SXSW Conference

SXSW Conference / en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 18:54:38 -0500 Wed, 04 Mar 20 13:38:58 -0600 AHA to host South by Southwest public session on housing and health /news/headline/2020-03-04-aha-host-south-southwest-public-session-housing-and-health Join AHA’s The Value Initiative and the Advancement League March 14 at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, for a public session exploring how hospitals, clinicians and community-based organizations are improving community health by addressing housing needs. Health care leaders will highlight innovative strategies, followed by a volunteer outing with a local organization addressing homelessness. Learn more and register <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/housing-health-a-roadmap-for-the-future-tickets-96175656979">here</a>.&nbsp; Wed, 04 Mar 2020 13:38:58 -0600 SXSW Conference 3 Things We Learned from Other Industries at SXSW /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2019-03-19-3-things-we-learned-other-industries-sxsw .field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } <div class="container row"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <div data-embed-button="media" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.full" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="cfd49d2a-5aed-406f-84a6-4d61ddda593d" data-langcode="en" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <article> <div class="field_media_image"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2019-03/ia_sxsw_logo_2019_900.jpg" width="900" height="400" alt="South by Southwest SXSW 2019 Conference banner"> </div> </article> </div> Last week, more than 70,000 people descended on Austin, Texas, to experience the SXSW festival. Some listened to music or screened films, but others took part in sessions on the future of our field. In case you missed it, the AHA participated in a number of sessions as part of the SXSW Interactive Festival’s Health and MedTech track, <a href="/sxsw-conference-news-coverage">sharing how hospitals and health systems are transforming</a> to advance health in their communities. We also attended other tracks, taking in sessions from such fields as marketing and design, retail, media, tourism and education. Here’s what we learned, and how the lessons can apply to health care. <h2>1. Questions are 10 times more important than solutions.</h2> Behind every important breakthrough is a breakthrough question. That was the key takeaway from a session on the origin stories of some of the biggest tech companies, including CRM behemoth Salesforce. Salesforce was founded to answer one question for all types of businesses: How do you put the customer at the center of your business? An enduring focus on solving this challenge, specifically through the use of technology, has driven the company’s success over the past 20 years. If solutions resolve problems, then why are questions more important? Most organizations spend too much time on solutions to the wrong problems, said the tech leaders. They noted that organizations focus on the problems they know they can solve, rather than spending the time needed to identify the right — or most impactful — problems. So, how do leaders know that they’re asking the right questions? Try this exercise shared by the session’s moderator, Hal Gregersen, executive director of the MIT Leadership Center and author of <a href="https://halgregersen.com/books/questions-are-the-answer/" target="_blank">Questions are the Answer</a>: During your next brainstorm, don’t come up with solutions. Instead, spend four minutes coming up with 15 questions about your problem. Note: You’ll need a skilled facilitator to cut off the many solutions that will be offered! Then, study the questions and look for new pathways, and commit to exploring at least one of them. To learn more about this brainstorming method, see Gregersen’s HBR article, <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/03/better-brainstorming" target="_blank">“Better Brainstorming.”</a> <h2>2. Diversifying your revenue stream is crucial to sustaining your organization in a changing environment.</h2> And the best way to figure out how to diversify is to put your top talent on the case. The New York Times screened its trailer for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/09/business/media/new-york-times-daily-podcast-tv.html" target="_blank">The Weekly</a>, a new show from the media giant that will premiere on FX and Hulu in June. The new show comes on the heels of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily" target="_blank">The Daily</a>, the NYT’s daily podcast, which launched in 2017 and has grown to more than 5 million subscribers. Although free for listeners, the podcast is said to be a huge financial success, generating revenue from ads and digital-subscription conversions, the latter of which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/business/media/new-york-times-earnings-subscribers.html" target="_blank">have driven the company’s profitability.</a> So, why is a newspaper company making a television show? All in the name of diversification. It comes as no surprise that a newspaper company faced with a dwindling print business would need to diversify. But, what we can learn from this story is how they did it. In October 2015, Times leadership set the audacious goal of doubling digital revenue by 2020. To figure out how to achieve this, it pulled seven of its top journalists, dubbed the “2020 group” off their beats and asked them to come up with a plan. