Strategic Healthcare Change: Balancing Change and Stability.

Abstract

One day a few years ago, my boss at Baxter International asked for examples of organizations that undertook substantial or transformative change before the market or competitors’ challenges forced them to change. I could identify very few. Consistent with a natural human reticence to change before being forced, the track record of any significant efforts appeared to be dismal. One study found “just 26 percent of respondents say the transformations they’re most familiar with have been very or completely successful at both improving performance and equipping the organization to sustain improvements over time” (Jacquemont et al., 2015, p. 1). And yet, within the U.S. healthcare system, there are examples of successful transformative change, including: