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How to Increase Your Health Stakeholder Engagement with Kevin Pereau, CEO at TranscendIT Health was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the latest audio-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors. Sonix is the best way to convert your audio to text in 2019.
Welcome to the Outcomes Rocket podcast, where we inspire collaborative thinking, improved outcomes and business success with today’s most successful and inspiring health care leaders and influencers. And now your host, Saul Marquez.
Saul Marquez:
Welcome back to the podcast. Today I have the outstanding Kevin Pereau. He’s the Founder and Principal at TranscendedIT Health, a boutique health care strategy and a management consulting firm focused on helping payors, providers and consumers get maximum value from digital health technologies. A native from Vermont, Pereau attended University of Portland, Oregon, and later moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where he currently resides with his wife Beth. Pereau’s recent book, The Digital Health Revolution, is becoming a health care cultural zeitgeist. It’s a pop culture look at how our smartphones are changing the way we manage our health. Plug in and get connected. Today we have Kevin and it’s a true privilege to have him on the podcast. Welcome.
Kevin Pereau:
Hi, Saul. Thank you for having me.
Saul Marquez:
It’s a true privilege. Kevin, you have done a lot of interesting work in our space. Before we dive into the details of your work and your thoughts and vision, I’d like to hear how you got into the medical sector.
Kevin Pereau:
Sure. I actually came from the tech sector, which had a strong intersect with health care around 2010. And what really motivated me to shift focus from strategy and management consulting in the tech sector to health care were a couple of different things. One is that it was probably my destiny. Everyone in our family is in a leadership capacity in the health care industry. From my brother in law, who was the chief scientist at Lilly, to my wife who was president of Aetna and currently SVP at Anthem. But for me, it was simple. I just wanted to make a difference. I mean, I had been looking at health care’s problems from the outside, looking in and realizing that a lot of it was behavioral. And I think with behavioral issues, you have an opportunity to make some some changes and some process in performance improvements. And that’s what motivated me to get into health care. I saw the opportunity to make some big improvements and it was just too big a challenge and too juicy a challenge to ignore.
Saul Marquez:
Love it. I’m a firm believer that you’re the average of your five closest peers.
Kevin Pereau:
But that’s that’s a keeper. I got to remember that Saul.
Saul Marquez:
And so, you know, you’ve been influenced. You’re in health care. And now you just right off the bat. I mean, you get started with a bang. You write a book. So tell us about the book, your thoughts on it and what health leaders need to be thinking about today as a hot topic.
Kevin Pereau:
Sure. I mean, the book is called The Digital Health Revolution. And I always like to tell people up front, I’ve described it as a bit of a pop culture book because it’s not about the industry for the industry. It’s not a deep dive into how do you define a process for. It’s really a book for your brother or your sister, your mom, your dad, your friends. And it’s a glimpse into who are the innovators and how can we connect to what they’re doing and why should we even care and what we need to be able to connect. And more often than not, it’s what you already have in your pocket. It’s your smartphone. So it’s kind of what motivated me to write the book. I wanted to better connect the innovators and those who were making a real big change in healthcare with the people who could benefit from it the most. But we’re completely unaware and oblivious to that, to this level of innovation that was going on in the background.
Saul Marquez:
So you interviewed 30 people?
Kevin Pereau:
We did.
Saul Marquez:
So dive into kind of the who these folks are and and why the listeners got to pick up your book.
Kevin Pereau:
Sure. We. We actually intentionally tried to spin health care’s value chain in. You’ve seen some from some of the recent mergers and acquisitions just in the last six to nine months. That value chain is being extended and the lines are kind of blurring. So we tried to get to the top people in the insurance sector. We tried to get to some of the top people on the provider side from Mayo to One Medical to Harvard Medical and Joslin. And of course, we tried to capture and share inside of the innovators who are really driving the disruption and solving real world health care problems and delivering real value. So from Andy Slevin to run Ethic and Beth Anderson and John Brooks, Abner Mason and Sean Duffy, what we tried to do is just get them on the phone like what you’re doing right now, Saul, and ask them some tough questions and get out of their way. Capture and share that with the people who could benefit from it the most.
