Ten Years of Authentic Change

It’s been a decade since I started Momentum Health Strategies and I marvel at how the time has passed so quickly. I’m particularly proud of the impact I’ve helped such a variety of organizations achieve. A few of the highlights include:

• The National Council for Mental Wellbeing expanded legislative and budgetary support for its Mental Health First Aid program and launched its Center of Excellence for Integrated Behavioral Health with our research and organizational strategy and support. 
• The National Quality Forum (NQF) published a playbook we created on antibiotic stewardship in long-term care (BEFORE the pandemic once again emphasized why this is important).
• The Alliance for Health Policy and several patient organizations built or retooled their strategic plans with our support to sharpen their purpose and emphasize forward-looking change.
• The National Health Council built multi-stakeholder consensus with our strategy and facilitation support to articulate change on the role of patient involvement and leadership in evidence development, patient-focused drug development, and value.
• Center for Innovation & Value Research emerged as a thought leader and respected convener in value assessment/health technology assessment. Our leadership, operational management, and strategic planning and implementation rebuilt the organization, focusing on nonprofit governance, patient-centricity, transparency, equity, and visibility and programmatic development.  

Along the way, I’ve discerned some lessons and observations about the world I hope to see in my career, and the dynamics for change.

The incentives for change have to align. If patients and payers (or any other actor) define quality/value/experience differently, then the decision-making will always skew to where the power lies. That is less often the patient, family or community. For a stark reminder of misaligned incentives, read Don Berwick’s latest. 

Inertia runs deep. Every stakeholder is just that – an individual or perspective looking to represent and protect one’s “stake” in the health care landscape. Incremental change is an antidote. This is the heart of my company - making meaningful, incremental, sustainable change happen.

Diversity = magic. Bringing together diverse perspectives – across every dimension – is critical to finding real and lasting solutions in health care, no matter if the challenge is access, quality, price, or whatever. Openness to alternative perspectives – especially to lived experience – is core to achieving health equity.

Prevention works. Food as medicine, early and better screening and diagnosis, and easier access to prenatal, primary, dental, and mental health care are fundamental to health, and to the best use of resources. We have plenty of evidence of the result of a lack of investment in prevention: substance use, suicide, obesity, cancer, heart disease among others. Investing in the basics and listening to patients and families are essential to better outcomes.

I’ve been so proud and privileged to work with organizations that strive to find solutions through authenticity, collaboration and continual focus on being better, including Mental Health America , National Council for Mental Wellbeing , Alliance for Health Policy , Center for Innovation & Value Research , National Health Council , FasterCures , Avalere , National Quality Forum (NQF) , Partnership to Improve Patient Care , RESPONSUM .

My everlasting thanks to advisors, clients, mentors, and muses (here are but a few!): TERRY MONAGHAN Performance and Productivity Expert , Tanisha Carino , Reginald D. Williams II , Charles Ingoglia , Erica deFur Malik , Sarah Dash , Sara Van Geertruyden , Eleanor Perfetto, Suzanne Schrandt , Lisa Malecha , Melanie Ridley , Schroeder Stribling , Kristi Mitchell , Danny van Leeuwen , Joan Kenerson King , Donna Cryer , Patty Fritz , Barry Liden , Claire Sachs , Wayne Burton , Margaret Rehayem , Nelly Ganesan , Cheryl Neslusan, Ph.D. Dana Gelb Safran , Alan Balch , Timothy Bright

Cheers to another decade of work that matters. I look forward to partnering with more of you. When you’re ready to make change happen, let’s talk.  Momentum Health Strategies