Health Impact Live

Gail Zahtz keynotes 10th Annual Health Impact Forum

The 10th Annual HealthIMPACT Forum returned to New York on January 25th. Gail Zahtz, a survivor of late-stage cancer and founder & CEO of WiseCare Health,

shared her story of surviving and thriving despite challenging circumstances and discussed how Healthcare leaders could make decisions that serve patients, providers, and the business of healthcare.

Over 15 years after the Institute of Medicine recognized patient-centered care as one of the six major domains of healthcare quality, there has yet to be a major shift within traditional healthcare settings. While many patients are better informed, access to high-touch, personalized, and patient-focused care is still limited. Gail shared her personal experience as a patient and detailed how her hardships speak directly to how the healthcare system needs to change to serve patients better. In a show of resilience and power, after her recovery, Gail returned to healthcare with a mission to make it better through reform and the adoption of value-based care.

To succeed in the shift from fee-for-service to value-based contracting, health organizations have to do more than change billing and reporting systems. The shift requires a change in the entire organization's culture from selling a “service of sickness” to sharing responsibility for the health of entire populations. As health systems become required to make these changes, all companies who sell and service solutions for provider organizations need to become partners in transformation.