Contributor: Bryan Bushick, MD’88, WG’89

I’m delighted and honored to serve as the WHCMAA’s President after completing my duty as Vice President. I’m also very grateful to have partnered with Katherine Clark '15, who just concluded her two-year term leading the Association’s Board. Under Katherine’s thoughtful, steady, and effective stewardship, the WHCMAA passed the pandemic’s 5th anniversary on an upward trajectory.

The Alumni Association has been revitalized, now having more dues-paying members than ever and a growing array of sponsors after losing all such support at the height of COVID’s impact. In-person and online programming is flourishing, and the Kinney and Kissick scholarship fund balances have continued to grow. 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 Bryan Bushick, MD’88, WG’89, Managing Director, Healthcare Alliance & Chief Healthcare Innovation Officer at Amplifire. Read more.

Contributors: Ryan Wesley Brown and Victoria Hawekotte, JD'24, MBE'24

In an effort to address national security concerns associated with foreign entities accessing the sensitive data of U.S. persons, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has recently issued a rule entitled “Preventing Access to U.S. Sensitive Personal Data and Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern or Covered Persons.” The rule prohibits U.S. entities from knowingly sending bulk U.S. sensitive personal data or government-related data to what the rule designates as “countries of concern” or “covered persons.”  Read more.

Contributor: Connie Mester, MPH

As healthcare leadership continues to evolve, feedback emerges as a critical catalyst for organizational success. Yet many healthcare organizations still grapple with the challenge of creating environments where feedback flows naturally and constructively. Read more.

Contributors: Michael Anderson, MD, Nathaniel Grotte, and Raj Ramachandran, EdD

Empathy has emerged as a critical trait for physician leaders, influencing everything from patient satisfaction to team morale. In an era of high burnout and evolving patient expectations, healthcare organizations increasingly recognize that emotional intelligence and empathetic leadership are not “soft” skills but essential competencies. Read more.

Contributor: Vidya Murthy, WEMBA’42 

In 2024, Forescout Technologies highlighted the most vulnerable connected medical devices, with DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) workstations and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) at the top of the list. For healthcare leaders operating not just in the US but also within the European Union, understanding and mitigating the software vulnerabilities in medical imaging devices isn't just an IT issue; it's a crucial business and patient safety imperative - no matter whether you manage a hospital or are a manufacturer of imaging devices. Read more.

Contributors: Wren Keber and Lisa Soroka

In this fourth installment of our series on healthcare disruptors, we focus on the intersection of research, science, and clinical practice. We contrast and compare startup disruptors with large established life sciences firms (e.g., biopharma, biotech, biomedical, etc.) as they share some of the same facets of their business models; therefore, facing some of the same opportunities and threats. We start with external factors and conclude with some keys to success to consider. Read more. 

Contributors: Barbara Handelin, Ph.D. and Karyn Polak

Medical Impact Funds are designed to reduce the cost of capital for biotech/pharma companies across their business life cycles. The key element for this new generation of biotech funds is a governance structure that is aligned to appropriate financial incentives for the limited partners (LPs) and Managing Partners to deliver the highest possible medical impact. Read more. 

Contributor: Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND

Healthcare systems grappling with burnout, turnover, and overwhelming stress often overlook one powerful solution — play — because it sounds too silly or simple.

But play isn’t fluff. It’s functional. It’s human. When used intentionally through gamification and joyful engagement, it can transform how patients heal, teams perform, and organizations thrive. Read more. 

Contributor: Jonathan Marks, WMP’23

With rising healthcare costs, an aging population, increased demand for healthcare services, and enhancements in technology, there is enormous pressure to deliver high-quality care while optimizing efficiency and managing costs. Most health systems operate on a very slim margin (1% - to 3%, with many at barely breakeven) leaving minimal room for error. An organization’s real estate too often becomes an afterthought, even though it makes up a large percentage of expenses while enhancing the experience for their patients. It also helps retain talent and provides the opportunity to generate revenue. Read more. 

Contributors: Monica Heuer, WG'06 and Elizabeth Blaylock

A truly winning strategy takes more than just crafting a compelling plan. It needs employee buy-in to execute it effectively. Unfortunately, strategic plans often fail because employees don’t feel inspired or connected to the direction chosen by organizational leadership. As practitioners of strategic planning in complex organizations, we have observed ways in which organizations can and must account for the “professional passion” of their employees to develop effective strategies. Read more. 

Contributor: Laura Nozicka

As host of “The Desperate for a Diagnosis Podcast” and a longtime healthcare qualitative market research moderator, I’ve interviewed hundreds of patients, many of them women and members of marginalized communities. These patients are not leaving health systems because of poor outcomes. They are leaving when they feel dismissed, invalidated, and emotionally abandoned by the very professionals meant to help them heal, an experience known as medical gaslighting. Read more. 

Contributor: Sean Harvey

Beneath the surface of today’s organizations lies a quiet crisis — one not often named, but deeply felt. Across male-dominated sectors such as healthcare leadership, technology, law enforcement, finance, and energy, many men are silently struggling. They face increasing isolation, shifting identities, and the weight of expectations they rarely speak aloud. Read more. 

Contributor: Michael J. Charlton

We cannot continue to half-solve problems and expect full outcomes. A system built to treat illness cannot, on its own, deliver health, especially when it overlooks the factors that influence it every day.

Our planning led to Vision 2030, a six-year strategy anchored by four pillars and focused on delivering measurable, long-term change. Read more. 

Contributor: Christopher Hugill, MBA

Trying times. Times of unease. Challenging times. Difficult climate. Ambiguity. Stress. Chaos. Our clients have shared with us that certain modes of thinking help them cope with and even thrive in this environment. This article describes two of these tools, their value, and guidance about how to use them. Read more.