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2020-report/index.html" target="_blank">The resulting report</a>, released 15 months later, included strategic and tactical recommendations on how to get there. Leadership supported and executed all of them. The result? $709 million in digital revenue for 2018. <a href="https://investors.nytco.com/investors/investor-news/investor-news-details/2019/The-New-York-Times-Company-Reports-2018-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-Results-and-Announces-Dividend-Increase/default.aspx" target="_blank">According to a February announcement</a>, “After just three years, we are already three quarters of the way to achieving our five-year goal of doubling digital revenue to $800 million by 2020. As a result, we are setting ourselves a new goal — to grow our subscription business to more than 10 million subscriptions by 2025.” <h2>3. If you’re developing a smartphone app, its lifespan may be limited.</h2> You may want to focus on wearables and voice instead. Despite their ubiquity, global sales of smartphones are down, cites Amy Webb in her <a href="https://futuretodayinstitute.com/2019-tech-trends/" target="_blank">12th annual Tech Trends Report</a>. In the report, released at SXSW in front of a standing room-only crowd, Webb predicts “we will transition from just one phone that we carry to a suite of next-gen communication devices.” We won’t experience technology by typing in browsers or clicking in apps. Instead, we’ll use our voice to interact with connected devices and wearables. In the future, we’ll always be on without always feeling on. This desire to be connected without being distracted is swelling. Consumers increasingly are becoming aware of the potential negative impacts of designed-to-be-addictive tech products. It’s from this awareness that a more immediate trend cited at SXSW arises: deliberate downgrading. Identified by trend curator Rohit Bhargava as one of <a href="https://www.rohitbhargava.com/sxsw" target="_blank">the nonobvious trends of 2019</a>, the shift is an important one for tech developers. Consumers seeking a back-to-basics user experience are likely to be turned off by frequent notifications or requests to input data. </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/center/form/innovation-subscription" title="Click here to subscribe to the AHA Center for Health Innovation Market Scan weekly newsletter.">Subscribe to Market Scan</a></div> <a href="/type/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan" title="Read more Market Scan articles."><img alt="Market Scan logo" class="align-center" data-entity- data-entity-type="file" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/market-scan-logo.jpg" uuid="31df76fd-ac54-49e1-8e7d-dd92814e202c"></a> <a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" data-entity- data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" type="file"></a> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:59:56 -0500 SXSW Conference SXSW: Transforming Health through Partnerships and Transparency /news/insights-and-analysis/2019-03-14-sxsw-transforming-health-through-partnerships-and From left to right are Faith Mitchell, Star Cunningham and Brian Gragnolati. This week, as part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival’s Interactive Health and MedTech track, the �� Association and leaders from the field have been sharing how hospitals and health systems are advancing health in their communities.&nbsp; AHA partnered with Energizing Health to create opportunities for health organizations, community advocates, entrepreneurs and philanthropic organizations to innovate and collaborate around health equity by eliminating systemic barriers, reducing inequities and building healthier communities. In addition to AHA, participating organizations include the Aetna Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Cambia Health Foundation, the St. David’s Foundation, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, as well as civic, hospital and community leaders from across the country.&nbsp; Read on for session highlights and watch for full coverage all week in AHA Today, as well as key takeaways in the March 19 issue of AHA Market Scan. You can also follow along with AHA on social media or using #SXSW. Innovative Partnerships Transforming Health – Unique partnerships are transforming health and health care across the country. What factors should partners consider and where can they look for others with similar goals? In this session, panelists explored the process of finding common ground to develop objectives and strategies, leveraging relationships to engage public health, and scaling future work. AHA Chairman Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO of Atlantic Health System, shared how hospitals and health systems like his own have been looking downstream and forming partnerships with local systems and government to tackle the social determinants of health and manage risk. “An incredible interdependence is required to enable communities to be healthy, and that’s ultimately what