Contributor: Heather Aspras, WG’08

By the time this is published, we will be nearing graduation, class reunions, and the changing of the guard in the healthcare alumni association.

It has been such a privilege to serve this community for the past 6 years. During that time, we’ve experienced many changes and challenges together. I chaired our Events committee in pre-COVID times, served as Vice President during the height of the pandemic, and led the Board as President for the past two years as we’ve transitioned back to a more normal state.

When I step down from the Board on June 30, I’ll be leaving you in very capable hands as Katherine Clark Godiksen, WG'15 steps into the role of President. Read more.

This eclectic standing column features insightful musings, words of wisdom, life lessons, and stepping-stones to business success. This month's philosopher is Ankit Mahadevia, WG’08, author of a new book published by Simon and Shuster, Quiet Leader, Loud Results, and the CEO of Spero Therapeutics. Read more.

Contributors: Sean Zabaneh and Kevin Moran

At the start of the pandemic, the U.S. government declared a public health emergency (PHE) that opened the door for much needed flexibility related to COVID-19 treatment and coverage, telemedicine, and liability immunity for healthcare providers. Waivers of traditional healthcare credentialing, staffing, and reporting requirements were also available. On January 30, 2023, the Biden administration announced the PHE will expire on May 11, 2023. Because the PHE policies have been in place for nearly three years, healthcare market participants will undoubtedly experience a significant adjustment period that will necessarily involve reeducation of personnel to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Read more.

Contributor: Rich Butler, MS, USPTA

In 1992, an Independent candidate, Ross Perot (0 followers), won over 19,000,000 votes in the presidential election. That was unprecedented. If this were an election, neither David Ludwig nor Kevin Hall would get my vote. Enough with polarizing rhetoric around diets. Who would be the Ross Perot of the diet wars? Read more.

Contributor: Ronke Komolafe, MD, MBA

Mental health trauma is a serious issue that can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and the greater healthcare system. Understanding how mental health trauma can impact healthcare outcomes is important to ensure quality care for all. This article will discuss five key points on how mental health trauma affects healthcare outcomes. Read more.

Contributors: Bob Clarke and Joe Mazzenga

You may have heard the term “Founder’s Syndrome” to define what happens when an organization outgrows a long-tenured leader. Yet on the other side, what happens when that legacy leader continues to lead the organization so successfully that it seems nearly impossible to imagine continuing without them? This phenomenon is just as common as the latter. Read more.

Contributor: Vidya Murthy, WEMBA’42 

On December 29, 2022 President Biden signed into law the ‘Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023’ (H.R.2617) that had widespread cybersecurity impact, but also resulted in particular funding/initiatives for medical device cybersecurity. The constant attacks in healthcare have not gone unnoticed, and this bill solidifies the urgency of changing the status quo. The act goes into effect in March 2023 and may very well change the trajectory of healthcare cybersecurity. Read more.

Contributor: Lisa K. Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA 

In 2018, while serving as the chief medical officer for Washington, DC Medicaid, I was sitting at my desk poring over data in a consultant’s report. Except for after hours — nights and weekends — Washington, DC did not have a shortage of primary care. The report concluded the same and instead highlighted a different problem: engagement. 

Medicaid beneficiaries often preferred emergency care or no care over building a steady relationship with a primary care provider. I knew this from listening. Listening to my patients, to community members, to Medicaid beneficiaries. I decided to listen a bit more and interviewed a few people with recent visits to the emergency department. From these conversations, a few patterns emerged that highlight why, despite billions invested in healthcare innovation, we have yet to narrow health disparities gaps and sustainably improve health outcomes in Medicaid populations. Read more.

Contributor: Roy Goldman, PhD, FSA, MAAA, CERA

In Part 1 of this series, I posited that most individuals do not make rational economic decisions due to cultural, societal, psychological, and emotional reasons. As a result, people tend to choose financially inefficient or suboptimal products when it comes to selecting services and products related to their health and well-being. The examples I provided described scenarios in which some people made decisions that were not in their best interest, while in others the failure of plan administrators (and actuaries) to take human behavior into account resulted in a negative impact on the bottom line.

In Part 2, we’ll explore additional situations, as well as identify actions that can be taken to optimize health and well-being as well as the finances of the patient and the health plan. Read more. 



Contributor: Ruchin Kansal

In 2016, Eric Topol wrote his book The Patient Will See You Now. Six years later, as a patient, it feels like the situation is more like: The patient will see you when? And where? Searching for answers, I did some research. And it is disheartening. Read more. 

Contributors: Jennifer L. Tomasik, SM, FACHE and Chris Hugill, MBA

The “Great Resignation” has normalized and accelerated a trend that has been a longstanding reality for organizations throughout the healthcare ecosystem: leaders move around. While some departures are welcome, many come with unavoidable costs, such as a reduction in organizational knowledge, a dip in managerial capacity, or a void in direction. Bringing in a new leader to replace the departing one comes with its own risks — from misaligned expectations about strategy and priorities to unhappy teams, to name a few. We find the simple swapping of one leader for another, a leadership transaction, can run afoul of these risks. Conversely, organizations that seek to carry out a true leadership transition will find benefits to their organizational effectiveness, strategy, and culture. Read more. 

Contributors: Wren Keber, Lisa Soroka, and Z. Colette Edwards, WG’84 MD’85

Many years before the pandemic, long-standing dissatisfaction was evident among healthcare workers, particularly among physicians and other clinical providers. Despite efforts by Management Service Organizations (MSOs) and other operators to reduce administrative burden, increase patient satisfaction, and improve provider experience, these efforts are widely considered to be not at all sufficient and/or effective. The lack of sufficient attention and focus on prioritizing these issues and taking concrete and effective action further frustrate the workforce because needs continue to go unmet, and burnout continues to rise. Read more. 

Contributor: Linda Roszak Burton, ACC, BBC, BS

Answering the call for a construct capturing evidence-based best practices essential for healthcare leaders and speaking to the industry's unprecedented challenges is a grateful leadership framework. A strengths-based framework supported by research in gratitude, positive psychology, neuroscience, and positive organizational behavior (POB) offers the most progressive and promising approach. In addition, it speaks not only to the clinical workforce but to all employees because it’s driven by universally intrinsic human needs and maximizes human potential at every level in any job description. Read more. 

Contributor: Blair Seiler, WG'23

This year, a team of six Wharton students supported a Nigeria-based healthtech startup, CarePay, to develop its go-to-market strategy. The students: Shreeya Bhutani (WG ‘24), Georgina Coleman (WG’23), Mary Joseph (WG’23), Dolapo Salawu (WG’24), Blair Seiler (WG’23), and Josh Wong (WG’24) are part of the Wharton Global Health Volunteers. Read more.