Joel Allison on current and near-future healthcare system trends
By Dan Nielsen
I recently conducted an in-depth, one-on-one interview with Joel Allison, President and CEO of Baylor Health Care System based in Dallas, Texas. I asked Allison to describe some of the major healthcare industry trends he sees within the communities and areas served by Baylor. Allison shared some trends he believes are currently occurring or will be seen in the near future. They included:
- A trend toward larger healthcare organizations – significant consolidation and growth in scale.
- A mindset shift toward a different model, one of wellness and health as opposed to sickness; changing the ‘sick care’ model to a ‘health care’ model and focusing more on prevention and wellness.
- Implementation of the electric health record, data analytics and big data. Asking, “How do we use big data?” And leveraging that information with the changes that are resulting from healthcare reform.
- A significant concern and emphasis on adequate healthcare access for everyone – especially for the large portion of the population that is uninsured – during a time in which provider reimbursement is being reduced.
- A trend toward more team-based, population health management and creating accountable care organizations or something similar. “Alignment is key. We are a clinical enterprise; so you have to have physician leadership, you have to have nurse leadership. It’s got to really move to team-based care.”
- Looking at more guidelines, standardizations, standard protocols and oversets. Trying to move from fragmentation to more of a pro-care system of care. Becoming more efficient, utilizing programs like LEAN, and trying to get to a point of breaking-even on Medicare.
Great insights from one of America’s most successful and influential healthcare leaders! To learn more about Joel Allison and Baylor Health Care System, go to http://americashealthcareleaders.com/project/featured-leader-joel-allison.
Dan Nielsen, Founder, National Institute for Healthcare Leadership, www.nihcl.com.