Atul Gawande, M.D., scheduled as the opening keynote for HIMSS19, will no longer be speaking at the conference, according to a STAT report this week.
In July, Dr. Gawande was named CEO of the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase & Co joint healthcare venture that was announced about year ago without much follow-up information about it. At HIMSS19 in Orlando, he was tapped to discuss his “bold vision for a better world.”
But as the STAT reported alluded to, Gawande pulling out of the conference only adds to the current vague nature of the project. “Neither HIMSS nor Gawande’s spokeswoman offered an explanation of what triggered his withdrawal,” the report noted. “But it may only stir further speculation about the venture: Is Gawande holding his fire for a grand announcement in the months ahead? Or has the venture just not made much progress since he took control in early July?”
Indeed, details behind the initiative are still rather vague, but experts have pointed to reducing healthcare fraud and administrative costs as key areas that the companies will focus on. The lack of clarity has also led to skepticism among healthcare stakeholders. A recent survey from venture capital firm Venrock revealed that the majority of respondents are dubious about the impact of the Amazon/Berkshire Hathaway/JP Morgan healthcare partnership and believe the effort will face substantial challenges and take a lot of time to be successful.
There’s no word yet on who will be Gawande’s replacement at HIMSS19.
