A Postcard from the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference

Looking back on the main events and themes at healthcare's biggest event

By Oxeonites George Niedermayer, Libbie Maine, and Sam Benevelli

There’s an unmistakable energy that permeates the old Westin hotel on Union Square the Sunday of registration. As you stand in a long Lombard-esque line that seems to zig and zag endlessly around the lobby, you feel a sense of anticipation for the week to come. Once at the front, and upon the presentation of legal ID, you are given a badge with your name and company in bold print. In case you weren’t quite sure where you might be, a relatively commonplace tote bag is handed to you with the words laid out for all to see - JP Morgan.

A horde of well dressed individuals take over the San Francisco hills as people are ushered into the hotel for the first day of conferencing. At its core, the conference serves as a focal point for healthcare connectivity at its most impactful. Coffee shops, delis, bookstores, even a Jack in the Box, begin to fill with non-attendees looking for the best place to have a conversation and make a deal. The hotel and its countless meeting rooms are jam packed with individuals hoping to glean insight into the future of healthcare. Emerging markets, pharma, biotech, health systems, and others take their spots all the way up to the 32nd and top floor aptly named the Golden Gate room. At 7:30 am sharp, the first in a series of 30-minute sessions begins. The majority of presentations stick to a general format – a quick recap of the prior year followed by a window into their goals and dreams for the future. Following these more qualitative aspects, a financial and operational snapshot is given by the CFO. 

Centene Corporation was the first to present touching on innovation in Medicaid, Medicare, HIM, Federal Services, Correctional Healthcare, and a number of other topics in their presentation. As their CEO made sure to mention, a focus on Medicaid patients was here to stay. In good times and bad times, more people are signing up or the federal system is expanding coverage, making it increasingly important to think about innovative ways to take care of the population. Analysts, investors, and competitors all scribble, type, and take photos of any information they deem necessary to absorb before moving on to the next room and company.

For the Oxeon team, our Day 1 focused on the health systems presenting in the aforementioned Golden Gate room. A significant theme among all was their emphasis on innovation and acceleration while acknowledging their lack of new age technologies and a need for refreshed thought around healthcare. Each presentation framed their goals around Value-Based Care and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) as the companies elucidate their 2020 vision. Mass Brigham General, as a highlight, presented an incredibly interesting view into their future. Led by their CEO, Anne Klibanski, Mass Brigham outlined a plan for over $6 billion in capital projects to expand their scope and continue to innovate. Anne also mentioned the impact that legislative agenda continues to have for their team – expanded telehealth funding from Governor Baker (R) representing one of several legislative issues that are impacting their thinking. The day continued along with heads down and around lunch time, everyone paused to listen to Jamie Dimon speak. Bouncing between various topics – from China to the election to the stock market to socialism – Jamie’s interview was wildly entertaining (albeit not centered around healthcare).  

After a few deep breaths and plenty of coffee, the connectivity plugs back in and the flow of information resumes. The day moves by quickly as conference goers gear up for a night of cocktails, networking, and more conversations. 

At the Battery Penthouse, Oxeonites are hard at work preparing for the event and highlight of the week – The Digital Health Leaders Cocktail Reception. A refreshingly diverse slate of attendees begins to come through the door – excited to reconnect with old friends and eager to make new ones. Witnessing the entirety of the Oxeon network in a room is quite the sight to behold. Innovative leaders flew across the room, filling it with laughter, the clink of glasses, and conversations that strike at the heart of every issue facing healthcare today. From Eleanor to Strive to Evolent Health, over 320 guests attended to make the reception a must attend yet again.

With the emphasis on connectivity, the conference at times felt like an overflow of information. However, the drive of attendees to continue to challenge and attempt to fix issues in the industry is apparent and commendable. After a quick recovery from a busy first day/night, the Oxeon team forged into Day 2 with a varied set of presentations to attend. Geisinger, as an example, provided an interesting insight into some of the successes and programs that are at the forefront of healthcare. “’You don’t know how to treat diabetes if you don’t know that they are diabetic’' resonated as one of several powerful quotes given by Geisinger CEO Jaewon Ryu (A Healthy Dose guest). In addition, a focus on expanded time with PCP’s, senior focused primary care sites, and the Primary Care Scholars’ program, all served to highlight Geisinger’s PCP-centric eye towards the future. As with the day prior, lunchtime provided a quick respite – despite one esteemed colleague’s disappointment in the lack of a Chick-Fil-A in San Francisco proper – before the keynote speaker(s). Led by Ann Gallo (Partner, Wellington Management), Sandra Peterson (Partner, Clayton, Dublier & Rice), and Emma Walmsley (CEO, GSK), the panel of superstars provided, among a number of topics, a bit of insight into management decision making while also addressing issues like the lack of female diversity in healthcare. Following another active afternoon, a few members of the Oxeon team took time to have dinner together and got to rest after some well-deserved burgers along the Bay.

As the conference nears its completion and attendees return home, the focus was on ensuring that connections are made for the future. Although the issues faced by the industry cannot be fixed within the week of JPM, initial steps and invaluable bricks are laid down for solutions and relationships that change the industry. With many team members flying out, Day 3 moved along at a slightly slower pace. However, thanks to the incredible Breaking into The Boardroom team, we were able to start things off with a bang (or a parry?). Taught by Jim Crane, Oxeon and Deerfield hosted female executives from across the industry in a morning martial arts session that had everything from high kicking to punching techniques. Perhaps more importantly, we held a breakfast thereafter which was one of the more powerful sessions all week. In one corner, two brilliant scientists discussed how to tackle some of the world’s deadliest illnesses – Alzheimer’s, Rhett’s Syndrome, and Parkinson’s. In another corner, a few executives detailed their learnings and success in achieving board representation and the challenges that come with that. The event was a huge success and set the stage for what will be an incredible Breaking into the Boardroom event in May. 

The conference represents a time in the year when everyone in healthcare can come together and foster dynamic thought. To be sure, there are continued flaws – a clear lack of diversity being a continued significant red flag in the industry. However, the connectivity that the conference creates ensures that the brightest minds are both learning and challenging each other. Companies and clients at the conference itself remain confident and defiant in their future success, while others facilitate fascinating conversations - information sharing at its peak. As the sea of people retreat into their Ubers, and the regular San Francisco coffee enthusiasts exhale, the sun sets on another year at JPM.