The Strategy of Health How Systems Engineering Can Transform Healthcare
Dec 12, 2025
Dr. Matthew Montoya, a professor at Johns Hopkins with 40 years of experience in systems engineering, dives into the transformative power of systems thinking in healthcare. He discusses how this approach can clarify chaos and improve patient outcomes. Real-world applications include complex defense projects, demonstrating the effectiveness of structured problem-solving. Montoya also highlights the role of AI as a supportive tool and offers practical ways for healthcare professionals to implement these concepts in their organizations.
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Clarity From Systems Thinking
- Systems engineering creates clarity out of chaotic, multi-stakeholder problems by focusing on endpoints and roadmaps.
- Montoya argues this clarity directly improves patient and organizational outcomes when applied thoughtfully.
Orchestrating A Large Defense Health Project
- Matthew Montoya described leading a Department of Defense project assembling many university subcontractors to build a complex medical training device.
- He orchestrated architecture, metrics, and requirements to bring disparate teams to a successful outcome.
Start With Small Pilots
- Pilot systems-engineering efforts on a small, cross-specialty outcome before scaling across a hospital or system.
- Use architectures, metrics, and process pilots to prove value and generate grassroots adoption.
