There’s no question that Harvard Business School (HBS) alumni are making their mark in the health care sector. The question is, what is the best way to tap into the insights of these 8,000+ alumni? How can we facilitate meaningful connections between alumni and students? And how can we use those connections to advance innovation in health care? As it turns out, gathering people around the dinner table is a great place to start. In cities across the globe, HBS alumni and students are periodically meeting for small-group dinners organized by the HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI) and HBS Healthcare Alumni Association (HBSHAA). [...]

Robert S. Huckman, Professor of Technology and Operations Management, serves as the Faculty Chair of the HBS Health Care Initiative and the Chair of the MBA Required Curriculum. He describes the Health Care Initiative as “an ideal opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to build a vibrant and diverse community knit together by a shared interest in improving the health care system.” [...]

Twelve HBS faculty toured hospitals and health care organizations around the Boston area as part of a day-long excursion. Dubbed “Health Care Delivery in Boston: Fostering Innovation in a Cost-Constrained Environment”, the excursion was sponsored by the Division of Research & Faculty Development (DRFD) and led by Health Care Initiative Faculty Chair Rob Huckman and Director Cara Sterling. “Given that we have so many industry leaders and innovators right here in Boston,” Huckman explained, “We wanted to connect some of them with our faculty, tour their operations, and spur insightful conversations.” [...]

The Physician Shadow Program, sponsored by the HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI), is a unique opportunity for students to witness a day in a doctor’s life first-hand. With the close proximity of Boston’s world-class hospitals, the HCI has forged relationships with many physicians who volunteer for the program. Participating students report having the opportunity to observe doctors’ intakes with patients, ER rounds and surgical procedures, as well as various medical interventions. [...]

When I was accepted into Harvard Business School’s executive education course, Managing Health Care Delivery (MHCD), I didn’t anticipate the significance of the connections I was about to make with my classmates. The MHCD program is held on the HBS campus for three one-week intervals over the course of a year: fall, spring, and summer. I believe spending that time immersed in the Case Method educational model and engaged in meaningful team work helped create profound professional and personal bonds for all of us. Before the end of the second module many of us knew we wanted to continue our learning experience; we decided to begin organizing our own MHCD reunion. Our first reunion was organized in South East Asia so that we could catch up with fellow participants and tour some innovative care delivery models. [...]