I’m a healthcare industry disrupter
This past weekend, my friend Rose Kaz, from Lady Boss International and podcast host of Money. Sex. Politics invited me to the Better Business Summit this weekend to hosted by Rational Unicorn Legal Services. First, let’s all take a moment to appreciate all these creative brand names! Rose is a community builder extraordinaire and disrupter of the internet who naturally brought together her fav female business owners, including myself, to help (wo)man a booth at the summit. To make this a whole cohesive message, we made t-shirts that said Industry Disrupter as a good conversation starter. This got me thinking about how I’m a disrupter in my industry.
This is generally not an identity I put on display much, but it is essentially what I am doing and part of my bigger why.
I’m here to disrupt the Healthcare industry.
If I were to put it into my own words, I would call myself a bridge builder. I aim to find what is working in the current model and expand upon that to build a new model. Less disruption, more collaboration and thoughtful progress.
The healthcare system has gotten too big. It’s reached it’s max.
When a system gets too big, it loses connection. In the name of efficiency (and money), we’ve standardized so much that healthcare is now a one-size-fits-all campaign. This makes it easier for conglomerates to come in and call the shots as insurance companies, big pharma, and c-suites now dictate your care. I spent two years working for a hospital system and am now deep diving into the insurance realm and CPT codes with a current client. I’ve had a unique view into the back-end of healthcare and it’s already busting at the seams. This cycle has created more lack than actual true healing.
Lack of access
The cost of care has become prohibitive. High insurance premiums, copays, and surprise bills makes care no longer attainable for some.
Specialists are leaving the profession. Increased hours and reduced workforce has an effect on the mental and physical health of care providers, forcing them out of the industry.
Finding an available appointment can now take up to 4-8 months! With a reduced workforce, PCPs are becoming a cog in the funnel creating long wait times to get the right tests and referrals.
Lack of diversity
Insurance narrows your search of providers. You no longer have a diverse set of options and are forced to team with doctors that are credentialed with your insurance.
Strong focus on symptomatic, allopathic treatments vs holistic, root cause investigative modalities. Healing is so nuanced, and we’re generalizing it for all, which leads to dangerous side-effects and poor health outcomes.
Lack of connection
Patient experience has declined. Waiting months to see a provider, waiting hours in the emergency room, lack of empathy due to patient churn, challenges scheduling and finding locations online.
The system has turned people into customers: Profitable treatments are being released without proper testing for long-term effects. Providers are being educated to opt for quick temporary fixes vs long term preventative measures.
Bloated data, inflamed bureaucracy, stuck communication. A system that has reached its max slows everything WAY down which is a result of what we are seeing on the current stage. I often want to point my finger at the people, but then I have to step back and realize it’s generally an affect of the system that was put in place.
This is why laying the foundational systems in your business is SO important. When you are building your business and the processes within it, do your decisions align with your values? Do you consider the long-term affect? What does capacity look like and do you have boundaries and checks/balances in place to know when things have gone too far. These are still things that I’m ruminating on.
Calling in a new model
Improve access and way-finding to a wide variety of providers who’ve identified their unique healing gifts.
Create better funding models, removing insurance from the equation.
Encourage a preventative, education first model, dropping cost for easier access.
Provide multiple formats for care based on readiness and budget (group healing, community memberships, 1:1s).
Shift focus to root-cause care to bypass the surface and get to the root quicker.
Focus more on natural modalities that have already been tested over thousands of years.
Open our perspective on what “true healing” really is. Hint: it’s actually learning how to process emotions and love ourselves.
Create stabilizing systems that support providers wellbeing and improve patient experience.
Build a more decentralized system of care through online healing hubs, wellness cooperatives, healing schools, and more.
I’m sure this list will expand in years to come because I am determined to show people that there are multiple ways to heal and you don’t need to feel stuck with the current system that we are faced with.
New sprouts emerging 🌱
I am already seeing new budding models appearing in my community…
Wellness centers offering full-care modalities for physical, mental, spiritual, and energetic support.
An integrative, co-operative wellness model where practitioners have shared values and operations, but get to keep their LLCs and their autonomy.
Naturopaths exploring ways to use certified psylicibin treatments and plant medicines in their practices, and many more integration coaches popping up to support the healing process.
Online communities bringing people together to educate and talk about nutrition, grief, womb healing, trauma, end-of-life healing and more.
Healer coaching healers to be true leaders in this movement.
Energetics being introduced to the larger medical community and them being very receptive to it.
Healers bringing forward their own modalities and others who are building unique offers based on hybrid models that exceed expectations and produce huge transformations.
Platform creators building better ways for healers to connect and do their work.
I am beyond grateful to be connected to all of you who are working towards a similar vision of a better healthcare model.
This is the diversity that is needed to build a healthy, rich soil for a new system to fully root, spout, and bloom. 🌼
