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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
MHT All-Star Joseph Kvedar: Health care evangelist
By Jim Schakenbach, Special to Mass High Tech
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Who he is: Director of the Center for Connected Health at Partners HealthCare, where his mission is to change the way health care is delivered and managed, providing better, more cost-efficient and more effective health care to everyone.
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Vermont.
What makes him tick: You needn’t look any further than his computer’s hard drive. He keeps a quote from Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” close at hand, which he reads periodically when the going gets tough. It reads, in part, “There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.”
About his accomplishments: “These are accomplishments for the Center of Connected Health, not just me. … That’s really the vehicle for these accomplishments — the team around me. We have a symposium every year that keeps growing. It’s become the conference to go to around this topic. I’m really proud of that. The team has developed the ability to understand adoption, and I’m proud of that. It’s interesting to watch a project go through these stages where people first resist it, then there’s some early adoption, and finally people originally resisting it now recommend it.
We have a monitoring program called Connected Cardiac Care, which is designed to keep heart failure patients in the home.”
Starting in 1997, Kvedar and his team “cobbled something together,” creating a concept that for years went nowhere for a number of reasons. But they persevered, and it became the first example of a connected-health approach.
His inspiration: “My mom and dad gave me the rudder of integrity and honesty. I think that’s been a huge part of any success I’ve had. It’s been helpful in weathering some tough times.”
The opportunity: He is a big believer in the power of change, recognizing the opportunity Barack Obama has provided for looking at models of health care reform. “Once we get this access and coverage issue resolved, we’ll be able to turn our attention to delivery. So we’ll have plenty to do, both here at Partners and nationally.”
On Joseph Kvedar, from John Glaser:
John Glaser is vice president and CIO at Partners Healthcare.
What drives Joe Kvedar?
“He truly believes taking care of patients and curing disease is what it’s all about. He believes connected health has huge power. He’s almost evangelical about it.”
What others don’t know:
“His roots are in Vermont and he’s very soft-spoken, almost self-effacing, which masks this fierce determination.”
As an effective leader:
“He’s a terrific mentor and boss. His staff almost worships him. He has management sophistication to go with his technical smarts.”
If he had another job...
“I don’t really know. But he’s one of those people who, when they become engaged in something, that thing happens. He’s the type that just can’t shake the conviction that this thing, whatever it is, needs to be brought to life.”
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