Problem Solving in Healthcare

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate

Health care is, indeed, hard. The industry represents almost 20% of the United States GDP, is made up of countless multi-billion-dollar subsectors and touches all of our lives - but few understand its interlocking systems holistically. We have struggled with the same set of challenges related to cost, quality, access and consumer experience for generations, but scaled solutions have been elusive. Addressing these pressing but complex health care challenges requires cross-silo thinking and the involvement of multiple, often conflicting, stakeholders. The industry desperately needs leaders prepared to envision, develop and ultimately drive these sorts of multistakeholder solutions. In this course we will explore the necessity of engaging and aligning multiple, disparate stakeholders, each with material and deeply entrenched interests to create and scale solutions to the most challenging health care problems. Our exploration will focus on issues of urgent importance in today’s health care system and will draw upon direct engagement with leaders representing engaged stakeholders. Classes will allow for active conversation between students and these industry leaders as we explore (and potentially identify) potential solutions and their necessary tradeoffs.