Dr. Karen DeSalvo, City of New Orleans Health Commissioner, discusses how after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was presented with an opportunity to innovate and create better healthcare value. The 'last realist', as dubbed by an Esquire article crediting her work around the Affordable Care Act, Dr. DeSalvo offers her perspectives and outlook on innovation in the current healthcare landscape.

Karen B. DeSalvo is the City of New Orleans Health Commissioner and serves as Senior Health Policy Advisor to the Mayor. Her responsibilities include direction of the Health Department, whose mission is to protect and promote the health of New Orleanians. Dr. DeSalvo also advises the Mayor on local, state, and federal health policy matters. She has 20 years of practice, research, and policy experience aimed at improving access to quality, affordable community healthcare for all. She has been a leader in health sector recovery and healthcare reform efforts since Hurricane Katrina. In addition to broad health reform, the focus of her work included the creation of national award-winning models of neighborhood-based medical homes for low income, uninsured, and other vulnerable populations.