we’re all trying to do,” Gragnolati said. “Unfortunately, health care has been designed around how care is&nbsp;funded, rather than keeping communities healthy. … It is unbelievably fragmented, inordinately expensive and, to a great extent, rewards the treatment of illness rather than promoting wellness. We need to pivot, and to do that, we have to figure out how to change that the way we pay for health care.” New models like accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes are encouraging us to think differently, he said. “Experiments to reform the care delivery system have been going on across the country and they allow us to work differently with others to create effective partnerships,” he said. But the uptake has been slow, he added. “We have to broaden the conversation, we can’t let it get polarized if we’re going to create grassroots health.” 4D Healthware is examining alternatives to face-to-face care models, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Founder and CEO Star Cunningham noted that new payment models are opening up more options in that space. “Technology can be the great enabler and equalizer” for organizations working to connect care and services to address the social determinants of health, said Cunningham. She also talked about obstacles startups may encounter when trying to work with hospitals and health systems, notably around speed of implementation. “Health care has to run a little faster,” said Cunningham. Startups and providers “have to figure out how they are going to run together.”&nbsp; Grantmakers in Health helps connect organizations and foundations with like goals. President and CEO Faith Mitchell stressed the need to dialogue with affected communities to ensure solutions will truly address the community’s unique needs.&nbsp; “Think about wellness: our system is perversely oriented toward illness,” said Mitchell. ... The whole point [should be] to keep people out of hospitals and healthy.” Gragnolati said forums and open discussions within communities are key. “I really think conversations like this, and the ability to meet others, is a critical piece” of this work, he said. The panel, moderated by Umair Shah, M.D., executive director of Harris County (Texas) Public Health, also discussed how government groups like health departments can partner with hospitals. For example, Gragnolati shared how the events of 9/11 led his former hospital in suburban Maryland to work more closely with the local health department and NIH to enhance their emergency response and strengthen the overall system. Transparency in Healthcare, One Note at a Time – Patients want greater access to their medical information, and not just high-level summaries. During this session, a patient advocate and several physicians shared how the OpenNote project is helping patients gain access to detailed clinical notes related to their care. The project started with a pilot in three organizations and has grown to more than 200 organizations in all 50 states, giving more than 38&nbsp;million people access to their health information.&nbsp; “It’s not a health IT project, it’s a change management project,” said Liz Salmi, senior strategist, outreach &amp; communication, OpenNotes, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a brain tumor patient. She added that the work does not require new technology for EHR vendors, only new processes and pathways. Atrium has been up and running since 2015. “It’s remarkable to see the adoption from physicians and how it’s been embraced by patients… this is truly a movement. We’re seeing transformation happen before our eyes,” said Rasu Shrestha, M.D., executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Atrium Health. “We’re trying to change the very premise of how to practice health care … while there was initial pushback from the physicians… they are coming to us now and embracing it.” Moving from paternal to participatory. People who read their notes are more engaged in their care, following their prescribed course of treatment more closely. They also indicate that they trust their providers more, said Catherine DesRoches, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, OpenNotes. Shrestha noted that 80 to 90 percent of patients at Atrium who access their online portals also access their notes. This kind of transparency requires rethinking the way physicians are trained around note-taking and communication, the panelists agreed. For example, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is asking patients to give feedback on notes to residents in training. “It tells them how they are doing on communicating with patients in this medium,” DesRoches said. Changes in practice could also help combat clinician burnout. Shrestha noted physicians spend about 40 percent of their time on documentation, not talking and empathizing with patients. Leveraging new technologies like artificial intelligence and voice-to-text software can lessen that burden and improve clinician-patient communication, he said. The session was moderated by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist, Texas Children’s Hospital, who described his own evolution of note-taking and sharing as a physician. For more on the OpenNotes project, visit <a href="https://www.opennotes.org/">https://www.opennotes.org/</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; Thu, 14 Mar 2019 11:46:46 -0500 SXSW Conference Insights from SXSW: Ensuring Equal Access for All /news/insights-and-analysis/2019-03-13-insights-sxsw-ensuring-equal-access-all Pictured from left to right: Maryjane Wurth, Kimberly Wilson, John Haupert and Anton Gunn. This week, as part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival’s Interactive Health and MedTech track, the �� Association and hospital leaders have been sharing how hospitals and health systems are transforming to advance health in their communities.