Descant
What is
Descant?
Descant is a choral music term that refers to a countermelody or counterpoint accompanying a simple theme. More generally, a descant is a variation on something or a comment on a particular subject.
We envision offering a descant or counterpoint to the usual ways of thinking about health care.
HI! I'M GAYLE, MBA, FSA
I am a questioner, a big picture thinker, and a doer. I am passionate about improving the healthcare system that serves so many so poorly. As a leader, health services researcher, Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, MBA, and Ph.D. candidate in health policy & management, my expertise, and experiences guide my evaluation of the healthcare system and examination of evidence. We must question and dialogue to understand how we got here and how everything is interconnected. We must think broadly and realize that a change in one part of the system is likely to have unintended effects elsewhere. We must dare to question status-quo thinking in healthcare. The goal of healthcare improvement should be nothing short of health and human thriving for everyone.
HI! I'M JOYCE, MBA
I have worked in healthcare for my entire career. I started out in the industry as a pharma rep and quickly moved onto medical device sales (and quality), then biotech. At one point in my career, I became curious about the big picture. Who pays for all this "stuff," how much does it all cost, and who ultimately benefits? I made a concerted effort to learn as much as I could on this topic while pursuing my MBA. My curiosity led me to own and operate a health insurance agency and eventually a revenue cycle business. Career path aside, it's the work that I have done as a patient advocate that has been the most eye-opening. No one disagrees that our system is still broken in many ways. The challenge is how to best address our healthcare woes. Gayle and I think it best to attack the proverbial elephant in the room - one bite at a time. So pull up a chair and join us. We welcome your feedback and look forward to engaging with anyone interested in reform topics.