Revolution Health announces its management team

Revolution Health’s recent announcement of six acquisitions has been covered here in the past; now news is out regarding the management team that will lead the Revolution Health’s new company into the future. What puzzles me is the management team’s complete lack of provider, payer, or managed care experience. Heavy on internet start-up, tech, consulting, and experience “knitting together a variety of companies into cohesive operating units”, the team seems strikingly light in real world experience.
With Steve Case, Colin Powell, Jim Barksdale, Carly Fiorina, and Steve Wiggins (the only one with extensive health care experience in any sector) on the Board, one would have expected to see slightly more, or perhaps much more, real-world expertise to balance the lofty thoughts of the leadership with knowledge gained from time in the trenches.
Alas, such is not the case (no pun intended). Much attention is being paid to the consumerization of health care, with consumer-directed health plans, empowering consumers, getting consumers to take responsibility, etc. Now, the entity launched with the most fanfare looks like an amalgamation of second and third-tier companies overseen by a star-studded board and managed by folks with little experience in the actual real world of buying, delivering, or managing health care.
The CEO, John Pleasants, comes from the internet world, with extensive experience with Evite, Match.com, and CitySearch. The head of the Community Health Information division’s most recent experience is as boss of Wondir, a search engine for community health information. Don Hackett of the Information Portal Division worked with drkoop.com, and the ill-fated Physician Computer Network. The new head of research comes from Fannie Mae where she worked in the office of the Chair (who is now on the Board of RHG).
Surely the advocates of consumer-driven health care can come up with something better. Health care is an incredibly complex, multi-faceted industry that operates by a distinct set of rules and motivations, with extremely powerful and deeply entrenched stakeholders exerting control over the delivery, funding, operation, and regulation of the business.
What does this mean for you?
Likely not much.