra Zamzam (LinkedIn), chief medical officer (CMO) at Cleopatra Hospitals Group.

Edited excerpts from our conversation:

I’ve always wanted to understand how things work and how to fix them when they don’t. I’m a physician by training and a healthcare executive by profession, and I tend to look at how everything connects. Healthcare is about people, but good doctors alone can’t deliver it. It also takes strong management, teamwork, and a culture that puts patients first.

In one line, my job is giving patients the right care at the right time. As chief medical officer at Cleopatra Hospitals Group’s Tagamoa branch, I oversee the hospital’s medical side, getting clinical quality, patient safety, day-to-day operations, and business goals to work together instead of pulling against each other. Much of the role is turning strategy into action: building clinical services, developing teams, and making sure every patient gets the care we aim for.

Cleopatra Tagamoa Hospital was built from scratch to offer a full range of care under one roof. Advanced equipment isn’t enough on its own. Patients need coordinated care, quick access to the right specialists, clear treatment paths, and, above all, safety. That was our focus from day one, backed by firm medical oversight.

Mornings are my most valuable personal time. I try to move a little, set my priorities, and get my head in order before work takes over. Once the hospital day starts, things rarely go according to plan, so I like to begin with some structure. I read EnterpriseAM early, while I still have a quiet moment to look beyond the job.

I don’t have a typical workday. Most days mix clinical and operational reviews, meetings with department heads, project updates, patient-safety issues, and big strategic decisions. Some days are all planning, while others get taken over by problems that need fixing right away. You learn to jump between long-term plans and the smallest detail, sometimes within the same hour.

In healthcare, everything feels urgent. React to everything and you lose sight of the bigger picture. I rely on clear priorities, consistent follow-up, and accountability, breaking big plans into small practical steps. I’ve learned that no one can solve everything alone, and building strong teams that own their work is at the heart of leading.

Healthcare is moving from treating illness to preventing it. The focus now is on outcomes and the patient’s whole experience. Artificial intelligence, precision medicine, and digital health are accelerating that shift. What interests me most is how we use these tools to make care safer, easier to access, and more human. I’m also curious about healing traditions outside Western medicine, and how they’re being tested, since the most exciting discoveries often come when science challenges what we thought we knew.

One question guides everything I do: Are we doing what’s best for the patient? Whether we’re talking about staffing, finances, treatment plans, or a new service, patient safety and quality are always the yardstick.

Professionally, I want to keep building healthcare systems that run well, deliver excellent care, and last. I’m increasingly drawn to where leadership, strategy, and organizational growth meet. I also want to spend more time teaching and sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation of leaders.

Personally, I want to be more deliberate with my time. I tend to give work most of my energy, and being available all the time doesn’t make you effective. My real challenge is being fully present wherever I am, whether at work, with my family, or on my own. I’m still working on it.

When the workday ends, I keep things simple. I spend time with my son, enjoy a little quiet, and now and then do absolutely nothing. I also love to read, though I sometimes have to remind myself that not every moment has to be productive. Switching off takes effort, much like staying focused.

Your title gives you authority, but your actions earn you credibility. That’s the best lesson I’ve picked up from my mentors and senior leaders. Leadership isn’t about having every answer. It’s about owning your decisions, especially the hard ones.