Jay Bhatt, D.O., Principal, JDB Strategies LLC and former SVP & Chief Medical Officer of the American Hospital Association
Age: 43
Education: Bhatt holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, a master's degree in public health from the University of Illinois School of Public Health, a master's in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of government and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
About him: As senior vice president and chief medical officer at the American Hospital Association, Bhatt provided leadership to the largest CMS Hospital Improvement and Innovation Network in the nation, with 1,700 hospitals in 34 states working to reduce healthcare-associated conditions by 20% and readmissions by 12%.
He also helped lead the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative in a partnership which has engaged more than 500 sites of care across the country. Other projects he has helped develop and implement include an initiative to advance diversity, inclusion, and health equity in partnership with National Urban League and UnidosUS; the Hospital Community Cooperative, which works to advance hospital/community partnerships and address social determinants of health in ten communities; a partnership with payers including Blue Cross Blue Shield IL and Cigna to advance health equity; and the AHA Physician Alliance, a network of 15,000 physicians working in hospitals to lead well, be well, and care well.
Earlier this year, Bhatt left the AHA to provide public health, health innovation and health equity consulting through JDB Strategies. He serves as staff physician at Family Christian Health Center, medical consultant for the Illinois Department of Public Health, and as a contributor for ABC News.
Bhatt began his career as a Chicago doctor working with underserved populations. Before joining the AHA, he served as the first chief health officer of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, and as the chief innovation officer for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Under his guidance, the department was recognized internationally for using predictive analytics and machine learning to target food-safety hot spots, improve its approach to inspections, reduce lead exposure, reduce chronic disease and strengthen the culture of safety and continuous improvement.
First job: “I was Managing Deputy Commissioner and Chief Innovation Officer at the Chicago Department of Public Health.”
Proudest accomplishment: “We made a measurable change in improving quality and safety through a partnership with CMS, state, regional, and metro Hospital Associations.”
Problem he’s most passionate about trying to solve: “Redesigning care for vulnerable populations to improve outcomes and eliminating health inequities.”
Book he recommends: The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmonson.
Advice he would give to his younger self: “Dance into discomfort to grow.”
What he’d do with his career if it wasn’t this: “Run a nonprofit that uses dance and music to improve the lives of young people in underserved communities.”
Advice he’d give to healthcare leaders seeking to make a real impact on the systemic problems of racism: “Work every day to understand and not just be understood. Meaningfully deploy a diversity, inclusion, and health equity strategy. Healthcare leaders can help cultivate a space for learning and healing that also requires awareness and learning with their leadership team, broader team, stakeholders, and community organizations. Engage teams to create conversation, ideas, strategies, and a path forward to making progress on addressing systemic and structural racism.”