i3 - March/April 2020 - 31

By Karen Wolk Feinstein

Policy

G U E ST B LO G

Liftoff PGH

True, our region boasts internationally
recognized institutions across higher
Can you challenge a region
education, medical research, and tech
to embrace innovation as
entrepreneurship. But these assets will
Karen Wolk Feinstein,
have to realize their combined potential
inspired by CES? Pittsburgh
President and CEO, Jewish
to thrive in a new era. With a finite winis about to find out.
Healthcare Foundation
dow for transformation, Pittsburgh
needed a reboot. Inspired by CES, JHF
launched a daring experiment, challengour years ago, I took a critical leap into the future of
ing our regional institutions to envision
health care by attending CES. This is not hyperbolic.
their evolution to 2030.
I'd settled for decades on incremental improvement as
How do we bring the excitement and
an acceptable pace for health system reforms. I accepted rigid
inspiration of CES to a whole region?
rules (such as those restricting scope of practice) that discourLiftoff PGH is an event and a moveaged new professional players and new roles, while our legacy
ment, activating more than 1,000
changemakers in technology, health,
systems restricted access to care and promoted highly specialeducation, and entrepreneurship to reiized, complex and expensive services over less costly options.
magine Pittsburgh's future health care
At CES, I was unprepared for my entrance into a world of disecosystem. Participants will venture
ruption, fueled by the broader world of technology. Four eyethrough five immersive Explorations,
opening trips later, we're set to launch Pittsburgh's
fueled by an electric
first immersive health care innovation summit, a
mix of speakers,
exhibits and interwindow into Healthcare 2030 which we call Liftoff
active learning. We
PGH. It is real, and it's happening September
aspire to create an
15th- 16th, 2020.
ambitious vision-
and connect the
people to realize it.
though many were
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation
We may not achieve
(JHF) may seem like an unlikely attendee extraordinary, but to
our highest aspiraat CES. Founded in 1990, the Pittsburgh- the full throttle comtions, but what if we
mitment to breakbased healthcare organization - a
do? What if one
through innovation.
grantmaking, research, program demonIt's in our DNA to
event catalyzes a
stration, and educational "multi-tasker"- Global, age-indiffercross industries
regional
ent, and inviting to
advocates for patient safety, quality
and make unusual
transformation?
new entrants and traimprovement, and broader health policy
connections. The
For Pittsburgh,
ditional players from
reform. We brought lean principles to
difference now is
the collective chalother industries!
health care and created one of the
scope and scale.
lenge is to reinvent
Disruption on this
nation's first multi-stakeholder quality
how we effect
coalitions. It's in our DNA to cross indus- scale will benefit
- Karen Wolk Fienstein
change, to disaggresome and displace
tries and make unusual connections.
gate ideas from secothers. Over these
The difference now is scope and scale.
tors, and envision
past five years, I conTechnological discovery will alter every
an economy based
templated how a
sector of the economy, and health care is
region can prepare for the rapid innova- on unfettered innovation. CES has prono exception. Before we walked toward
vided a few of us with an essential wintions coming in this decade. As I waninnovation, but now we have to run to
dow to what lies ahead, but also a
dered the labyrinthine aisles of the
keep up.
exhibit floor, row by row, room by room, critical model of ambitious planning.
The Digital Health Summit at CES
Can local leadership in health delivery,
I couldn't help but wonder. Could the
attracted fewer attendees in 2015.
finance, government, education, and
Compared to 2020, tech giants were just Pittsburgh region ride the waves of
philanthropy boost a city's potential for
exploring the health industry's potential. change successfully and competitively?
wildly innovative collaboration? We'll
What would it take to maximize opporBut my eyes were opened, not to any
see. Thank you CES.
tunity and minimize disruption?
particular technology or concept,

Bill Dickinson/Getty Images

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