March 06, 2019 – The partnership between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase now has a name in addition to a high-profile executive team.
The venture, which aims to reduce costs and develop innovative approaches to care will be known as Haven Healthcare, CEO Atul Gawande, MD, MPH wrote on the company’s new website.
“As a surgeon, I’ve devoted my career to caring for my patients and working to make the health care system better. I believe all people deserve quality health care that is both affordable and accessible,” said Gawande.
“Haven was formed by the leaders of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase because they have been frustrated by the quality, service, and high costs that their employees and families have experienced in the US health system. They believe that we can do better, and in taking this step to form this new organization, they have committed to being a part of the solution.”
After being veiled in secrecy for more than a year, the company stated that its primary focus will be on “pursuing a number of common-sense fixes, as well as innovative approaches, to address issues like making primary care easier to access, insurance benefits simpler to understand and easier to use, and prescription drugs more affordable.”
Initially, any solutions developed by Haven Healthcare will be applied to the employees and families of the three founding companies, but the company anticipates expanding its reach to the broader industry over time.
“We know that this work will take time, and we’ll need the help of others, but we will tackle problems step-by-step and make sure that patients remain our top priority,” stated Gawande.
The surgeon and healthcare thought leader outlined three guiding principles for the venture.
“We will be an advocate for the patient and an ally to anyone – clinicians, industry leaders, innovators, policymakers, and others – who makes patient care and costs better. We will create new solutions and work to change systems, technologies, contracts, policy, and whatever else is in the way of better health care. We will be relentless. We will insure our work has high impact and is sustainable. And we are committed to doing this work for the long-term,” he said.
