Disrupting Health Care from Within

If anyone is still under the illusion that health care can stay the same as it has for decades, then recent events should have shaken that belief. The health care industry – like many others before it – will soon look radically different than it does today.

As an industry, health care intentionally has become much more consumer-focused, yet most Americans still receive their health care coverage through their employer. While consumers are demanding a more customized and personal experience, employers are demanding more value from the health care industry. Companies pay enormous costs to provide coverage for their workforce, and they also are asking for more support to keep their employees physically and mentally healthy, which is a positive move for workers. Meanwhile, consumers are demanding that health care deliver an experience that is equal to – or better than – the convenience they have in managing their personal finances online or booking a flight or restaurant reservation. People expect a health care organization to intersect with their lives when and where they want care, keeping them healthy and providing high-quality care when they are sick.

Now, it’s up to health care organizations to deliver. Our sights should be set on achieving access to quality care that is affordable to all, while delivering the best service experience we can imagine. Most important, we must rethink what health care can be, how care can be delivered, and why care that is accessible, affordable and of the highest quality can help Americans live longer, healthier lives.

Kaiser Permanente has been in the business of making lives better for more than 73 years, and our very existence reflects our philosophy of continual transformation. We have a proven, integrated and scalable health care system that calls on our model of Permanente Medicine, which delivers proven high-quality care through the physicians in our Permanente Medical Groups across the nation.

As an organization that continues its focus on innovation for the 21st century, I propose three core transformations that can improve the entire American health care system.                                                 

First, we must reimagine the consumer experience, shifting from a sick care model to a preventive, total health and wellness approach that helps people stay healthy. The medical office of today requires new and varied access points that meet consumer needs – from virtual interactions to retail settings and redesigned physical space to encourage people to be engaged in their personal health.

For example, our collaboration with Target has led to Kaiser Permanente-staffed Target Clinics in Southern California, with plans to expand in the coming year. We have also opened new medical office buildings and hospitals that are designed with the patient experience at the center, from interactive patient boards in rooms to room service meals. To supplement face-to-face visits, technology allows our members to interact with their doctors through telehealth and e-visits when a physical visit isn’t necessary for treatment. At the same time, we are ushering in a new era of incredible advances like artificial intelligence, genomics and precision care to extend healthy life years. The Kaiser Permanente Research Bank, for example, is an ambitious project to establish a national biobank that can lead to breakthroughs in how we diagnose, treat and prevent disease.

Second, we need to mobilize positive change within the system. We must acknowledge that both care and coverage are needed to give people access to the front door of the health care system to receive high-quality care without financial strain. We must focus on measuring outcomes, which means moving away from a fee-for-service model. In other words, we need to find solutions that force providers and health plans to be more efficient – not reduce important coverage for our seniors and the most financially vulnerable in our communities.

Finally, to disrupt health care we need to redefine our role. Health care organizations must extend our collective focus beyond hospitals and medical offices to the community, where health happens. If we proactively address the social determinants of health – such as public safety, food insecurity and housing issues – we can begin to create greater health equity. Today, we are giving blood pressure checks in barber shops, bringing farmers’ markets to areas with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and researching how firearm injury prevention can create healthier communities. We are also creating new financial models, such as our impact investment of $200 million to contribute to help solve affordable housing and help end homelessness. We need to make a significant difference in our communities to achieve a healthier America.

I am incredibly optimistic and see signs of progress everywhere I look. The opportunity to make a difference in our collective health and well-being has never been greater. Now we must act together to accelerate positive momentum, deliver on high expectations and make lives better. Only then can we deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible health care to all. What could be more inspiring than helping millions of people live longer, healthier lives?