Uber is a competitor of taxicabs. Interesting thing about the Uber model is that it is pure capitalism combined with social media. So – you need a cab in a large city? No more flagging down a car – Tap your Smartphone, an Uber comes, and you’ve already put in your credit card info so no money is exchanged. And the Uber driver needs your “nod of approval” (positive review) so the ride will be nice and clean. Tap, tap, tap – in goes your review and the driver either does well or not. Pure capitalism.
A huge fear in healthcare today is that the “uber-ization” of everything is right around the corner. I’m not really sure what that means for Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics… Are we the Uber driver or the old taxicab? I would venture to say that we are Uber. We modify to the market, and we depend on great reviews. We make sure our quality is over the top – the best out there. We provide an awesome service and for that – we are sought out.
One of our board members told me about an article in the Wall Street Journal that was somewhat critical of the Critical Access Hospital program. It incorrectly stated that Critical Access Hospitals don’t participate in the same quality programs (we do) and insinuated that the Critical Access Hospitals do things only for the money (we don’t). I obviously have a different opinion. Like the Uber driver – we focus on having the best satisfaction and the best quality and let the market play it out. If people seek us out because we are the best, so be it. I, like the savvy traveler – want the best driver/taxicab. So I will do my research, seek out the best quality, and make my choice. Today’s healthcare consumer is savvy as well. They research and choose the best. As long as we keep Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics better than everyone else, we should be fine.
We are Uber.
-Steve Simonin, President & CEO