Saul Marquez:
Love it. And love that you did that and love that you put it in together in such a concise way. So as we look to address some of the some of the bigger issues and healthcare, give us an example of how you and your team are creating results by doing and thinking differently.
Kevin Pereau:
That’s another good question. It’s a big question. I think the people who are making the biggest difference are the people that we sought out and interviewed for the digital health revolution. I look at guys like Abner Mason and in any slanted. And in others and I I take a look at their contribution and just their their fearlessness in tackling problems and challenges that others shy away from just because it’s not low hanging fruit. And what I tried to do was basically capture and share their insight and not just not just mine. I’m just one guy with an opinion. And of course, I share that in the book. You know, I think we have some real challenges in health care from addressing health care disparities to, you know, I think providing better access and better quality. What better way to illustrate the progress that we’ve been making then to go to the most successful people in each of those spaces and to hear from them their perspective on what’s wrong with health care and what can we do to fix it?
Saul Marquez:
Love it. You know what? And I think it’s great to capture the thoughts of these folks all under one book. So share with us a time when things didn’t work out and what you did to make it work and how you became better because of it.
Kevin Pereau:
Yeah. Well, does it have to be health care, right. as I preach to. I’m in the twilight of my career at this point. And so there have been many failures. I probably could reach back and pick any, but I can’t think of one. That’s just it strikes out. It still stands out. When I was at Cambridge Technology Partners at one time, we were the bellwether stock for systems integration and consulting firms. And, you know, we we were absolutely the Midas touch. Everything we we were laying our fingers on would turn it into gold and we thought everything was was going real well for. So we started a venture fund. And I remember one of the the original ideas I submitted to our venture fund because I wanted to be a driver in the company was this that we create a Web page for everyone. And this was right when the .com boom was first taking off and there was a Web site from everything from pets.com to pants.com to to you name it. And I had this crazy idea that the web should be for everyone and that you should be able to post pictures, you should be able to share recipes, you should be able to connect with your family. And boy, that idea was laughed at, scorned, mocked, ridiculed, and it never went anywhere. So, you know, spend the happy club for later and you have Facebook, you have social media for everything. So I think the lesson I learned was innovation makes people squeamish. And it’s not always something that’s obvious to the average person that when business models change, that it’s for the benefit of everyone. So I think my lesson learned there was listen, but be persistent. Right. I mean, if you think you have a good idea, it probably is a good idea in listen to your instincts. I mean, listen to the people who are providing criticism and feedback and don’t discount that because they’re there to help make your ideas stronger. But be persistent and don’t be afraid of moving it forward. I mean, I look at Zuckerberg and I mean, who can say he was anything less than a raging success, but he was a college student and I wasn’t I was a guy with access to money. And I was living right down the street from him and look at what he did. So kudos to the innovators out there. Be persistent, get your vision and get clarity around your vision and then just go execute.
Saul Marquez:
I love it. It’s a great message. Kevin and definitely one that many of us need to take note of, especially in health care, where things can be a little slower than the rest of the sectors we we work and whether it be technology or or just industry. What would you say one of your proudest leadership moments has been today?
Kevin Pereau:
Well, I think I’m going to keep this one current. I’d say the success of the book is something that I’m really proud of. And it’s I’m proud of it for a lot of reasons. One is, you know, I’m in my 60s and I wrote my first book ever. It’s not like it was a bucketlist not like I was in my 20s and thought, you know, one day I’ll write a book. I just felt like there was a story in there that needed to be told and was literally bursting out of me. And I take a look at, you know, the challenges associated with writing a book, bringing it to market and then selling your product. And it was a learning experience. I’ve traveled my entire career. And to be able to do something here, I didn’t travel and everyone came to me virtually like this was different. And it was fun. But the success in terms of measuring the sales has just been astounding. So we’ve sold 10000 books in the first 60 days. Anyone who’s ever published a book
Saul Marquez:
Congrats.
