Chaos and opportunity: Leaders urged to step up at ViVE

Los Angeles - In his remarks at the ViVE digital health conference, an event highlighting the latest cutting-edge technology, Russ Branzell cited Sun Tzu.

Branzell, the president and CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), cited the Chinese general’s famed work, “The Art of War.” He pointed to the military leader’s idea that the greater the chaos, the greater the opportunity.

“If that's true, I'm telling you right now, we have amazing opportunities right now to make a difference like we never have before,” Branzell said Monday.

While the conference began Sunday, the showroom floor opened Monday and the bulk of those attending were just beginning their time at ViVE.

Several thousand healthcare leaders are attending the ViVE conference, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary. ViVE is presented by CHIME and HLTH.

Branzell described opportunities with artificial intelligence, automation, and “scaling things that we thought were just not possible.” He hailed new possibilities with generative AI, joking that half the audience was probably using it on their phones right at that moment.

“Think about how we get to create, how we get to deliver care in ways we never have,” Branzell said.

He said that change is constant, but also said that in any period, leaders are needed.

“Here's the one thing, the one thing we know for a fact that has never changed over the history of humanity, and that's the concept of leadership,” he said.

“We need leadership like we never have before,” Branzell continued. “We need people to step up. We need people to truly lead from the front. Yes, there is a bit of chaos in the world, but great leaders thrive during this time.”

Branzell thanked those attending, noting that many had to overcome travel hazards due to the snowstorm that hit the East Coast.

“There's a lot of people here, but there's only one person that matters,” he said. “That's you, one conversation at a time, one connection at a time, repeated thousands of times. That's how true change happens. Every single person here, every one of you truly, truly matter.”

Rich Scarfo, the president of HLTH, acknowledged the tumultuous environment in the healthcare industry over the past year.

“The past year alone has felt like a decade for many,” Scarfo said. “For many, the world feels heavy right now. There's uncertainty, there's division, there's noise. And whether you agree or disagree on any particular issue, you can likely agree that this has been a burden that many have felt. And in moments like these, when trust feels fragile and our institutions feel tested, leadership matters more now than ever.”

Scarfo also reminded leaders that the biggest problems in the industry affect the most vulnerable. He acknowledged the families who can’t afford to pay for care and the disparities in underserved communities.

“At the end of the day, our industry is about people and their livelihood,” Scarfo said. “It is about protecting the fundamental right to health care for all patients. It is about strengthening the institutions that deliver that care, and it is about ensuring that innovation reaches not just the well resourced, but those who need it the most.”

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