RELEVANT HEALTH ROUNDTABLE | Q+A
What does your current role entail? My current role entails meeting people…a lot of people! Since sales is a relationship-driven business, I spend most of my time cultivating connections and helping clients solve their business problems. As I understand more about companies and their challenges, I match them up with solutions to help address them. PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTHCARE What challenges do you believe the healthcare industry needs to solve? The biggest challenge is a basic, long- standing one – the payer and provider relationship. Payers are building strategies to keep members out of hospital beds, while providers are building strategies to fill up hospital beds. It just doesn’t make sense! Plenty of value-based care and shared-savings arrangements exist between payers and providers, but they comprise a very low percentage of the overall market.
What areas do you see the most innovation in healthcare right now? Digital health is where I see the most innovation in healthcare. It was already booming, but the pandemic accelerated its growth. No matter your ailment, there’s a digital solution to solve it. Will the solutions all work? Time will tell. Meanwhile, I would love it if payers and providers would work together to provide timely and accurate EOBs and bills! Unfortunately, that area isn’t receiving much innovation investment; however, it sure would make people happier. As I get older and see the hassles my parents are going through with insurance, doctors, and bills, I know there must be a simpler way to manage this process. When individuals are sick or injured, the last thing they want to worry about is payment, but it ends up being a major area of concern, thanks to the complicated system.
JUST FOR FUN! Where is you favorite place to get dinner? I travel to Kansas City frequently, and hands down, my favorite restaurant is Corvino. It’s a shared plate experience where you order all your dishes at once, and the chef courses them out. It’s just spectacular. What was the last movie or show you watched? Cobra Kai! Yes, it’s a guilty pleasure. I’ll binge-watch season five this winter. What was the last book you read? Long Story Short by Margot Leitman. It’s a book about storytelling! Since most of my job entails talking, I want to learn to be more engaging. Where is your favorite travel destination? Seville, Spain. My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Seville four years ago and just loved the city. It was historic, beautiful, and had delicious cuisine.
Q+A Rajat Relan
Client Partner CONCORD
YOUR CAREER How would you describe your career trajectory after college? After graduating with an accounting degree, thankfully, nobody hired me to be an accountant! Instead, I started my career as an analyst at the Northern Trust Company, an institutional bank in Chicago. From there, I moved to Deloitte and gained a passion for consulting. I worked with extremely talented individuals, traveled around the country, and learned the art of consulting and client relationships. After moving to Minnesota and completing my MBA, I landed at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in an internal consulting role, which led to a number of leadership positions. I wanted to move back into consulting and have been at Concord for the last ten years.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career? Overall, it’s been a fun time since I graduated college. My roles have been a great blend of business and technology, and I have met wonderful people and mentors. However, if I had to pick one accomplishment, it would be founding Relevant Health Roundtable. There has always been a gap in healthcare thought leadership in the Twin Cities, and we were able to start an organization from scratch to address that need. I am thankful to Concord for supporting this crazy idea and to our Advisory Committee for guiding me along the way!
Fast Facts
RELEVANT HEALTH ROUNDTABLE COMMITTEE MEMBER SINCE: 2013 HOMETOWN: Roselle, IL FIRST JOB: Cashier at Walgreens COLLEGE: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Bachelor of Science); University of Minnesota (MBA) FAMILY: Wife (Diane); Daughter (Vivian); Son (Teddy); Dog (Prince Hamburger Monster) DREAM RHR PANELISTS: In the next 12-18 months, I would like to have a panel with three local CEOs from health plans or providers. If you are a CEO reading this, you know where to reach me!
No matter your ailment, there’s a digital solution to solve it. “
32 | Q+A: Rajat Relan
Q+A: Rajat Relan | 33
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