Kevin Pereau:
Has been told if you sell 100 hundred books, you were a raging success at 10,000. And we’re just scratching the surface. So I really do think that there is a there in a destination in digital health and that destination is the consumer and the consumer is demonstrating again and again and again. They’re curious. They’re willing to be held accountable. They’re willing to be held responsible. And they are absolutely hungry for the kind of tools that they need to be able to get and stay healthy.
Saul Marquez:
That’s a great message, Kevin. And congratulations on that early success of your book. I mean, that’s that’s awesome.
Kevin Pereau:
Thank you, Saul. I’d like to think it’s reflective of the people I interviewed and the contributors as much as my own thought leadership and an input into it.
Saul Marquez:
So what would you say is an exciting project you’re focused on today?
Kevin Pereau:
Well, we’re doing some stuff in the merger and acquisition. And the frustrating thing there is we really can’t talk about the work that’s in progress. But I think it is safe to say that the MNA activity has changed. The focus of acquisitions has changed over the course of the last 24 to 36 months. And I do think that we’re starting to see a point in digital health where the investment boom can’t go on forever. I do think that there is going to be some consolidation and Transcended health is poised pretty well to help payors, providers and innovators pick up assets that help them broaden their portfolio of solutions. Whether you’re building a platform or going to market with a marketplace strategy or you comprise someone’s marketplace. We are a group of associates that are former CEOs and we have great insight into how to make all that work and work better and more efficiently and get to market faster and scale faster.
Saul Marquez:
That’s great. Kevin And yeah, it’s I mean, there’s never been a better time to be in healthcare than now. And it’s just being able to siphon through all of these things that are out there. Right. I mean, not everything that you can acquire is a good thing for you. And so the work that Kevin and his team are up to can help you re identify the diamonds from the duds. And so next is the lightning round are you ready for it?
Kevin Pereau:
Yeah, sure.
Saul Marquez:
All right. What’s the best way to improve health care outcomes?
Kevin Pereau:
I think that one’s easy focus on results. You have three big challenges in health care. You need to make it more affordable. And we need to improve access to care and we need to improve the quality of our care. And so I think if you focus on results, I think that’s probably going to be the most sensible thing that whether you’re an innovator, you’re payor provider. I think focusing on results is the is the key.
Saul Marquez:
What’s the biggest mistake or pitfall to avoid?
Kevin Pereau:
I think I’m going to dovetail on to the previous answer and say that I think the smartest thing you can do is to try to make a difference in, I think, the pitfalls and the mistakes to avoid. That’s different, I guess, than trying to make money. If you solve a real world health care problem. You will make money and you will be profitable. And you’ll you’ll you’ll get your rewards. But I think what motivates a lot of the people that are attracted to this from the digital health perspective is to make a difference. And I think that if that’s in your heart, what’s driving you to start a company in the digital health space you will be successful in if you are just starting a company because you want to make money. And this seems to be where all the money is flowing, you probably won’t be successful.
Saul Marquez:
Great call out. And how do you stay relevant as an organization despite constant change?
Kevin Pereau:
Well, you can’t be an expert in everything. So what I do is I constantly read. I’m a voracious reader. I always tell people, always be curious, right. If you have an open mind and you’re willing to listen and be open minded about new ideas presented to you. Health care is a great place to be. I mean, you can make a huge difference. I think the industry is ripe. It’s ready. And you’re seeing a confluence of regulation, consumer curiosity and investment and technology all converge for the benefit of consumers. And that’s a real exciting time. It’s a real exciting place to be in. It’s hard to stay on top of everything. So I just have all a bunch of sites that I I track and thought leaders that I track in this space from rock health to others that are a great constant source of information that keep you current.
Saul Marquez:
What’s one area of focus that drives everything in your work?
