The Global Health Care Leaders Program (GHLP) from Harvard Medical School Executive Education is a first of its kind, multi-modular global program that aims to bring together the most important topics defining the future of health care for the leaders who will lead the charge. Faculty from Harvard Medical School, as well as other leading industry experts, will provide insights to enable participants to craft ambitious solutions and shape health care globally.
The health care industry is dynamic and complex. It is experiencing rapid change due to emerging technologies. Established and emerging business leaders and their organizations are recognizing that success in this rapidly evolving industry now requires a fundamental understanding of current medical practices, the changing economic and regulatory landscape of health care and cost vs return on innovation, the latest advances in science and medicine, as well as the threats of evolving pandemics, and the prospects of transformative digital technologies and their applications within health care.
After completion of GHLP, you will be a part of a global cohort of health care leaders. You will become an integral part of the Harvard Medical School Executive Education network. You will also be able to join Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) as an associate member and become a part of an active global network connecting with and supporting each other, facilitating lifelong learning, growth, and success. Following are some of the key benefits*:
- Global Health Care Leaders Program Certificate from Harvard Medical School.
- Join an extraordinary global network of 10,000 Harvard Medical School and 300,000 Harvard alumni and associate members from more than 200 countries.
- Connect and network with alumni and associate members through the Harvard Alumni Directory (accessed through claiming a Harvard Key login, which is the University’s lifetime electronic security credential).
- Connect further by joining one of the 195+ Harvard Clubs in more than 70 countries throughout the world, or one of more than 50 Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)**. Learn more
- Network at one of the Harvard Alumni Association’s many events held worldwide.
- Access to HAA message boards to communicate about a variety of topics, including career networking, via the Alumni Directory.
- Access to digital subscriptions of the Harvard Magazine e-newsletter Editor’s Highlights and the Harvard Medicine Magazine.
- Access to Electronic Library Resources – Harvard Library has curated a selection of online resources that reflect the breadth of intellectual content the University has to offer.
- Ability to apply for borrowing privileges for Harvard Library (separate application process).
- Access to the GHLP LinkedIn group.
- Access to select Harvard Medical School events, conferences, and seminars.
- Access to select Harvard Medical School online publications and webinar series.
- Gain exceptional rewards and benefits with the Harvard Alumni World MasterCard® – The card features no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and best-in-class rewards. Proceeds support the Presidential Scholars Program. (Available to US participants only.)
- Develop a global network of industry colleagues.
- Understand major forces shaping the future of health care.
- Review the perspectives of diverse sectors in the industry.
- Master the skills and capabilities necessary to lead effectively in the new health care environment.
* Benefits are subject to change
** Clubs and SIGs independently set their own membership criteria and have specific policy for Associate Members
Applying new insights and program learnings to day-to-day work, as well as long-term strategic priorities, to accelerate innovations that benefit patients and physicians
Understanding how digital health, AI, emerging technologies, reimbursement changes, and other converging forces are shaping the current and future health care ecosystems, and the business models and opportunities that will emerge
Strengthening your ability to lead effective change management and drive successful transformation processes within your organization and the health care industry
This program is designed for global health care change-makers, business and science leaders, as well as leaders who are transitioning into the health care field. The program is appropriate for professionals who seek the latest insights into this dynamic and complex industry, in order to become better leaders and innovators in their organization.
The program is suitable for participants with the following qualifications:
- Significant responsibilities and a demonstrated career progression in a corporate, government, non-profit, or entrepreneurial environment.
- Experience in leading teams and managing projects, products, or people preferred but not required.
- A minimum of 10+ years of work experience.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Professionals from the following industry segments will benefit from this program:
- Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
- Health IT and digital health
- Health systems
- Health insurance and payers
- Government and government relations
- Professional service firms whose work impacts health care including investing, legal, and consulting
Past Participants with Rich Experience
Global Representation of Past Participants
Past Participants From Top Companies
HMS’s executive-level programs deliver new insights that position business and science leaders to unlock opportunities in a dynamic and rapidly changing health care landscape. We engage business leaders whose work impacts health care and expose them to the real-world practice of medicine, cutting-edge trends in science, clinical workflows, and health care delivery.
Our learning approach is designed for creating high impact. It includes:
- Interactive classroom discussions with the world-renowned HMS clinical and science faculty.
- Experiential learning, including field trips to medical and research facilities, health care organizations and innovation hubs, as well as small group projects
- Time for reflection and networking
Our executive education programs are designed and delivered by a world-renowned instructors who are leaders in medicine, health care economics, and therapeutics. Our programs also draw upon the expertise of faculty from other Schools at Harvard University and industry-leading practitioners.
Our participants become highly sophisticated within the domain of health care, developing stronger, forward-thinking business strategies and, ultimately, delivering products and services that improve the lives of providers and—most importantly—patients.
