Even at a tech conference, people are at the center

Earlier this month Regence BlueShield demonstrated its commitment to transforming health care by sponsoring the first-ever track dedicated to the intersection of health and technology at the annual #GWSummit produced by GeekWire. It was inspiring to witness American ingenuity and passion turned toward the challenges – and opportunities – in our complex health care ecosystem.

My colleagues did an excellent job capturing the high points of the discussion, and GeekWire, as always, offered a recap of the summit for those who missed out. There was much to be impressed with and inspired by, but it brings me back to what we’re doing here at Regence, and why our work is so important. As consumers, we have so much data at our finger tips. And we’re getting more and more every day. But more data doesn’t necessarily help us improve our health. For that, we need context. Context in the form of primary care.

One of the panels on the Health Tech stage I thought gave a great view into the challenges and opportunities around primary care was “The Robot Will See You Now: The Future of Primary Care.” The panel featured 98point6 CEO Robbie Cape, One Medical Group CTO Kimber Lockhart and Vera Whole Health CEO Ryan Schmid. Each of these companies are focused on patient engagement through primary care and how the industry can leverage technology to improve not only the patient experience, but outcomes. During the discussion, Ryan Schmid, speaking on the importance of primary care stated, “Done well, there is this opportunity to really treat the entire person, which extends well beyond the clinic and into the community, which I think is a really interesting opportunity.”

At Regence, we agree on the importance of primary care and have invested in Coordinated care programs focused on providing our members with tools and capabilities that enable them to receive better quality care, as well as saving them money. 

As the panel referenced above demonstrated, there is no shortage of strategies and perspectives on how to improve health care. But one of the strongest takeaways for me was that we’re going to need more forums like the GeekWire Summit, where we bring in innovators, consumers, policy makers, and health experts to create solutions that take a holistic approach to the health care ecosystem, rather than addressing individual symptoms.

I look forward to continuing to do my part. What about you?