4 Key Takeaways from the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase Merger for Health Care Marketers
// By Lisa D. Ellis //
When the powerhouse brands of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase recently pooled resources to form a new independent health care delivery system to serve 1 million collective employees, an entire industry took notice. While lots of questions remain as to how the company will operate, one thing is clear: The health care industry has been in an ongoing state of change and this is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Opportunity for Marketers
Susan Dubuque, principal at ndp in Richmond, Virginia
This loud wake-up call to health care marketers reminds us of the important role marketers have to play in positioning their organizations moving forward, says Susan Dubuque, principal at ndp in Richmond, Virginia.
Dubuque has published extensively, in SHCM and elsewhere, on how marketers can put their skills to new, or improved, uses—specifically, by helping their organizations play a stronger role in the health and wellness of the people they serve and the communities they live in. Most recently, she published a book, Gearing Up for Population Health: Marketing for Change, sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD), with all proceeds going to SHSMD.
“Over the past decade, the focus in health care has moved from inpatient to outpatient care, we’ve transitioned from volume to value, there’s been a host of mergers and consolidations, and we’ve seen major reorientation from delivering acute care to managing the health of populations,” Dubuque explains.
Read on to learn how Dubuque believes the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase announcement underscores the drivers behind population health strategy, and to discover the four areas where she believes marketers’ skills and leadership are critical to the success of health systems’ population health efforts.