Using Data to Improve Health Outcomes with CEO Bob Darin

Full Episode Description

About the Guest(s): Bob Darin is the CEO of Blue Health Intelligence, a company specializing in healthcare analytics within the Blue Cross Blue Shield system. Boasting nearly three decades of experience in healthcare analytics, Bob has developed extensive expertise in managing and interpreting complex data to drive decisions in the healthcare industry. Before taking the helm at Blue Health Intelligence, he served as the SVP and chief analytics and data officer at CVS Health, where he tackled significant challenges in highly competitive areas such as data engineering, data science, and analytics. Episode Summary: In this episode, we delve into the intersection of healthcare, data analytics, and the human element in decision-making with Bob Darin. As a seasoned leader passionate about leveraging data to enhance healthcare outcomes and efficiency, Bob shares his journey and dispels valuable insights on the power of a team-focused approach to innovation in healthcare analytics. Bob Darin discusses the importance of understanding customer needs and experiences to drive patient outcomes and improve the healthcare system. He emphasizes the use of detailed data analysis and normalization processes to create comparable healthcare metrics. Darin also reflects on his professional journey, revealing a consistent focus on advancing healthcare analytics to foster better decisions within the healthcare sector. Key Takeaways: Data analytics is key to driving healthcare decisions, improving systems, and addressing disparities in healthcare outcomes. Engaging and retaining talent in highly competitive fields like data science and analytics is crucial to the success of organizations like Blue Health Intelligence. A compelling customer experience and understanding the "why" behind changes are critical for aligning teams towards common goals. Storytelling is an effective tool for communicating complex information and changes within a company, making the message memorable and relatable. Open communication, including feedback loops and involving business partners in conveying the company's mission, adds authenticity and power to the recruitment and retention processes. Notable Quotes: "If you can measure something, you can learn from it." "We need to invest in our own people and keep them current with evolving technology." "If someone can speak to how they … can help them as a customer, that's terrific." "Understanding how our customer perceptions are changing … [is] really important to us but the more that that gets to be feedback loops." "Now I can explain to people I'm on, what I'm trying to … convince people to see is I now have stories I can tell people." Resources: Blue Health Intelligence: https://www.bluehealthintelligence.com/ (Not explicitly mentioned in the transcript, but inferred as the company Bob Darin leads)