← Back to Insights
July 1, 2021
Authors
David W. Johnson
Topics
Consumerism Innovation
Channels
4-Minute 4sight Blogs Dispatches Videos

Will You Rise Up and Take a Stance?

This month’s song is a parody of the stirring “Do You Hear the People Sing” at the end of the first act of the Broadway musical “Les Misérables.” In the song, revolutionaries at the barricades call for the public to join their struggle against oppression.

In our version, we ask the healthcare industry whether they “hear the people” now in their demand for kinder, smarter, affordable care for all Americans. At 4sight Health, we believe that a customer-led revolution will topple an entrenched Healthcare Industrial Complex® through empowered buyers, liberated data and pro-market (as opposed to pro-business) regulatory policies.

“Les Misérables” is an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name. At close to 3,000 pages, Hugo’s novel is among the longest ever written. The story features Jean Valjean, a poor man who goes to a penal colony for stealing a loaf of bread. After 19 years of hard labor, Valjean escapes and becomes a force for good, but his criminal past haunts him.

Humanity’s multiple and often conflicting attributes are on full display throughout the play: greed and generosity; hope and despair; loyalty and betrayal; justice and mercy; courage and cowardice; futility and fortune; retribution and reconciliation. “Les Misérables” compelling narrative and incredible soundtrack have made it among the most popular musicals ever produced.

Healthcare’s daily human dramas are no less compelling. Almost all Americans experience the healthcare system. Sometimes, it produces miracles. Too often, it frustrates and harms those it seeks to serve. Our collective challenge is to create a new U.S. healthcare that serves the people, not vested interests. The customer revolution in healthcare needs you!

Will you do what you can do

So that our cause may advance?

To create greater value

Will you rise up and take a stance?

Listen to this month’s song for inspiration and join in our crusade! Read the song lyrics here.

 

 

Read all dispatches from Dave Johnson here.

Check out all the 4sight Health songs here.

 

 

 

About the Author

David W. Johnson

David Johnson is the CEO of 4sight Health, an advisory company working at the intersection of healthcare strategy, economics, innovation. Johnson is a healthcare thought leader, keynote speaker, and strategic advisor to organizations busting the status-quo to reform our healthcare system. He is the author of Market vs. Medicine: America’s Epic Fight for Better, Affordable Healthcare, and his second book, The Customer Revolution in Healthcare: Delivering Kinder, Smarter, Affordable Care for All (McGraw-Hill 2019). As a speaker, Dave plays the role of rebel, challenger, industry historian, investor and company evaluator to push audiences forward. (Watch bio video.) Johnson applies his 25+ years of investment banking in healthcare to identify ways the healthcare industry must change to deliver better care. He received a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, an English degree from Colgate University, and served in the African Peace Corp service. Join over 10k+ healthcare executives who read our weekly insights and commentary on www.4sighthealth.com. His third book, Less Healthcare, More Health: The Prescription for a Happier, More Equitable and Productive America, will publish in 2024.

Recent Posts

Innovation
Podcast: Improving Patient Safety Is a Team Sport 3/28/24
The list of patient safety risks and hazards is getting longer. What will it take to make care… Read More
By March 28, 2024
Outcomes
My, How the Margins Have Fallen
About this time last year, I wrote about record profit margins that hospitals posted in 2021, according to… Read More
By March 27, 2024
Economics
In Case You Missed It: PE in Healthcare
Private equity (PE) is like a heat-seeking missile trained on targeting profit, while healthcare has been a more… Read More
By March 26, 2024