Stephen Klasko, MD
Transformative Leader and Advocate for a Revolution in Healthcare and Higher Education; Former President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
FEE RANGE: $12,000–$30,000 [FEE NOTE]
TRAVELS FROM: Pennsylvania
• Executive in Residence, General Catalyst
• Global Innovation Ambassador, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
• Distinguished Fellow, World Economic Forum
• Former President and CEO, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
• Global Innovation Ambassador, Sheba Medical Center, Israel
• Distinguished Fellow, World Economic Forum
• Former President and CEO, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
Dr. Stephen Klasko is a transformative leader and advocate for a revolution in our systems of health care and higher education.
As President of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health, he has steered one of the nation’s fastest growing academic health institutions based on his vision of re-imagining health care and higher education. His 2017 merger of Thomas Jefferson University with Philadelphia University creates a
pre-eminent R2 national doctoral university that includes top-20 programs in fashion and design and occupational therapy, coupled with the first design-thinking curriculum in a medical school, and the nation's leading research on the role of empathy in health care.
His track record of success has earned him as high as #2 on Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential Individuals”; as #21 in Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business”; Ernst & Young’s “Greater Entrepreneur of the Year 2018”; and Becker's Hospital Review's “100 Great Leaders in Healthcare.”
Dr. Klasko is an internationally recognized advocate for transformation in healthcare and higher education. He is the author of 2020’s UnHealthcare: A Manifesto for Health Assurance, with Silicon Valley investor Hemant Taneja. In 2019, has led the future of hospitals and digital economy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in 2020, was named a Distinguished Fellow of the World Economic Forum and co-chair of its Board of Stewards for the Forum's platform on the digital economy, along with Al Gore and Tim Berners-Lee. He is co-author of the 2020 book, Patient No Longer with Ryan Donahue, and author of Bless This Mess: A Picture Story of Healthcare in America (2018) - an account of how the USA was elected to the Intergalactic Council of Cool Health Systems by 2035; WE Can Fix Healthcare in America (2016); and The Phantom Stethoscope (1999).
He has served as dean of two medical colleges and leader of three academic health centers before becoming President and CEO at Jefferson in 2013.
Under his leadership, Jefferson has expanded from three hospitals to 18,from a boutique health sciences university to a professional university with multiple campuses and as an “integrated delivery and financial system” with the acquisition of Health Partners Plan, a $2 billion Medicaid and Medicare Advantage payor. Revenues have grown from $1.5 billion to more than $9.4 billion, annualized. The new Jefferson focuses on managing the health of populations in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, and providing high-value education that is transdisciplinary, interprofessional and experiential. Jefferson Health has the largest faculty based tele-health network in the country, the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and an outpatient footprint that is among the most technologically advanced in the region, as well as co-development partnerships with many of the nation’s leading healthcare IT founders.
Through a unique four-pillar model—academic-clinical-innovation-philanthropy—Jefferson has attracted venture capital and transformational gifts. Sidney and Caroline Kimmel donated $110 million to Jefferson on June 18, 2014, the largest gift in the University’s history. Philanthropy and innovation have also resulted in the addition of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, nationally recognized for its modern medical and integrated therapies, and the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, a partnership between Jefferson Health and National Jewish Health.
Previously, as CEO of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, Dr. Klasko built the nation’s largest “assessment of technical and teamwork competence” center known as CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation). He also led a partnership with the country’s largest retirement community, The Villages, to create “America’s healthiest hometown,” an innovative primary-care-driven, patient-centric, Medicare-based accountable care model.
Dr. Klasko is ideally suited to lead such initiatives, having completed a grant after receiving his MBA from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania on selecting and educating physicians to be leaders of change. His unique medical education program at USF, called SELECT (Scholarly Excellence, Leadership Education, Collaborative Training), is recognized for its focus on choosing medical students based on emotional intelligence and leadership potential.
Dr. Klasko also serves on several tech and medical device boards, including Teleflex (TFX:NYSE), a NYSE global medical device company with a market cap of $20 billion, for which has served on both the audit committee and governance committee and has been a director since 2008. He serves on both the Globo (a digital communications company) and Kyra (a clinical research expansion company) and is the chair of the advisory board for 3D Systems (DDD:NYSE) the world’s largest 3D printing company. He is the chair of the board of trustees of Opera Philadelphia and is a trustee of FARA (Friedrich’s Ataxia Research Alliance). He has also been a trustee of Lehigh University, one of the nation’s leading engineering and business schools.
He is married to Colleen Wyse, a fashion leader, former associate publisher for Vogue and W and founder of The Philadelphia Trunk Show; and has three children: Lynne, David and Jill and four perfect grandchildren.
