Don’t Partner For The Sake of Partnering

Health system leaders should be honest about gaps they need to address before forming partnerships aimed at bolstering a population health strategy. A common mistake leaders make is looking for partners that offer an interesting solution, but “looking interesting is not enough,” says Robert Fields, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer, Mount Sinai Health System.

Instead, leaders should answer some critical questions first — what is the problem you are trying to solve? Where are the gaps in your system? Do you have the right metrics and infrastructure in place to move forward with a partnership?

Being able to answer those questions will help narrow the solution, Fields said during an interview at the Oliver Wyman Health Innovation Summit. They should partner for the sake of partnering.