Misty Roberts
Humana
Job Title: Associate Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Quality
Member of KHC for: 4 years
What KHC committees have you participated? Measurement Strategy Team & PMAC
Provide a brief description of your job: I am responsible for advancing the clinical quality strategy and vision to improve health outcomes and infuse a culture of clinical quality throughout the organization using strategic thought leadership, collaboration and co-creation. I collaborate with executive leaders to ensure clinical quality priorities are aligned and clinical quality goals committed to the Board of Directors are achieved.
Share your personal interest in Health and Healthcare System Improvement.
As a Registered Nurse with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare system, I have a deep passion for improving healthcare and health outcomes. Early in my career I realized in order to be effective at improving health outcomes, the healthcare system needed help as well. This drove me to studying quality and process improvement, creating a mindset of continuous quality improvement. This challenges me to think differently and embrace change. Improving processes can create efficiencies and improve effectiveness, which can result in better quality and improved health outcomes.
Lowering cost is one of the three main priorities of the Triple Aim. What are the best strategies for addressing cost in our community?
Healthcare costs are nearly 18% of the GDP and more than $10,000 per individual. Reducing waste in healthcare is essential to lowering these costs. Our CMO recently released a Special Communication in JAMA with updated waste estimates up to $935 billion annually. This is approximately 25% of total healthcare expenditures in the United States. There are many interventions that can be implemented or enhanced to reduce waste. Examples include implementing value based payment models, effective care management, improved coordination of care, quality improvement initiatives and compliance with Choosing Wisely guidelines. Intense focus on even a few of these interventions could result in significant reduction in costs for all stakeholders.
Why do you think a multi-stakeholder coalition like the KHC is needed in the community?
Bringing together multiple stakeholders creates collaboration, fosters innovation and allows the opportunity to share best practices and learn from others. There is not one group that has all the solutions. Bringing together multiple groups working towards a common goal allows a greater opportunity to achieving this goal than working individually.
What is the KHC’s biggest contribution to improving community health and healthcare?
In addition to the value created by facilitating a multi-stakeholder group to work towards a common goal, creating transparency in quality measures scores is extremely important. Identifying opportunities for improvement through transparency is the first step in creating the necessary change.
What is your favorite quote?
I am currently living by the following two mottos:
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Don’t sweat the small stuff As a self-proclaimed perfectionist and Type A personality, I have to constantly remind myself how important this is!
What do you do in your spare time? Provide a fun fact about yourself.
With a two year old girl and five year old, I have very little spare time, so the majority of my time is spent with them and my husband. However, before kids, I used to love playing poker. There’s so much strategy, psychology, math and patience involved in poker. I love the way it challenges me!
