About Us

As with any sick patient, healthcare itself needs a prescription for a return to wellness. But improvements in healthcare won’t be made by legislation. They’ll be made locally, in communities by businesses, payers, providers, and people who innovate, strategize, plan, and execute together in an atmosphere of trust against an agreed-upon set of goals and objectives.

Real, positive, and sustainable improvements in community healthcare can only happen if there is shared responsibility not only for the health of the patients but for the financial well-being of all the stakeholders as well. That’s the only way to enable improved, affordable patient care and deliver better patient outcomes…the measures that determine the true health of healthcare in a community.

At NorthStar Network we know that marshaling all of the healthcare community stakeholders in a common, community-focused vision with a consistent mission and goals is the only way to achieve improved patient access and care while reducing costs.

Our Vision is to transform the Rochester, NY healthcare system to be the highest quality and lowest cost healthcare delivery system in the US.

Our Mission is to leverage the diversity of local organizations and their people to inspire collaboration and innovation that improves the health of the people in the community and the health of the local economy.

Our Strategy:

1. Design and implement healthcare specific, local leadership development initiatives
2. Include participants that are senior leaders, community-based, cross-functional stakeholders from throughout the local healthcare ecosystem
3. Focus on building relationships that extend critical thinking skills and become the foundation for collaboration
4. Create a learning environment that includes online learning, workshops, self-assessments, applied knowledge, and experiential sharing
5. Bring national experts to us, eliminating the need for travel and time away from family friends and work

Our Tactics:

Build a diverse network of community-wide organizations and people that meet regularly and work together collaboratively to positively impact healthcare

The Healthcare Business Academy Fellowship Program is a yearlong program focused on the New Business of Healthcare. Each year 60 local healthcare executives meet 9 times throughout the year with 40+ national and local experts.  The goal of the HBA Fellowship Program is to inspire local healthcare leaders to think differently and to experience the feelings of purpose, achievement, pride and the power of collaboration; to create a community of healthcare leaders that know and like one another and are inspired to make healthcare better for each of us, our families and the community. The program is nationally accredited to provide Continuing Education Credits/Certificates for Physicians, Nurses, Long Term Care Administrators, Program Managers, Finance and Accountants, Nurses, and Registered Dieticians.

NorthStar Network values the participation of individuals with diverse perspectives. One of our goals is to work hard to have Program participants that represent:

• All aspects of the value chain (Providers, Payers, Employers, Suppliers, Legal and Accounting, etc.)
• Different roles (CEO’s, Presidents, Executive Directors, Finance, Marketing, IT, Nursing, Physicians, Operations, etc.)
• Different ethnic and religious groups (Muslim, Hindu, Caucasian, Asian, African American, Jewish, etc.)
• Agencies/ organizations that serve various populations (Developmentally Disabled, Behavioral Health, etc.)

Each year the Fellows compete in a shark tank competition to select a community project that can help transforms healthcare for our citizens.

2. Coordinate community-wide healthcare information-sharing and knowledge-sharing events.

Twice a year for the last 10 years, Northstar Network has organized numerous events called “Cracking the Code on Healthcare”. The Events address a variety of current healthcare topics and challenges and are attended by between 350 and 500 healthcare executives from throughout the healthcare ecosystem. Approximately 70 of the participants are physicians, typically in key administrative roles.  Past topics include:

• “Improving the Patient Experience”
• “Palliative Care: Improving the Patient Experience by Enabling Patients to Stay at Home”
• “Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare”
• “Moving Toward a Safer Health Care System”
• “Improving Quality – Reducing Costs; Moving from Fee for Volume to Fee for Value”
• “Innovative Models for Care, Collaboration, Compensation and Reducing Costs”

FAN- Fellowship Alumni Network

Each year coordinate five 90 minute networking events at advocacy organizations throughout the local community. These events include an organization overview with discussion, tour, and networking. Fellowship Program participants from all years and all sponsors are invited to these events.  Past FAN events included:

• Jordan Health
• St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center
• Bivona Child Advocacy Center
• Trillium Health
• Coordinated Care Services (CCSI)

3. Provide a curriculum of Continuing Education healthcare courses to help navigate the imposing and impending waves of change.

Dramatic paradigm shifts are redefining healthcare. What will the New Business of Healthcare look like and how will it shape organizations and individual career paths? Our Healthcare Business Academy courses present ideas that reflect the latest, best and brightest thinking as they examine the drivers of change and potential solutions.

Course categories include:

• National Thought Leaders
• Patient Safety and Quality
• Leadership
• Innovation
• Business Planning and Strategy
• Legal
• Human Resources
• Information Management
• Finance

The courses provide insights across all aspects of the healthcare ecosystem and help individuals chart their course in The New Business of Healthcare.