David W. Johnson
About the Author
David W. Johnson
Latest Work
David Johnson: Site-neutral payment and the battle for healthcare’s soul
In a remarkable and surprising show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act on Dec. 11, 2023, by an overwhelming 320-71 vote. Avoiding hyperbole, the act lives up to its name. It seeks to equalize Medicare payment for the same drugs administered in the same way, whether in…
David Johnson: Efforts to revitalize healthcare on Chicago’s South Side underscore a critical national challenge
The United States continues to struggle with daunting inner-city health and healthcare problems borne out of innate social inequities. Effective solutions are few and far between. One initiative on Chicago’s South Side, launched just before the COVID-19 pandemic, encapsulates the potential and perils of system restructuring. In that distant January of 2020, four Chicago safety-net…
David Johnson: The orthopod’s dilemma — Caught between the PE rock and the venture capital hard place
The OrthoForum is the premier convening and advocacy organization for large, independent orthopedic physician groups. In March 2022, I gave a keynote address at The OrthoForum’s Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. Attending the conference at the posh Grande Lakes Ritz-Carlton gave me a front-row seat to the economic forces reshaping orthopedic care delivery in the…
David Johnson: Why healthcare’s cupboard is bare — its funding gravy train has run out of steam
Gravy train is a railroad term that originated in the early 1900s. It described a well-paid train run that didn’t require much effort. In modern parlance, speakers use it to describe easy-to-do tasks and cushy situations. The problem with gravy trains is that riding them too long engenders lazy, sloppy and wasteful behaviors. New York…
David Johnson: The end of traditional nonprofit healthcare business models?
What is going on with nonprofit health systems? I recently gave a keynote address to an investor forum that included CEOs from roughly a dozen nonprofit health systems. We dug into the structural and environmental challenges confronting their organizations. When queried, over half the CEOs admitted that their asset-heavy business models were not sustainable. Most…
A taxing opportunity for brave nonprofit health systems
Smart nonprofit health systems should pay their local, state and federal taxes as though they were for-profit companies. You did just read that. I contend that it makes business sense for leading nonprofit health systems to pony up and pay taxes. In the long run, health systems that start paying taxes will create a new…
David W. Johnson: Pizza, productivity and the impact of inflation on healthcare finance
The skyrocketing inflation of healthcare costs over the past decades has considerably reduced the value of healthcare in our country, and waste is largely at the root of the problem. A focus on eliminating healthcare waste is logically needed to foster a better, more productive life for all Americans,
David Johnson: Cracks in the Foundation (Part 6) — Overcoming inadequate leadership
Health system leaders today should demonstrate the courage to reject volume-based business models and embrace value-driven care delivery. Improving governance within nonprofit health systems will speed the nation's journey toward consistent delivery of kinder, smarter and affordable care for all Americans.
David Johnson: Cracks in the foundation – Overcoming regulatory headwinds
Healthcare leaders have an important opportunity today use the new regulations to drive value-based care throughout their organizations. But that doesn’t mean completely relinquishing their traditional revenue streams. To seize this opportunity, they should undertake a dual transformation that promotes more efficient operation of their traditional businesses, while nurturing and growing new businesses focused on population health and value.