Although the healthcare industry is constantly evolving to enhance patient care, large-scale changes are still lacking, according to Joyal Pavey, vice president of the advisory group and the John F. Butzer Center for Research & Innovation at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Ms. Pavey recently spoke with Becker's about her goals for 2024 and the changes she hopes to see in the healthcare industry this year.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What are one or two goals you've set for yourself in 2024?
Joyal Pavey: I’ve set both personal and organizational goals for 2024. My personal goal is to meet at least two new colleagues each month from other healthcare and industry-related organizations outside of the state of Michigan to expand my professional network. The organizational goal I set is to be able to announce Mary Free Bed partnerships in two additional states outside of Michigan during this next calendar year.
Q: What is the biggest trend you are following in healthcare today?
JP: There always seems to be a new trend evolving in healthcare. The trend I am most closely following is the impact artificial intelligence will have on strategic decision-making and how to harness that power to better serve patients and our communities.
Q: How do you hope to see the healthcare industry evolve in 2024? What changes do you wish to be made?
JP: The healthcare industry is continually evolving in everything from technology to clinical practices to creative problem solving [for] patient access issues, but I don’t see tangible, large-scale regulatory changes that impede access to care evolving fast enough to help support equitable healthcare in the United States or that address lack of prior authorization of services ordered by a patient’s physician. This absolutely has to be addressed in 2024.