As President of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health, he has steered one of the nation’s fastest growing academic health institutions based on his vision of re-imagining health care and higher education. His 2017 merger of Thomas Jefferson University with Philadelphia University creates a
pre-eminent R2 national doctoral university that includes top-20 programs in fashion and design and occupational therapy, coupled with the first design-thinking curriculum in a medical school, and the nation's leading research on the role of empathy in health care.
His track record of success has earned him as high as #2 on Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential Individuals”; as #21 in Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business”; Ernst & Young’s “Greater Entrepreneur of the Year 2018”; and Becker's Hospital Review's “100 Great Leaders in Healthcare.”
Dr. Klasko is an internationally recognized advocate for transformation in healthcare and higher education. He is the author of 2020’s UnHealthcare: A Manifesto for Health Assurance, with Silicon Valley investor Hemant Taneja. In 2019, has led the future of hospitals and digital economy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in 2020, was named a Distinguished Fellow of the World Economic Forum and co-chair of its Board of Stewards for the Forum's platform on the digital economy, along with Al Gore and Tim Berners-Lee. He is co-author of the 2020 book, Patient No Longer with Ryan Donahue, and author of Bless This Mess: A Picture Story of Healthcare in America (2018) - an account of how the USA was elected to the Intergalactic Council of Cool Health Systems by 2035; WE Can Fix Healthcare in America (2016); and The Phantom Stethoscope (1999).
He has served as dean of two medical colleges and leader of three academic health centers before becoming President and CEO at Jefferson in 2013.
Under his leadership, Jefferson has expanded from three hospitals to 18,from a boutique health sciences university to a professional university with multiple campuses and as an “integrated delivery and financial system” with the acquisition of Health Partners Plan, a $2 billion Medicaid and Medicare Advantage payor. Revenues have grown from $1.5 billion to more than $9.4 billion, annualized. The new Jefferson focuses on managing the health of populations in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, and providing high-value education that is transdisciplinary, interprofessional and experiential. Jefferson Health has the largest faculty based tele-health network in the country, the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and an outpatient footprint that is among the most technologically advanced in the region, as well as co-development partnerships with many of the nation’s leading healthcare IT founders.
Through a unique four-pillar model—academic-clinical-innovation-philanthropy—Jefferson has attracted venture capital and transformational gifts. Sidney and Caroline Kimmel donated $110 million to Jefferson on June 18, 2014, the largest gift in the University’s history. Philanthropy and innovation have also resulted in the addition of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, nationally recognized for its modern medical and integrated therapies, and the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, a partnership between Jefferson Health and National Jewish Health.
Previously, as CEO of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, Dr. Klasko built the nation’s largest “assessment of technical and teamwork competence” center known as CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation). He also led a partnership with the country’s largest retirement community, The Villages, to create “America’s healthiest hometown,” an innovative primary-care-driven, patient-centric, Medicare-based accountable care model.
Dr. Klasko is ideally suited to lead such initiatives, having completed a grant after receiving his MBA from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania on selecting and educating physicians to be leaders of change. His unique medical education program at USF, called SELECT (Scholarly Excellence, Leadership Education, Collaborative Training), is recognized for its focus on choosing medical students based on emotional intelligence and leadership potential.
Dr. Klasko also serves on several tech and medical device boards, including Teleflex (TFX:NYSE), a NYSE global medical device company with a market cap of $20 billion, for which has served on both the audit committee and governance committee and has been a director since 2008. He serves on both the Globo (a digital communications company) and Kyra (a clinical research expansion company) and is the chair of the advisory board for 3D Systems (DDD:NYSE) the world’s largest 3D printing company. He is the chair of the board of trustees of Opera Philadelphia and is a trustee of FARA (Friedrich’s Ataxia Research Alliance). He has also been a trustee of Lehigh University, one of the nation’s leading engineering and business schools.
He is married to Colleen Wyse, a fashion leader, former associate publisher for Vogue and W and founder of The Philadelphia Trunk Show; and has three children: Lynne, David and Jill and four perfect grandchildren.
