Innovation in healthcare often carries the allure of cutting-edge (whatever that actually means) technology and breakthrough treatments. Yet, functional innovation is far more substantial than what occasional press releases might suggest. It is not merely the icing on the business or operational cake, nor should it be secluded and reserved for a select few within an organization.
So, what then is the most compelling need for innovation in healthcare? The answer lies in the core and culture of our organizations. It represents a noble pursuit, deeply intertwined with the calling of those dedicated to caring for patients, consumers, and communities. Innovation creates a lifeline that extends beyond current medical practices to enhance accountable professional autonomy, competence, and belonging, leaning into overall health and well-being.
Innovation encompasses improving access, fostering care equality, ensuring environmental and financial sustainability, enhancing workforce engagement, delivering significant community benefits, and continuing the slow journey towards patient safety.
Why does this matter? Because the combination of maintaining the status quo and chasing shiny objects can often be measured in human lives—those we serve and those who serve. Thus, innovation becomes not just a strategic sideshow but a mandate to move from survival to revival. Our health systems must adeptly manage a complex system of systems to optimize supply and demand within a broader healthcare ecosystem. Innovation isn't just a part of our work; it is the lifeblood required to sustain it.
As we explore the pragmatic power of innovation in healthcare, along with helpful mindsets and useful systems, structures, and processes, I leave you with two intriguing questions to consider with an open and curious mind:
1. If your health system could alter local food systems, what transformative effect might you see on health outcomes, public health, and overall community well-being?
2. If your health system and physicians could find a way (with no loss in productivity or change in the length of day) to pay physicians for five days while they work only four, what might physician burnout look like? Today, we often pay for five days, while they work at least an additional day catching up on paperwork. What might be the improvements in supply and competitive advantage in attracting physicians?
We relish these kinds of questions and the effort and energy generated from them, directed toward the most needed and accessible innovations. I hope you will stay tuned and find renewed joy in the journey of being in healthcare.
