Clay Johnston, CMO and Co-Founder of Harbor Health, proposed a vision of health that would give people more knowledge and control over their care options. Harbor Health was born during Dr. Johnston’s time as the inaugural Dean of the Dell Med School and took its place in Austin’s growing Bio + Health ecosystem.  We discuss his time as dean, innovation in healthcare business models, and Austin’s future in this sector. 

Episode Highlights

• As the inaugural Dean of the Dell Med School at UT Austin, Dr. Johnston got an up-close look at the business of health and experimented with new models.
• Harbor Health's mission is to redesign the healthcare system to achieve better health outcomes and reduce wasteful healthcare spending.
• The financial structure of Harbor Health, which moves away from the standard fee for service allows people to make decisions about their healthcare, while understanding the financial impact of their choices.
• Amazon's acquisition of One Medical and PillPack creates new competition in the primary care & consumer space, putting them head-to-head with companies like CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens.
• Austin is primed for digital health innovation, including new ways of delivering services and designing care.
• What’s Next Austin? “Our plan is to grow. Our plan is to provide a real option for people in Austin that doesn't just look and feel different, isn't just about convenience, but really is embracing a new approach to the health system about empowering our members. I know we've grown rapidly, but we have plenty of capacity for folks who are ready to have a new kind of care.”

Episode links

Clay Johnston: Twitter, LinkedIn

Harbor Health: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
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