Stephanie King is a Senior Consultant at COPE Health Solutions. In this position, she has the opportunity to strategically partner with clients to transform the way health care is delivered. She has previous experience in ambulatory operations, project management and 1115 Waiver programs. Her previous experience working at large academic medical centers and with the 1115 Waiver program allows her to understand the operational, day-to-day challenges associated with making large-scale transformative changes required by the 1115 Waiver programs.

See what inspires her to work in the health care industry and to transform health care for the future.

Why do you enjoy working in the health care industry?

Working in the health care industry provides an element of purpose to my work.  Whether in direct patient care, support, leadership or administrative roles, we all play a role in designing care for communities, patients and families.  This is a responsibility to our communities that should not be taken lightly.  I enjoy working to design programs and improve systems that will make communities healthier and support individuals in need of acute care.

Additionally, health care is in a transformative time.  From the introduction of new devices and products to changing payment models, health care today challenges us to think differently about how things can be done, rather than the way they have always been done.  The opportunity to partner with large systems to create integrated care delivery systems is both challenging and rewarding.

What are the favorite aspects of your role at COPE Health Solutions?

The team and clients I am able to work with each day.  I am fortunate to work with a team dedicated to being at the forefront of health care transformation.  Despite the seriousness of our work, we laugh daily and respect the different areas of expertise each team member brings to the table.

What are your thoughts on transforming health care?
Healthcare has and will continue to change. I believe change is the new normal for those of us in this industry. We must adapt and be flexible – and continue to place the patient and community in the center of what we do. I believe caring for the community and keeping communities healthy will continue to be the focus of health care in the future. Acute care will always be a part of the industry; however, the opportunity to lead communities to healthier behaviors and care for individuals in differing ways – by proactively engaging with patients through new technology and in non-typical health care locations – is exciting and where I believe health care is going.

What is your specialty in health care management and what are your thoughts on this specialty?
My previous experience working with both state 1115 Waiver programs and in operations taught me the difficulty of transitioning from strategy to implementation and then most importantly, maintaining and measuring that change. Many health care organizations understand where health care is going and the steps needed to get there. The challenge is in implementing and creating systems that produce long-term success with limited resources in an environment of unaligned incentives. In order to make true change in health care systems, communities (hospitals, clinicians, payors, community organizations and patients) must have aligned incentives and be allowed to create innovative solutions based on proven, best practices.

Contact Stephanie King at: sking@copehealthsolutions.com and read her full bio here.