Dr. Robert Groves on Transforming Healthcare Through Human Connection
In a candid podcast interview, Dr. Robert Groves, EVP and Chief Medical Officer at Banner|Aetna, shares lessons learned from his unique vantage point inside a payer-provider joint venture. Growing up in a small, close-knit medical community, he fell in love with medicine at an early age after witnessing his father’s compassion as a primary care physician. This profound experience shaped his belief that genuine human connection and empathy belong at the heart of healthcare.
Now working within Banner|Aetna, Dr. Groves highlights how combining payer and provider perspectives can realign incentives, foster more cooperative relationships, and overcome fee-for-service constraints. He stresses that trust is essential—between payers, providers, and patients—and that transparency and understanding must replace complexity and suspicion.
Dr. Groves promotes “experiential learning” to enhance health literacy. Rather than pushing out calls or brochures few engage with, offering immersive experiences like the Banner Aetna Kitchen helps patients learn healthy cooking firsthand. Such positive interactions create ripple effects—participants share their newfound knowledge with family and friends, spreading healthful practices more organically. He’s also excited about activities like Banner Aetna Active, bringing people together for healthier living while simultaneously addressing mental well-being through community and social interaction.
While praising technology, Dr. Groves warns it must serve to improve human connections, not replace them. He’s hopeful that AI, used responsibly, can simplify administrative burdens, improve prior authorization, and free up time for meaningful patient-provider encounters. Ultimately, Dr. Groves advocates a more value-driven system, one that prioritizes trust, empathy, social support, and community engagement to achieve better outcomes and genuinely transform healthcare.
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