&nbsp; AHA partnered with Energizing Health to create opportunities for health organizations, community advocates, entrepreneurs, and philanthropical organizations to innovate and collaborate on initiatives aimed at addressing health equity by eliminating systemic barriers, reducing inequities and building healthier communities. In addition to AHA, participating organizations include the Aetna Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Cambia Health Foundation, the St. David’s Foundation, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, as well as civic, hospital and community leaders from across the country. &nbsp; Read on for highlights of some of the sessions and watch for full coverage all week in AHA Today, as well as key takeaways from the festival in the March 19 issue of AHA Market Scan. You can follow along with AHA on social media or using #SXSW. Access to Care: All Health is Not Created Equally – AHA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maryjane Wurth moderated a thoughtful discussion on how hospitals and health systems, clinicians and community partners are working to improve access to care in a more equitable and inclusive manner.&nbsp; “We know access to the system is not the same as access to providers who understand your issues,” Wurth said in introducing the panel. John Haupert, president and CEO of Grady Health System, described how his system, located in Atlanta, is addressing not just the community’s acute-care needs but the social determinants.&nbsp; “At Grady, we have understood for decades that we have to provide more equitable, person-centered care,” said Haupert, explaining how the system works to also identify and address the social determinants of health for patients. He described how Grady is working as a convener with community groups to address the social determinants and is opening a healthy food center later this year in one community with food deserts. “We know all of these issues are zipcode-based,” said Anton Gunn of Health Equity Cypher, which works to bring health care and community leaders together to identify opportunities and create culturally competent solutions for the particular community, particularly African-American communities. “Insurance is part of the solution … but we have to keep the conversation going with the people of the community.” He called the Affordable Care Act’s community health needs assessment process a great step forward in identifying a community’s needs and involving the community in that discussion.&nbsp; Kimberly Wilson, founder, HUED, explained how psychological barriers can prevent people of color from accessing care when they can’t find providers who look like them or have the cultural competency. She described how she had to travel from New York to Baltimore to find an African-American physician to treat her for a medical condition. This led her to create HUED, a technology-based platform that allows the user to search for medical professionals of color that can understand and meet their needs. Wilson noted how this is easier in large urban communities, but more difficult in smaller or rural communities. They are also investigating telehealth options to help meet these needs. Gunn also advocated for broadening how we gather community feedback by going to where community members gather, such as the barber shop for African-American men. “These are new ways to think about how we treat people to be healthy,” said Gunn. “We need more people at the front end thinking about how we transform how the system operates.” Haupert described how Grady is implementing a congregational health program by sending nurses to African-American churches to provide health information and help parishioners access care. The panel also discussed the need for more clinicians of color, who may better understand their patients’ experiences and needs. Haupert shared how Grady has worked with the Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine to help facilitate placing Morehouse residents in positions at Emory in some subspecialties where diversity lags, such as orthopedics. Delivering Care Anywhere: Beyond the Office Visit – Care is increasingly moving beyond the four walls of a hospital or doctor’s office and into the community, and even patients’ homes. With advancements in telehealth and in-home care, doctors have the ability to eliminate transportation barriers and reach more patients.&nbsp; In this session, AHA Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President Jay Bhatt, D.O.; William Buster, executive vice president for community investments, St. David’s Foundation; Bonnie Clipper, vice president of practice &amp; innovation for the American Nurses Association; and Daniel Weberg, senior director of innovation and leadership liaison, Kaiser Permanente, explored the impact of telehealth and in-home care on the trajectory of a person’s health journey and solutions for combating the digital divide inhibiting marginalized communities from taking advantage of these technological advancements in health care. Weberg shared how Kaiser Permanente has “made video visits the norm” for many types of services. “We have more virtual visits for many things than we do in-person visits,” he said. But systems that do not have risk-based contracts struggle to do them because they cannot get reimbursed. Cellphones may offer one way to make virtual visits or advice-seeking a reality for many. But while cellphones may be nearly ubiquitous, not everyone has access to smartphones or the data plans needed for some tech-heavy interventions. However, text messaging is one tool that can be used nearly universally, and providers could focus there to better ensure access, noted Buster. There are other opportunities to bring health care to the home, the panel agreed. “You have to “break yourselves out of the traditional ways you see care,” said Buster, noting how organizations like Meals on Wheels have enhanced their visits to ensure homes and patients are healthy. Bhatt shared how many hospitals and health systems are bringing “hospital at home” programs to communities around the country. “What we’re learning is, [improving health] is a team sport,” said Bhatt. “You have got to have thought around who are the right members of that team, and how do they need to be engaged and what’s the training for that workforce that needs to be developed, particularly around the issue of equity and the cultural sensitivities … We’re a visitor as a team in the patient’s home.” But delivery care at home can be challenging for those facing housing insecurity or without access to broadband internet. Weberg described Kaiser Permanente’s latest efforts to support housing security in California. In January, the organization announced several major initiatives that will improve health outcomes by creating stable housing for vulnerable populations. They include seeding a real estate investment in Oakland, anchoring a $100 million national loan fund for affordable housing and kicking off a plan to end homelessness for more than 500 Oakland-area residents. Other places in the community offer providers new ways to engage with patients. “You have to meet individuals where they are,” said Bhatt, citing community meeting places such as barber shops, churches and markets, where people gather and could access services. Buster agreed that “you have to support those every day organizations that people have connection with and comfort in.” He also advocated for more holistic city planning that takes health into account when making design decisions rather than thinking about systems independently. Bhatt said technology can be a great enabler, but cautioned that it is not the only solution. “Tech is a double-edged sword,” Bhatt noted. “On the one end, it can be an extraordinary enabler of health for accelerating the kind of change we want to see. But it can also in some instances perpetuate bias, whether through algorithms or the pathway of decision-making. How do we help bring in the voices of those who are experiencing the technology and then help build it and share it?” The panel also discussed the workforce challenges related to ensuring we can continue to provide the kind of care we need in the future. Weberg noted how nursing schools are not preparing nurses for telehealth. “I think we’re a long, long way off,” he said. &nbsp;“… I don’t think the education side is ready to meet our needs.” He shared that Kaiser Permanente’s new medical school is also facing how to overcome similar challenges. Wed, 13 Mar 2019 12:58:27 -0500 SXSW Conference Insights from SXSW: The role of technology in addressing social determinants and driving the next-generation of care /news/insights-and-analysis/2019-03-12-insights-sxsw-role-technology-addressing-social-determinants Pictured, from left to right: Manik Bhat, CEO of Healthify, Inc.; Carmen Llanes Pulido, executive director at Go Austin/Vamos Austin; Dwayne Proctor, senior adviser to the president and director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Ron Paulus, M.D., former president and CEO of Mission Health. As part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival’s Interactive Health and MedTech track, the �� Association and hospital leaders have been sharing how hospitals and health systems are transforming to advance health in their communities.&nbsp; AHA partnered with Energizing Health to create opportunities for health organizations, community advocates, entrepreneurs, and philanthropical organizations to innovate and collaborate on initiatives aimed at addressing health equity by eliminating systemic barriers, reducing inequities and building healthier communities. In addition to AHA, participating organizations include the Aetna Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Cambia Health Foundation, the St. David’s Foundation, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, as well as civic, hospital and community leaders from across the country. &nbsp; Read on for highlights of some of the sessions and watch for full coverage all week in AHA Today, as well as key takeaways from the festival in the March 19 issue of AHA Market Scan. You can follow along with AHA on social media or using #SXSW. Social Determinants and Tech: The Double-edged Sword – Healthy communities require more than just medical care for people after they get sick. They need resources that support people to live their healthiest lives. Technology can be an enabler but it can also be a divider in vulnerable communities. In this session, Ron Paulus, M.D., president and CEO of Mission Health; Manik Bhat, CEO of Healthify, Inc.; Carmen Llanes Pulido, executive director at Go Austin/Vamos Austin; and Dwayne Proctor, senior adviser to the president and director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, explored how technology innovations can help improve safety, nutrition, education, health care access and social supports and how community organizations, entrepreneurs and health systems are working together to ensure safety and health for all. Paulus shared how Mission Health, headquartered in western North Carolina, has to focus on the social determinants of health to improve the health and well-being of its patients given the numerous social challenges in the rural community. He described how Mission Health’s community investment committee solicited proposals directly from the community and were rigorous about evaluation, measurement and performance to ensure they were truly meeting the community’s needs. Paulus noted that what he saw was “transformative.” Paulus said he is “bullish” on technology as one way to make headway on the social determinants, but organizations must engage their communities in discussions on how to address the social determinants to ensure they are making the right investments in the right services. While the panel outlined how technology can be helpful if it is tracking and helping to overcome true barriers to healthy living, it has to be carefully implemented and monitored to be sure it does not inadvertently perpetuate biases or create additional barriers to access. Financing and the sustainability of the technology can also be barriers in communities that are already vulnerable, the panel stressed. Health Care’s Digital Disruptors: Hope Vs. Hype – Many are betting big that new technologies will disrupt health care and transform the way care is delivered moving forward. But will these technologies be a boon or a bust? In this session, Edward Ellison, M.D., co-CEO of The Permanente Federation (a group of eight Permanente Medical groups across the country); Ira Nash, M.D., senior vice president and executive director of Northwell Health Physician Partners; and Lisa Suennen, group lead for digital and technology and head of the venture fund at Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips, examined three technologies – predictive analytics, machine learning and precision medicine – and made predictions for how they will impact care. Overall the panel agreed that predictive analytics is farthest along with more applications. Machine learning is beginning to make an impact and precision medicine – especially related to genomics – has a long way to go. Predictive analytics is already driving changes in medicine. Ellison noted how advanced monitoring alert systems can predict a patient will deteriorate up to 24 hours before. This allows providers to call in a rapid response team to rescue the patient early and then have the opportunity to involve the patient and his or her family in the next-step decisions. Analytics can also identify risk of readmission within 30 days. Nash shared how predictive analytics can identify not just patients at risk but which interventions may be most effective for those patients. However, the panel cautioned about both over or under reliance on predictive analytics and noted that data integrity is key to usefulness. For example, bias can be perpetuated in algorithms.&nbsp; Machine learning is another area that offers a wealth of possibilities for health care with its capability to recognize patterns and extrapolate opportunities, but will only be “as good as the data we feed the machine,” noted Nash. Nash described how technology is moving from medical providers to consumers, and machine learning may change how diagnostic testing is done in the future. The panel cautioned that machine learning will not take place of physicians but will be adjunctive and supportive to them. Suennen said that precision medicine is still in its infancy with limited applications in some oncology and other practices, but most applications are still emerging. She predicted that 20-30 years from now, we will have much more knowledge about how to choose interventions based on genomic factors. Overall, the panel was enthusiastic about the potential for all of these technologies – especially the added potential for wider applications as the technologies inter-relate and include a wider range of data inputs, including social determinants. Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:55:54 -0500 SXSW Conference Chairman’s file podcast: Must-have capabilities for tomorrow’s health care leaders /news/chairpersons-file/2019-03-11-chairmans-file-podcast-must-have-capabilities-tomorrows-health Health care is undergoing tremendous transformation. Among the forces at play is the rise in consumerism – patients taking on increasing responsibility in selecting plans, providers and treatment options – which will require the next generation of leaders to think and adapt in new ways. &nbsp; I was pleased to take part in a robust discussion of the needed competencies last week as part of a panel sponsored by the AHA’s The Value Initiative and Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and hosted in conjunction with the South by Southwest Festival. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Joining me were John Haupert, AHA Board member and president and CEO of Atlanta's Grady Health System, and S. Claiborne "Clay" Johnston, M.D., dean and vice president for medical affairs of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. Priya Bathija, vice president of AHA’s The Value Initiative, moderated the discussion focused on the capabilities and skills needed to lead complex, value-focused health care organizations into the future. &nbsp; You can download the podcast, the latest on the AHA’s new Advancing Health podcast channel, on AHA’s <a href="/advancinghealth">webpage</a> or access it – along with AHA’s growing collection of podcasts – on iTunes, Google Play and SoundCloud. Mon, 11 Mar 2019 13:50:21 -0500 SXSW Conference Must-have Capabilities for Tomorrow’s Health Care Leaders /advancing-health-podcast/2019-03-11-must-have-capabilities-tomorrows-health-care-leaders Health care is undergoing tremendous transformation. Among the forces at play is the rise in consumerism — patients taking on increasing responsibility in selecting plans, providers and treatment options — which will require the next generation of leaders to think and adapt in new ways. On March 9, as part of a panel sponsored by the AHA’s The Value Initiative and Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and hosted in conjunction with the South by Southwest Festival, AHA Chairman Brian Gragnolati, John Haupert, AHA Board member and president and CEO of Atlanta's Grady Health System, and S. Claiborne "Clay" Johnston, M.D., dean and vice president for medical affairs of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, participated in a discussion on this topic. Priya Bathija, vice president of AHA’s The Value Initiative, moderated the discussion focused on the capabilities and skills needed to lead complex, value-focused health care organizations into the future. &nbsp; &nbsp; <a class="btn btn-primary" href="/advancinghealth">Listen to More Advancing Health Podcasts</a> Mon, 11 Mar 2019 11:21:19 -0500 SXSW Conference AHA leading critical conversations on health care transformation at South by Southwest festival /news/blog/2019-03-06-aha-leading-critical-conversations-health-care-transformation-south-southwest You might think of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival – held March 8-17 in Austin, Texas – as a showcase for hot music acts or new films. But over the last few years, it has also become an important forum for innovative ideas on topics ranging from politics to technology to design to health and health care. It’s a place where big ideas are discussed and new connections are made. That’s why the AHA will be participating in a number of sessions across the coming days as part of the SXSW Interactive Festival’s Health and MedTech track – to share how hospitals and health systems are transforming to advance health in their communities. We’ve partnered with Energizing Health to create opportunities for health organizations, community advocates, entrepreneurs, and philanthropy to innovate and collaborate on initiatives aimed at increasing health equity by eliminating systemic barriers and building healthier communities. In addition to AHA, participating organizations include the Aetna Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Cambia Health Foundation, the St. David’s Foundation, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and community leaders from across the country. &nbsp; Planned sessions include: Social Determinants and Tech: The Double Edged Sword – Healthy communities require more than just medical care for people after they get sick. They need resources that support people to live their best, healthiest lives. Ron Paulus, M.D., president and CEO of Mission Health; Manik Bhatt; CEO of Healthify, Inc.; Carmen Llanes Pulido, Executive Director at Go Austin/Vamos Austin; and Dwayne Proctor, senior adviser to the president and director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will explore technology innovations can help improve safety, nutrition, education, health care access and social supports and how community organizations, entrepreneurs and health systems are working together to ensure safety and health for all. Access to Care: All Health is Not Created Equally – Whereas the increasing cost of health insurance is a critical factor, it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a system where all achieve the best health. John Haupert, president and CEO of Grady Health System; AHA Executive Vice President Maryjane Wurth; Anton Gunn of Health Equity Cypher; and Kimberly Wilson, founder, HUED, will reframe the conversation surrounding access to health care and discuss inventive and inclusive approaches to supporting people to live their best and healthiest lives.