
Ezra Systems Seminar: Jay Koo (Kaiser Permanente)
Also available via Zoom
Beyond the Crisis: Improving U.S. Healthcare with Systems Thinking
Terms like “crisis” and “failing” have long been used to describe the U.S. health care system. Americans spend more on health care (both per capita and as a percentage of GDP) than any other developed nation. Despite this, the U.S. ranks near the bottom among OECD countries in life expectancy, and nearly 40% of U.S. hospitals are losing money.
Although many structural factors driving U.S. healthcare costs are deeply entrenched, a systems thinking approach to specific problems can yield high-impact solutions that lower costs, expand access, and improve clinical outcomes. This talk will include real life examples of systems thinking applied to problems in surgical services, home healthcare, an emergency room, and a hospital laboratory.
Bio:
For 30 years, Jay Koo JGSM ‘03 has enhanced organizational effectiveness in large, complex organizations. Currently, he is the Executive Director of Finance at Kaiser Permanente, helping shared services like Supply Chain maintain resilience while reducing costs. He previously led the finance aspect of Kaiser Permanente’s internal innovation fund and Digital Transformation Strategy. He also led a team which evaluated facility and technology projects worth billions of dollars each year. Before Kaiser Permanente, Jay was a management consultant in healthcare and ecommerce strategy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Cornell, where he was a Park Leadership Fellow.