Jan 15, 2025
Blog
It’s a new year!
As we change our calendars to a new year, we find ourselves in a season of fresh beginnings and thoughtful resolutions. January is often a flurry of goal setting, New Year’s resolutions, and changes. However, MetaStar is already working to reaffirm our commitment to improving healthcare quality and outcomes. The Board of Directors wrapped up setting the organization’s direction in the last part of 2024.
MetaStar’s Board of Directors uses the Carver Model, a governance framework that emphasizes the board’s responsibility for defining “Ends”—the impact MetaStar exists to achieve—while delegating the means and operational responsibilities to organizational staff. The Board of Trustees reviewed MetaStar’s previous Ends and worked to revise and update them for 2025 and beyond.
MetaStar exists for systemic improvement in health outcomes, health care quality and safety and equity for communities and individuals across the continuum of care.
• System-wide transformation and improvement.
• Accountable and transparent systems.
• Reliable and trusted healthcare data.
• Collaborative impact.
Jesi Wang, MetaStar President and CEO
Jesi Wang, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is rolling out the Ends to the organization in January. Then staff will develop the approach, determine what success looks like, how impact gets measured, and how it drives MetaStar’s impact priorities – advance behavioral health, expanding quality and home community care, and strengthening equity and quality.
The Next Iteration of MetaStar
To achieve these Ends, MetaStar incorporates a human-centered design process to define the approach to impact priority areas. “This is one of the strategic adjustments we are working on,” explains Wang, “instead of waiting for the government to set the priorities, we identify key health and healthcare gaps impacting the communities we serve, and work to drive meaningful change proactively.”
MetaStar is a very successful government partner and has a unique opportunity to drive local as well as national impact. “We won’t stop partnering with the government to drive health and healthcare improvement, that is who we are at our core,” said Wang. “However, if we see there are opportunities that aren’t being addressed, we will proactively engage government agencies and other funders to really drive improvements in those critical areas.”
By 2026, MetaStar plans to pilot and test the services and products developed to drive change as it relates to the established impact priorities.
Navigating Change with Experience
MetaStar’s decades of experience navigating administrative transitions position us to respond effectively to shifting federal priorities. “Every administration change brings new focus, new priorities, new opportunities, things we stop doing, and things we add,” shares Wang, “And I anticipate 2025 will be a year of shifting priorities. It does start off with some uncertainty of what the priorities and opportunities will be. However, both sides of the aisle see health care as an area for improvement.”
“We are good at being able to understand what the federal government’s priorities and needs are and translating those to what is most valuable at the local level,” explains Wang, “so that we can get things accomplished.”
Inspiration
Inspiration can serve as motivation for change. Wang is inspired by the MetaStar staff and the work they do every day to effect positive change. Recently she shared, “I have family member enrolled in the Family Care program, and hearing how well those programs are running for them inspires me. It also inspires me when I hear when programs or organizations are not running well, because I know [MetaStar] can make it better.” Wang is also inspired by the collaboration across the state, recently seen while working on a large proposal focused on Wisconsin’s unhealthy alcohol use.
“As we talked to individuals across the state, you could feel the passion they have for their work. I hear the same passion in our team, in healthcare workers, in healthcare organizations, and in the collaborators, we partner with,” said Wang, “That inspires me because I know if we can focus our efforts and align our priorities, real change can happen.”
Fast Forward – What Does a Successful 2025 Look Like?
Wang shares, “By December 2025, I hope we can confidently say we’ve made measurable progress in each of the four areas outlined in our Ends. I want MetaStar to be the first organization people think of when addressing gaps in care, quality, patient safety, or equity. When they face these challenges, I want them to say, ‘I’ll call MetaStar — they’ll help me figure this out.’ And we’ll get it done together. No single organization has all the answers, but by combing our expertise with the incredible talent across the state, we can truly make a meaningful impact.”
MetaStar works to improve health and healthcare, contact us to be part of the change in 2025.