Unless you are living under a rock, you are aware that there is a veritable revolution going on in healthcare. Many forces are converging to change the way healthcare is delivered in this country. There are many stakeholders; physicians, hospitals, drug companies, insurance companies, etc; who are anxious about how these anticipated changes will affect their future.
In an attempt to stay abreast of these changes, I have recently attended two meetings in as many days, one hosted by an insurance company and another by a hospital. At each meeting, I heard the same quote, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” I had heard it before, but the quote rang out to me on both instances. In the setting of a business meeting where one group is discussing its plans to outperform another group, it initially seemed out of place. Eventually, I was able to see its veracity and relevance.
The phrase has been mistakenly attributed to John F. Kennedy, but it was in common use by a regional New England Chamber of Commerce prior to JFK’s speech. The phrase suggests that each individual that makes up an economy benefits when the economy, in general, improves. It may apply to medicine as well as macroeconomics.
Health care reform is supposed to improve the delivery of health care in this country. If this goal is attained, it will benefit all those who participate in healthcare, both patients and providers. Out of this painful and anxiety-provoking process, I hope that we will have a healthcare system that is more transparent, better at its primary task, friendlier, and more financially sustainable.
In our country, many societal goals are achieved through competition. One group tries to differentiate itself from another. This motivates the other group to do the same. And in the end, both groups are better as a result.
I wish I had a crystal ball into which I could peer and see the future structure of healthcare. As a small business person, I would then know exactly how to change and grow to fit into the coming reality. But alas, I have no such insight into the future. Instead, I will continue to attend meetings in order to stay informed and “ahead of the curve”. But I will do so with the belief that a rising tide lifts all boats.
-Robert J Purchase, MD