My son passed out in a Kohl’s the other day.
He and my wife were shopping for clothes for his upcoming Camp Sweeney adventure—a summer camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes.
His Dexcom said his blood sugar was fine. It wasn’t.
Sebastian was dangerously low—and the tech missed it. He collapsed near the checkout, knocking over shopping carts on the way down.
This is what happens when we confuse data with outcomes. The glucose monitor numbers looked fine and in range. But the outcome was a kid unconscious on the floor. Thank God, my wife was there to help him.
This Is What Happens When We Confuse Data with Outcomes
Technology isn’t value. Dashboards aren’t outcomes.
Healthcare doesn’t need more dashboards, font-size four disclaimers, or more journal articles. It needs systems that deliver the outcomes that matter—and measure them relentlessly.
Don’t BS me that the tech or capability doesn’t exist. It does. Why? Because everything is solvable—if we put our minds to it.
If a $470/month device can’t provide reliable data to help prevent a collapse, that’s not value. That’s an expensive failure.
The Real Cost of Failure
We often talk about cost in terms of dollars: per patient, per visit, per device.
But what about the cost of a missed signal? The cost of a hospitalization? The cost of a child collapsing in public while a device quietly claims everything is fine?
That’s not just financial. It’s emotional. It’s operational. It’s systemic.
And it’s exactly why our healthcare systems need to start measuring what actually matters:
- Was the right outcome delivered?
- Was it delivered safely?
- Was the cost justified by the result?
If not—we don’t have value. We have expensive failure.
Value Management Means More Than Tracking Numbers
In Value Management in Healthcare, I argue that true transformation happens when organizations link outcomes to cost and then hold themselves accountable for the results.
A CGM reading is a number. But avoiding a collapse in a store? That’s an outcome.
If the system doesn’t deliver that outcome, it doesn’t matter how “smart” the tech is.
This experience was a personal reminder of what I fight for professionally: Healthcare must define, measure, and manage value. Not activity. Not innovation theater. But actual results.
Final Word
My son’s okay. But that moment shouldn’t have happened.
Time for some rebel leadership to raise the standard.
Let’s GSD—our loved ones are counting on us.
Rebel Leaders GSD is coming soon.
It’s not a theory book. It’s a tactical field guide for leading through chaos, cutting through BS, and building systems that actually perform.
Get early access, bonus content, and launch updates: Signup HERE
Due to the medical challenges my son faced I was inspired to pursue greater transparency in healthcare. It led me to implementing value management in perhaps the largest healthcare system in the United States. Writing a book on the topic of how to implement Value Management in Healthcare at scale was a simple way of codifying the process for others to also focus on changing the healthcare landscape. Check it out here: Value Management in Healthcare
Another interesting post on federal workforce HERE.