&nbsp; Innovative Partnerships Transforming Health – In this session, AHA Chairman Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO of Atlantic Health System; Star Cunningham, founder and CEO of 4D Healthware; Umair Shah, M.D., executive director of Harris County (Texas) Public Health; and Faith Mitchell, president and CEO of Grantmakers in Health, will share the journey of unique collaborative partnerships as a way to transform health and health care across the country. Topics will include how these partners came together, the process of finding common ground to develop goals, objectives and strategies, leverage relationships to engage public health, national health association members and industry partners, as well as lessons learned to scale future work. Delivering Care Anywhere: Beyond the Office Visit – With advancements in telehealth and in-home care, doctors have the ability to eliminate transportation barriers and reach more patients. AHA Chief Medical Officer Jay Bhatt, D.O.; William Buster, executive vice president for community investments, St. David’s Foundation; Bonnie Clipper, vice president of practice &amp; innovation for the American Nurses Association; and Daniel Weberg, senior director of innovation and leadership liaison, Kaiser Permanente, will explore the impact of telehealth and in-home care on the trajectory of a person’s health journey and solutions for combating the digital divide inhibiting marginalized communities from taking advantage of these technological advancements in health care. In addition, the AHA’s Value Initiative will host a special session on "Must-Have" Capabilities for Tomorrow's Leaders” with Gragnolati, Haupert and S. Claiborne "Clay" Johnston, M.D., dean of Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Panelists will explore how the health care field can improve health care value by fostering leaders who embrace a patient-centric, value-focused and empathetic approach to health and health care. Specifically, panelists will discuss the capabilities and skills needed by emerging leaders to lead complex, value-focused health care organizations into the future. They will also examine how we can redesign educational pathways for clinical and non-clinical leaders to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to promote the delivery of high-value care for patients. Watch for full coverage next week in AHA Today and key takeaways from the festival in the March 19 issue of AHA Market Scan. And follow along with AHA on social media or using #SXSW. Maryjane Wurth is AHA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. She also is president and CEO of AHA’s Health Forum subsidiary. &nbsp; Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:04:07 -0600 SXSW Conference Chairman’s File: Innovating to advance health in America /news/chairpersons-file/2019-03-04-chairmans-file-innovating-advance-health-america Innovation in health care around delivering better experiences and outcomes at a lower cost has graduated from a discussion topic to an action item. All around us, we see exciting examples of bold thinking and experimentation to better serve patients. Already, many of these new models and methods are achieving positive results. Thinking outside the box and working with nontraditional partners will be primary focuses of the <a href="https://www.sxsw.com/conference/health-and-medtech/">Health &amp; MedTech Track</a>&nbsp;at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, beginning this week in Austin, Texas. Our nation’s hospitals and health systems will be well represented, with many AHA members participating on panels to share innovative initiatives from across the country. On March 9, I’ll be part of a panel focused on tomorrow’s health care leaders, sponsored by the AHA’s Value Initiative. Joining me will be John Haupert, AHA Board member and president and CEO of Atlanta’s Grady Health System, and S. Claiborne “Clay” Johnston, M.D., dean and vice president for medical affairs of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. The following day, I will serve on a panel discussing collaborative partnerships as a strategy for transformation. Watch for more coverage in AHA Today next week. High-profile events like SXSW draw attention to the creative thinking and original approaches happening every day in health care. Another powerful lens is AHA’s <a href="/center/innovation-capacity/challenge">2019 Innovation Challenge</a>&nbsp;– a juried award program to source and spread new technologies to address the social determinants of health. AHA member organizations can submit entries about early-stage programs designed to address food, housing, transportation and other SDOH factors. The top three proposals will receive $100,000, $25,000 and $15,000 to help bring their program to life. Submissions are open through May 24. Winners will be announced at July's AHA Leadership Summit. Groundbreaking ideas can bubble up from anywhere. My own organization, Atlantic Health System, has created an “<a href="https://www.atlantichealth.org/about-us/stay-connected/news/press-releases/2018/aha-one-year.html">idea incubator</a>” to inspire our physicians and team members to share their best ideas for enhancing care delivery. The spirit of innovation is alive and well. Let’s encourage that spirit – and each other – as we work together to advance health in America. Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:08:45 -0600 SXSW Conference