Navigate the healthcare industry
Healthcare Brew covers pharmaceutical developments, health startups, the latest tech, and how it impacts hospitals and providers to keep administrators and providers informed.
It’s been a busy year for the healthcare industry, from navigating the evolving reproductive rights landscape to high-profile cyberattacks to the meteoric rise of GLP-1s.
As the year comes to an end, Healthcare Brew checked in with leaders from across the industry to see what they consider their biggest accomplishments of 2024. The executives shared their efforts in boosting community outreach, utilizing technology to boost healthcare access, and streamlining insurance.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Vickie Johnson, EVP and chief community officer, Cleveland Clinic
I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help build a healthy community for everyone. In 2024, that work included supporting the expansion of the [Ohio-based] Hitchcock Center for Women to help women experiencing addiction access care, recover, and rebuild for themselves and their families.
We have also nurtured healthy communities by providing access to healthy foods. This year our pledge to address food insecurity has supported partnering with [supercenter chain] Meijer to open a grocery store in the Fairfax neighborhood of Cleveland, offering teaching kitchens, providing food vouchers and grocery delivery services for patients and their families, and opening food pantries.
Yemi Okupe, CFO, Hims & Hers
At Hims & Hers, we’re building on an innovative platform that enables us to increase access to personalized healthcare, and of all the work we’ve done in 2024, I’m the most proud of the impact that is having on our customers.
The company has grown to more than 2 million customers, and more than half of those customers are using a personalized solution.
In terms of access, groups who often face more barriers to care are finding better access to personalized care because of our scale and efficiency. Over 400,000 of our subscribers are from zip codes where the average household income is below $50,000. As we grow, we get more and more efficient, which allows us to democratize a quality of care that has historically only been available to customers who work traditional hours and have a greater amount of disposable income.
Christina Fisher, EVP and CFO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
I am most proud of our investments in making it easier for our members to seamlessly access doctors, hospitals, and claims information, even if they are traveling or living outside the service area of their home plan.
Members use [the network care coordination program] BlueCard when they seek care, and we’re modernizing this program to reduce friction in the system. Advances in our cloud-based technology will enable members to spend less time on the phone or on paperwork and more time living their healthiest lives.