Kevin Pereau:
I would have to say value creation, value creation and building a sense of community, because I think at the end of the day, we are all one big community and how well we interact with one another and whether or not we feel a sense of community is it makes all the difference in the world.
Saul Marquez:
Love it. These next two are more on a personal note Kevin, for the business to get to know you better, what’s your number one health habit?
Kevin Pereau:
My number one health habit is I’m a stretcher, right.. Yeah. I’m a big I’m a big deal big guy. I’m. I also walk between five and eight miles a day. I try to do a little bit every day and I try to be true to my routines. And I am faithful to them. I try to eat healthy and that means whole foods that are not processed. It’s amazing how focusing on nutrition and physical activity while reducing your alcohol intake. How the three of those things can converge to produce lower BMI, blood pressure. I mean, it’s just the benefits to your health are amazing.
Saul Marquez:
It’s a great call out. And how about your number one success habit?
Kevin Pereau:
I’m not sure what you mean by that. You mean professionally or.
Saul Marquez:
Professionally.
Kevin Pereau:
Professionally. I’m I’m old school. I really think that it’s important to tell people what you’re going to do. Be crispin clear with your communication and then follow through and do what you said you were going to do. I think that’s how you build and sustain credibility. And so for my own personal perspective, whether I was building an organization or starting an initiative, I was trying to surround myself with people that I thought were smarter than me and then recognize when I should get the heck out of their way. When they’re struggling and when I can come in and provide some assistance and then just try to listen and be sensitive to the needs of the organizational to the people that I’m hiring and bringing on board and what they need to feel fulfilled, appreciated, valued, and how to help them make as big a contribution as they feel like they can make.
Saul Marquez:
Love that. Yeah, it’s definitely key. So aside from the Digital Health Revolution book, what book would you recommend to the listeners?
Kevin Pereau:
Oh, well, you know, there is one guy that I can’t get enough of. I love reading Dr. Eric Topol and he has three books now. I’m working on my second one, but he has the patient will see you now, which was the one that got me hooked. He had the creative deconstruction of medicine, which is the one that I started with in this last one is fascinating. It’s deep medicine and it’s a deep dive into how A.I. is changing healthcare. And I think helping in obvious and not so obvious ways on the provider side, on the payer side and on the consumer side. So I love Topol. I saw him at HIMMS a few years back and I absolutely loved seeing him at a conference and I love reading his books.
Saul Marquez:
Great recommendation, Kevin. Folks, for a full transcript of today’s interview with Kevin Pereau, go to outcomesrocket.health in the search bar type and digital health revolution. And you’ll find it all over the show notes there, full transcript and links to Kevin’s book. Kevin, leave us with the closing thought and the best place for the listeners could get in touch with you.
Kevin Pereau:
You know, I think the one thing I would encourage every everyone, you know, we can’t solve health care with an ACA or an ACL alone. It really requires our participation. And by our participation, I mean each and every one of us. I think we all have a part to play. Right. If we focus on nutrition, if we focus on eating better, if we focus on physical activity and exercising more a little bit every day, I think we all do our part in it as to how to stay in touch. We actually blog about that. I have a DigitalHLTH_guy blog that I do. It’s at Capital D Digitalhlth_guy. My email address is kpereau@transcendit.health. Those are the two best ways to stay in touch with us. And our website is https://transcendit.health and we post blogs 30. The blogs are scheduled to go out of the contributors for the book as well as my own. And we’re starting to do podcasts as well.
Saul Marquez:
That is outstanding. Kevin and the show notes will link up all the resources to the content you’re providing because it’s outstanding work so that the listeners could definitely continue the conversation with you after this interview is over. So just want to say a big thanks and appreciate you spending time with us.
Kevin Pereau:
Oh, my pleasure. All. Thanks very much. I’m looking forward to seeing this up on your website.
Thanks for listening to the Outcomes Rocket podcast. Be sure to visit us on the web at www.outcomesrocket.com for the show notes, resources, inspiration and so much more.
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