By KIM BELLARD
Recently in The Washington Post, author Daniel Pink initiated a series of columns he and WaPo are calling “Why Not?” in an effort to inject new ideas into the national conversation. I’m all in. In the words of Mr. Pink, “In each installment, I’ll offer a single idea — bold, surprising, maybe a bit jarring — for improving our country, our organizations or our lives.”
Mr. Pink describes three core values (in the interest of space, I’m excerpting his descriptions):
- Curiosity over certainty. The world is uncertain. Curiosity and intellectual humility are the most effective solvents for unsticking society’s gears.
- Openness over cynicism. Cynicism is easy but hollow; openness is difficult but rich.
- Conversation over conversion. The ultimate dream is to inspire others to share even better ideas.
Contrary to what many people working in healthcare, and those receiving care, might think, healthcare is not doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, and insurance companies. They are simply the methods and delivery mechanisms that have become familiar. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that what we call health care today is a time-consuming, expensive process – often frustrating and ineffective. Why not do better?
If you work in healthcare, you should ask yourself: is what I do integral to what healthcare should be in 2024? If you think your job should be more about health and less about the business of health, why not make it so? And the rest of us should be asking ourselves: is the healthcare we get still the equivalent of a print newspaper? Why not, indeed?
Kim is a former e-marketing exec at a major Blues plan, former editor of Tincture.io, and now regular THCB contributor.
