Google announced that it has hired Geisinger Health CEO David Feinberg to lead its healthcare efforts. Feinberg has been the CEO of the large Pennsylvania based health system that delivers medical care and health insurance. The position will report to Jeff Dean who heads Google’s AI initiatives. Feinberg’s role will be to organize and run Google’s diverse and overlapping healthcare initiatives. As an experienced healthcare insider, Feinberg will not be alone at Google: the company has brought on former Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf. So what is going on here? Google, like Amazon sees, the massive potential in healthcare, and the utter lack of progress from legacy players in solving core issues of cost, access, service. Google seems to be focusing on the science of healthcare, such as AI, whereas the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan venture appears focused on delivering the services of insurance coverage and care to its employees and eventually others in a more sustainable, sane way. It is all positive to have such creative forces focusing on what remains the country’s largest social and financial challenge. Time will tell.
Read: WSJ: Google Picks Geisinger CEO to Oversee Health-Care Initiatives