Becker's 11th Annual Meeting Speaker Series: 3 Questions with Jaewon Ryu, President and Chief Executive Officer at Geisinger

Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at Geisinger. 

Dr. Ryu will participate in a keynote interview at Becker's Hospital Review 11th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place virtually from May 10-27th.

To learn more about the conference and Dr. Ryu's session, click here.

Question: Share one change brought on by the coronavirus pandemic that you’d like to see stick, especially in healthcare?

Jaewon Ryu: The pandemic has led to an increased focus on “upstream” prevention activities, whether public health precautions, education, contact tracing, testing, or vaccination. For all these activities, health systems stepped into roles that were critical to the fight against the pandemic. Our communities turned to us as a trusted source for information about everything from how to stay safe and avoid getting the virus - to understanding the science behind the vaccine. This “upstream” engagement positions health systems well to continue to be a partner in helping communities stay healthy rather than only treat them when they are sick – a core, defining element for us at Geisinger.

Q: What is one essential trait leaders need to lead effectively in healthcare today?

JR: Leaders must be comfortable with leading amid uncertainty. For me, it has reminded me of working in the ER, where you learned to expect the unexpected. You could never be sure what’s coming in the door next, and you had to be prepared and ready to handle anything, even as circumstances could rapidly change. Given the rapidly evolving nature of our industry, I think this comfort level with the unexpected has helped me on my journey.

Q: What would you like to see as the defining theme of 2021 for your industry?

JR: In 2020, the industry saw firsthand the dangers of relying so heavily on transactional fee-for-service medicine. For 2021, I hope to see an accelerated interest in exploring value-based payment and care models that meet patients where they are, moving care closer to the communities and homes.


This is what we’ve been doing at Geisinger, where we continue to move care “upstream,” which has allowed us to more effectively manage our patients’ total health. One such example is 65Forward, a concierge care model for seniors that brings primary care, imaging, specialty services, socialization opportunities and fitness classes under one clinic roof. With panel sizes roughly one-fifth that of typical primary care panels across the country, that means patients spend a lot more time with their doctors, which means more of their concerns are addressed, both clinically and otherwise.


In a post-COVID world, I hope programs like these, and the payment models that support them, continue to gain traction, helping patients better manage all of their care needs.

Stephen Klasko, President and Chief Executive Officer at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health

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