Shanah Tirado – Team Member Spotlight

Shanah Tirado is a senior consultant at COPE Health Solutions. In this role, she serves as a strategic partner to clients in achieving healthcare delivery transformation. She has previous experience in business strategy and public policy across the healthcare industry, including patient advocacy, project management, and resource utilization optimization.  Her experience with inter-agency partnerships and work with the Medicaid population allows Shanah to offer an innovative perspective on population health management and integrated delivery system design.

Why do you enjoy working in the health care industry?

It has always been important to me to make positive, tangible contributions to my community. Working in healthcare allows me to impact the efficiency and effectiveness of a broader system that touches the lives of entire communities; everyone is touched by the health care system in some way. It sits at the nexus of medicine, policy, politics and business, making the work dynamic and impactful. The interdisciplinary aspect requires systems thinking to identify innovative solutions to complex problems. In the current reform environment, I am inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the development of a better system that delivers more affordable, higher quality and equitable health care.

What are the favorite aspects of your role at COPE Health Solutions?

I truly enjoy the collegial environment. A small but fast-growing company has translated into a lot of immediate responsibility and opportunity. I am encouraged by the trust colleagues have shown in my abilities and how quick they have been to affirm my contributions. It is a wonderful environment for professional growth.

What are your thoughts on transforming health care?

The transformation will be arduous but extremely rewarding. An industry accustomed to incremental adjustments now finds itself being tasked with monumental change, not simply in the business model but in the ideology of health care reimbursement and delivery.  Providers, payers and other stakeholders will need to develop the agility to navigate this new pace of change. Value-based care, new care delivery models, and a new focus on population health management will bring the industry away from simply tending to sick individuals and toward keeping entire communities well.

What is your specialty in health care management and what are some of your thoughts on this subject?

My background in both business and policy has enabled me to recognize the larger picture of healthcare reform. These decisions go well beyond profit and loss. Strategy and operations for health care organizations cannot be divorced from a clear understanding of the political environment, community response, and fluctuating policies. Similarly, the aim to remain profitable cannot be divorced from the mission and responsibility to serve the community and deliver high quality care to patients. Broader trends point to the rise of the patient-as-consumer, care integration and value-based contracting. But ultimately, healthcare is a local business. Successful enterprises will be embedded in the fabric of their local communities, offering effective patient-centered care.

Contact Shanah Tirado at: stirado@copehealthsolutions.com.