Making Sense of Health Care
As a graduate student and future nurse practitioner, I often wonder what my future in the vast world of health care will look like. Who will I become? What kind of provider will I be? How will I contribute in a significant and meaningful way?
Since being enrolled in “Health and Social Policy” this fall semester, my knowledge and awareness of the forces that shape our health care system has been overwhelmingly expanded. It’s easy for me to get lost in thoughts of how health care in the United States is evolving and how I’ll fit in, so I welcome any opportunity that offers clarification and attempts to make sense of the dynamic and ever-changing field I’ve chosen to dedicate myself to. I recently attended Columbia Business School’s 11th Annual Health Care Conference, and it was an enriching and humbling experience.
As soon as I stepped off the elevator and into the registration area, I was surrounded by fellow attendees wearing nametags with a wide range of pharmaceutical companies, consulting firms, investment firms, and start-ups. The number of industries and professionals represented at the sold-out event only further demonstrated to me the interdisciplinary nature of health care and emphasized just how many stakeholders there are in the health care sector.
The conference, “Using Data and Technology to Innovate, Value, and Reengineer Health Care,” focused on using data and technology to advance the development and delivery of health care products and services leading to more cost-effective patient care. Experts from across the spectrum of the health care industry covered how to address unmet medical needs, methods to better measure and enhance health outcomes, and how to allow consumers to make more informed decisions on the cost and value of health care products and services. Panelists from established health care organizations, emerging companies, and investment firms shared insights on what lies on the horizon with developments in health care reform, health care IT, medical devices, and health care deal making. The discussions throughout the day highlighted that there are endless opportunities to create a more effective and efficient health care delivery and payment system—opportunities that are enhanced and accelerated by novel technologies, business processes, and unique collaborations. Attendees were challenged to think about how we, as stakeholders in the health care industry, can contribute to the effort in providing sustainable improvement in the delivery of high quality, affordable health care.
Honestly, some of the talk about market share, acquisitions, commodities, distribution channels, angel investors, and Series A funding had me lost. But topics like improving access and quality in health care were definitely up my alley as a nurse. It was comforting and empowering to see how the conference’s participants agreed on the fundamental challenges and barriers in today’s health care system, despite their varied backgrounds. And we each have a common goal: To provide optimal, efficient, patient-centered care. Despite our differences, we all want collaborative, innovative solutions to creating a more efficient, value-based health care system—and it’s empowering to know that as a nurse practitioner, I will have an opportunity to help make these goals a reality.
One of the panelists equated the current stage of health care reform to the Renaissance. He said we should be optimistic, as we’re on the verge of enlightenment, and decades from now, we’ll be able to look back and see a dramatic shift in how health care is delivered in the United States. The future of health care is bright and I’m proud to be involved.
--Joanna Mi, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner student