The phrase “shaking up health care” often conjures images of bold reforms, Silicon Valley disruptors, and sweeping changes to the way our medical system operates.
But what if the real shake-up isn’t happening in boardrooms or on Capitol Hill? What if it starts with you, the patient, realizing you have far more control than you’ve been led to believe? Because let’s face it — no one tells you this. No one tells you that you don’t have to be stuck in long wait lines, bureaucratic loops, and impersonal processes that define so much of our health care experience.
No one tells you that you can take control. Once you know, everything changes.
For most people, health care is a passive experience. You’re referred for a test, like an MRI or CT scan, and then you’re at the mercy of a hospital’s schedule. Weeks pass as you wait for your appointment, stuck in a holding pattern of anxiety — unsure if you’ll need treatment, unsure of the severity of your condition, unsure of when you’ll finally get answers. That waiting game isn’t just inconvenient; it’s emotionally and physically taxing. It’s a system that often leaves you powerless. And yet, it’s a system we’ve come to accept.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if shaking up health care wasn’t about policy debates or corporate ambition but about something as simple — and as radical — as caring for yourself? That’s where the revolution starts: in the quiet realization that you don’t have to wait, you don’t have to settle, and you don’t have to accept that this is just “how it works.”
Here’s the secret no one tells you: You have options.
Take diagnostic imaging, for example. Most people think they have to follow the hospital’s lead, jumping through hoops to get a referral and then waiting indefinitely for the next available appointment. What no one mentions is that you have options outside of hospital systems for your medical imaging needs, and they’re transforming what healthcare can look like. Imagine scheduling a scan at a time and place that works for you—not them. Imagine walking into a clean, quiet facility where professionals treat you like a person, not a chart number. Imagine you and your doctors getting your results quickly, so you can move forward with your care instead of sitting in limbo.
The kicker? Insurance is accepted. Yes, the same insurance you assumed tied you to the hospital’s bureaucracy also covers the cost of a scan done on your terms. The false barrier often occurs at the point of referral where efforts are made to retain high-price/high-profit imaging services within the hospital system. But it’s exactly that, a false barrier. You can choose a faster, more affordable option without sacrificing quality, and your results will still be seamlessly shared with any doctor, at any hospital system.
The onus is on you to discover better options, to advocate for yourself, and to take control.
Lisa Giganti is CEO of Lumina Imaging and Diagnostics.
This article first appeared in Crain’s Cleveland Business on December 6, 2024, which you can view here.