Topics:
- Pandemic of 2030: From Covid to Consumerism
Dr. Stephen Klasko tells a “history of the future” as governments in 2030 face a new pandemic. The talk will discuss how the pandemic of 2020 made clear the need for transformation in American health care delivery, including the fight to end health disparities, the growth of consumerism, and the shift from sick care to health assurance. - 5 Lessons We Must Take from the Coronavirus Crisis
Health systems have accelerated their digital health, telehealth and virtual care capabilities in the past 30 days forcing them to disrupt themselves. Care delivery will never be the same again. Dr. Klasko shares five key insights about the future of healthcare delivery after the pandemic. - Population Health, AI and Transforming Care Delivery - Moving From Philosophy to Practice
Join us for this exciting closing session and feel optimistic about health care once again! One of the most influential health care leaders of today will provide a sneak peek into an optimistic future in health and long term care . Dr. Klasko will suggest sensible and apolitical solutions for reshaping the industry and share practical tips on how we can partner with our patients (and yes maybe even robots) to transform acute and long term care. - The Future of Hospitals
The costs of poor health could reach 15% of GDP in advanced economies by mid-century. How can providers be more effective at addressing the social determinants of health before more patients arrive at the hospital door? - Is There an Avatar in the House? Changing the DNA of Health Care in the Age of AI
One of the most influential health care leaders of today will help synthesize what we’ve learned and provide his vision of the future. Dr. Klasko will suggest sensible and apolitical solutions for reshaping the industry and share practical tips on how we can all be part of this transformational journey. - We CAN Fix Healthcare - The Future is NOW
Dr. Stephen K. Klasko proposes an extraordinary, even science fiction, event where a no-blaming conversation leads to an optimistic new future. Democrats and Republicans find they can collaborate on Dr. Klasko’s 12 disruptive transformations. Built on a variety of interviews from every part of the system, looking at service, education, economics, and the sociology of healthcare, Dr. Klasko argues that if we stop blaming each other, trends we now see as disruptive will actually lead to solutions. With an entertaining blend of humor, wit, and practical assessments about the current state of healthcare, Dr. Klasko shows where healthcare is heading in the future. - Putting Patients First
An obstetrician who also has an MBA from Wharton, Stephen Klasko has no trouble thinking about healthcare through a business lens. “With AI on the horizon, training humans to be better robots doesn’t make sense,” says Stephen Klasko, CEO of Philadelphia’s Jefferson Health. “The doctor of the future needs to be self-aware and empathetic.” By merging Thomas Jefferson University, a med school plus health and nursing colleges with design-focused Philadelphia University, Klasko has created the first medical school in the U.S. to offer a design certificate within its MD program. This now encourages future doctors to discover novel methods for putting patients first. Klasko has become one of the most innovative people in healthcare, developing new initiatives such as “hotspotting,” where med students are paired with patients who tend to overuse the ER, coaching them on self-care skills. The program has helped reduce unnecessary ER visits by 60%. “Virtual rounds” allow families to sit in, via videoconferencing software, when the doctor visits a recovering patient. Eighty percent of Jefferson’s doctors are trained in the network’s telehealth platform that offers 24/7 patient assistance.
“I would like to thank you once again for participating at our 2018 AMS Phoenix Conference. Your keynote was thought provoking and engaging, and your participation in the closing panel of the event was very positively received by the conference participants, and there was extremely positive feedback on social media.”
-CEO, Associated Medical Services
“As the opening speaker for our annual conference, Dr. Stephen Klasko needed to set the bar high for our three-day event—and he did not disappoint. His use of humor and pop culture references had the audience completely engaged, and his clear message and thoughtful presentation provided valuable insight for the attendees to bring back to their companies. Dr. Klasko was everything you want in a Keynote speaker and more. Simply put, he was exceptional.”
-Director of Operations, Texas Association of Health Plans
“Dear Dr. Klasko, I want to thank you for serving as the keynote speaker for our Texas Covered Conference + Expo last week. Your presentation on the future of health care was entertaining (I always appreciate a Star Wars reference) and informative, and it really set high expectations for the entire event. We could not have asked for a better speaker. Thank you so much for coming and being exceptional.”
-CEO, TX Association of Health Plans
-CEO, Associated Medical Services
“As the opening speaker for our annual conference, Dr. Stephen Klasko needed to set the bar high for our three-day event—and he did not disappoint. His use of humor and pop culture references had the audience completely engaged, and his clear message and thoughtful presentation provided valuable insight for the attendees to bring back to their companies. Dr. Klasko was everything you want in a Keynote speaker and more. Simply put, he was exceptional.”
-Director of Operations, Texas Association of Health Plans
“Dear Dr. Klasko, I want to thank you for serving as the keynote speaker for our Texas Covered Conference + Expo last week. Your presentation on the future of health care was entertaining (I always appreciate a Star Wars reference) and informative, and it really set high expectations for the entire event. We could not have asked for a better speaker. Thank you so much for coming and being exceptional.”
-CEO, TX Association of Health Plans
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