Integrate Health just returned from attending our 4th Skoll World Forum in Oxford, England. Each year we have been thrilled and humbled to be among the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and strategic partners. The talks are inspiring, insightful, entertaining, and engaging. This year the theme, Accelerating Possibility, challenged us to look at how we can leverage existing systems to go to scale.
Several sessions emphasized forging government partnerships to expand services. “Scaling Health Solutions Through Government Partnerships” and “How do you build a true partnership with government?” were both on point, but even the opening plenary and other workshops throughout the week highlighted similar themes. As Lisha McCormick, COO of Last Mile Health, a longtime friend and peer organization put it, “First and foremost, we cannot build parallel system.”
In healthcare work especially, results are best when the system changes are integrated into the government framework, rather than created alongside of it. It is a principle that we put into practice with our work every day.