Health Evolution interviewed ChenMed CEO Chris Chen, MD, at the most recent Health Evolution Summit 2021. Chen discussed experiencing care delivery from “the opposite side of the glass,” how that made him a more empathetic person and leader and why it inspired him to try to improve health care faster than before he was sick.
Below are three highlights from the interview.
On being infected with COVID-19
“Laying in that hospital bed, you’re contemplating whether you’re going to get better or you’re going to get worse. You really think about what’s important. I now have a stronger resolve to transform care to prevent more people from experiencing catastrophic hospitalizations. I deeply understand what it feels like. I’ve experienced it and we have to do a better job at preventing those challenges.”
On transforming health care
“We would love to be a catalyst to continue to inspire people, to take our journey or something similar and transforming care to being something that’s less reactive and much more proactive. And that moves upstream, meaning prevention.”
On the journey toward improving health care
“We have for the last couple of decades been on a journey to learn how to prevent catastrophic events. It’s its own field of medicine these days. We’re probably only about 15 percent to 20 percent of the way there, if that, so what must we do is solve the other 80 percent.”
