If you work for Lewis alumnus Christopher Kennedy (’08), you
have probably heard him repeat this quote by author James Allen: “Whatever your
present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts,
your vision, and your ideal.”
For Kennedy, the quote is a reminder of the daily choice to
either remain with the status quo, or to improve and pursue something greater. As
an innovator in the complex field of biotechnology and telemedicine, Kennedy
daily has the choice to leave the healthcare system as it is – in many ways,
elusive to patients who need help – or to pave a path for patients to receive
quality care.
“A significant issue in healthcare
today is that a scorecard is missing,” explains Kennedy. “As a patient,
you’re not sure what inning it is or what the batting average is of the doctor
that you’re working with. Performance accountability is
sometimes completely missing.”
This “missing scorecard”
makes it extremely difficult for patients to navigate the world of healthcare,
especially patients with rare or chronic illnesses. That’s why Kennedy has made
patient empowerment his goal.
As Chief Operating Officer of Heritage Biologics, Kennedy is
in the business of making patient experience a measurable outcome. Heritage
Biologics is, in its most basic sense, a rare disease home
infusion and specialty pharmacy. But its mission is much larger. The
company is constantly seeking ways to give patients a voice and connect them to
the resources they need. Heritage’s RARECARE software program
captures patient Quality of Life (QoL) metrics and Patient Reported Outcomes
Measures (PROMs) that provide valuable insights into a patient’s journey. RARECARE
also allows patients to rate their actual service experience, which
helps to keep healthcare providers accountable and show them how they can
improve.
A quick search of recent patient experience data will
populate with countless messages that exemplify how Heritage Biologics is
making a difference. “The pharmacist changed my world with the information they gave me,” says one patient. Another writes: “I can’t
wait to see to see my nurse again; I look forward to it each week.”
While patient experiences at Heritage Biologics are filled
with positive interactions, it is not the norm for the wider healthcare system.
There is no better example of this than when Kennedy himself visited a patient
in the hospital. While Kennedy sat in the room, an ER doctor told the patient
that he couldn’t be admitted because his chronic condition was too much of a
liability. The doctor then sent the patient away with painkillers.
The disheartening scene remains a strong reminder for
Kennedy that his work is needed. Of course, Kennedy’s work goes far beyond
Heritage Biologics. He is also the creator of HemoMD, an on-demand virtual care
platform that enables patients with hemophilia, a rare blood disorder, to
connect with specialists. Many patients only have access to a specialist
physician one time a year. If the patient has an emergency, it is likely that
the ER doctor has not had any interaction with hemophilia since their medical
school days. HemoMD enables these doctors to gain peer-to-peer support from
specialists experienced in treating the disease.
The American Telemedicine Association honored Kennedy for
his work on HemoMD with the President’s Award for Innovation in Remote
Healthcare, which recognizes important advances in the field of telemedicine.
But Kennedy is only just getting started. His goal is to begin providing
similar services for other rare disorders nationwide.
“The only way that we are going to defeat
the current business approach to healthcare is through patient-centric
solutions that deliver measurable outcomes,” Kennedy says. “No one holds
healthcare more accountable than patients themselves. We need to empower
patients and help them become more informed healthcare consumers. When
consumers demand more for their dollar, the market will ultimately listen. Just
ask Amazon and their current star ranking system for products. Patients deserve
this type of model in healthcare too.”
Kennedy attributes Lewis for being an important stepping
stone along his journey. As a student in the Master of Science in Management
program and the Executive Leadership Certificate, Kennedy gained comprehensive
and applicable information that he was able to implement in the workplace immediately.
Throughout the program, Father Kevin Spiess provided strong mentorship and
encouraged Kennedy to commit himself to learning something outside of the
classroom. Kennedy took the advice to heart and began to learn web design, which
later enabled him to create his own websites.
Where some see healthcare as a business to bring in profit,
Kennedy sees it as a system that should be bent on helping patients have the
best experience possible. Through his work at Heritage Biologics and HemoMD, he
is part of a value-based healthcare discussion that is changing healthcare for
the better. Kennedy is one of many Lewis alumni impacting their communities through
their talents and passion. As author James Allen said, “You will fall, remain,
or rise with your thoughts, your vision, and your ideal.”
