Testimonials
Interested in changing health care? This book is a great place to start. Using a practical case-based approach that walks readers through common health care scenarios and settings, the authors illustrate something that clinicians and administrators know from their work (that health care delivery is not simple) while offering two things they may not (why it is not simple and what to do about it). Here, Liao, Staloff, and Joo are highly – and among the droves of health systems and care delivery books – uniquely pragmatic. They draw on their real-world experiences to provide perspectives and salient frameworks for much of what we see in health care today, along with actionable approaches for making it better. This book is for practicing clinicians, administrators, and students from all disciplines interested in actually making health care better.
David H. Au, MD, MS†
Executive Director of the Center for Care and Payment Innovation
US Department of Veteran Affairs
†The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, or the US Government.
Efforts to improve US health care must focus on creating a more just system that addresses the health disparities of historically underserved communities. Liao, Staloff, and Joo emphasize this in their book, highlighting equity as a crucial element. They identify key factors shaping health care and propose strategies for change, consistently considering the impact on disparities, access, quality, and costs. The authors’ clinical, scholarly, and leadership experience adds significant value for health care leaders, clinicians, and trainees. The book’s main contribution is not just presenting solutions to reshape health care but also emphasizing that these solutions should enhance health equity alongside overall outcomes. It encourages readers to internalize this wisdom and work toward reshaping care within their own clinical environments.
Kavita P. Bhavan, MD, MHS
Chief Innovation Officer
Parkland Health
This book is an essential resource for medical students and residents. It bridges a crucial gap in medical education by comprehensively addressing policy and care delivery topics relevant to health care systems, but typically overlooked in clinical training. The book’s structure, divided into understanding systemic factors and exploring actionable solutions, equips future clinicians with the policy knowledge to drive meaningful change in their practices. As a national expert in health policy, I highly recommend this book for its clarity, depth, and practical relevance in transforming health care delivery.
Renee Crichlow, MD
Chair of the Commission on Federal and State Policy
American Academy of Family Physicians
This book is essential reading for any policy-interested clinician and a must-read for anyone aiming to improve health care in the United States. It highlights the challenges that plague health care in this country and proposes effective solutions, educating clinicians on policy and health system structures influencing care delivery while providing practical tools for making changes in clinical settings.
Yalda Jabbarpour, MD
Director, Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care
Troves of books and articles have been written about the failings of health care delivery systems and the necessary interventions to transform them. Most offer only partial explanations of the challenges and one-size-fits-all solutions. In this important new book, Liao, Staloff, and Joo take a human-centered approach, looking at all of the complex systems factors in health care through the experiences of patients and the clinicians seeking to serve them. The authors offer a simple yet comprehensive tool kit for creating productive change to support the needs of people giving and receiving care, all organized around a chapter-by-chapter learning system. This book is a must-have resource for students, teachers, and leaders interested in how to make health care safer, of higher quality, and, ultimately, better.
Read G. Pierce, MD
Chief Quality, Safety, and Transformation Officer
Denver Health