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"Reflecting on learning and growth, I look forward to reuniting with my GHLP friends and colleagues as we continue to change the healthcare ecosystem." Tarul KodeVice President, Senior Pharmacy Benefits Consultant, Segal |
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“I’m enjoying every moment of the learning experience. I can’t wait to give back to the health care community after completing the Global Health Care Leaders Program.” Constanza PierreRegional Healthcare Director, Legend Senior Living™ |
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“I am especially grateful for the time spent learning about innovation at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Digital Innovation Hub as well as advances in medical stimulation from the SIMPEDS program at Boston Children’s Hospital.” Njide Okonjo-UdochiChief Executive Officer and Founder, Summit Medical Group |
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“Proud to have completed my learning journey with the leaders, innovators, authors and entrepreneurs of the HMS GHLP class of 2022. It has been an amazing experience for me to learn from the professors and my classmates. I have built connections and relationships with everyone from the class.” Stephen FengSenior Director, Omnichannel International Business Unit, Eli Lilly and Company |
GHLP will incorporate interactive, case-based classroom sessions, immersive exercises that illuminate the challenges of health care, and visits to research labs, innovative organizations, and other key components of the innovation ecosystem in Boston. These in-person experiences will be supplemented by live virtual sessions and other curated resources at the beginning of the program and between in-person sessions.
Additionally, each participant will identify and work on a project which documents an innovation or process improvement that they will work to implement upon their return to their home countries and home institutions.
The program will focus on following key themes:
Business and science leaders must operate at the complex intersection of trends that are disrupting legacy business models and possess a comprehensive understanding of the health care ecosystem. This is critical for their innovations to succeed and to fulfill important previously unmet needs of patients, providers, or payers.
- Experiences of patients and caregivers, and how patient experiences reveal unmet clinical needs and inspire avenues for research discovery
- How doctors think: The culture of medicine and patient-doctor interaction
- Changing makeup of care teams and care coordination
- Perspectives from health care in different contexts, from academic medical centers and community to underserved populations
- Pain points and threats to traditional care delivery models
- Population health management to maximize value
- Genetics and precision medicine in clinical practice
Case studies of health care innovation reveal how the broader health care ecosystem plays a critical role in the sustainable adoption of innovations. Whether one works in care delivery, biotech, pharma, medical devices, or health care IT, innovators need to account for the needs and perspectives of patients, care teams, enterprise purchasers, and payers to make new products successful.
- A framework for systematic innovation, from ideation to implementation
- Understanding stakeholder perspectives across the health care ecosystem to optimize your chances of success
- How to maintain a focus on patient-centricity that is integral to strategy and innovation
- How to understand and leverage behavioral economics to effect change
- How hospital and system leaders set priorities, navigate industry transformation, and support innovation
Digital transformation lags in health care compared to other industries such as consumer retail, travel, and banking. Nevertheless, digital tools hold great potential for health care, as AI and other technologies are applied to patient experience, disease diagnosis and management, care delivery, and the development of new therapeutics. HMS researchers and clinicians are at the forefront of applying these technologies and understanding both where opportunity lies and where the hardest problems remain.
- A framework for digital transformation – why some transformations succeed while others fail, and how leadership contributes to successful transformation
- Digital apps, wearables, and telehealth: use cases for how digital tools can improve patient access, provide algorithmic disease management, improve adherence, and facilitate smooth transitions of care
- Case vignettes from different countries on digital health initiatives and lessons learned
As health care costs strain budgets, new approaches to pricing and reimbursement for care delivery and therapies have profound implications. Health care delivery is also struggling with longstanding issues like unequal access, administrative burden, and workforce burnout.
- A framework to understand similarities and differences across health systems in different countries
- The current and future state of reimbursement: implications for patients, providers, and payers
- New approaches to developing a value argument for health care innovations, and navigating access and reimbursement
- Outcome and treatment disparities: challenges in caring for diverse patient populations
Innovation is increasingly becoming a multidisciplinary enterprise, whether in transnational companies or local start-ups, and across the many sectors of the health care ecosystem. Leaders must navigate the complexities presented by competing priorities and internal cultures in pursuit of excellence in innovation.
- Leading change management initiatives
- Understanding different modes of leadership that balance organizational learning, exploration, and execution
- Attracting, retaining, and empowering talent
- Managing multi-disciplinary teams across functional silos
The program will be led by the Harvard Medical School faculty who are leaders and distinguished innovators in their fields. Through their research and clinical practice, they possess broad expertise and cutting-edge knowledge.
Detailed list of faculty is mentioned in the program brochure. Please download the brochure to know more about the GHLP faculty.
*Program faculty is subject to change.
The Global Health Care Leaders Program (GHLP) follows a rolling admissions (first come, first serve) process. Participant applications are evaluated as soon as they are received. The step-by-step process is outlined below.
* tuition fee assistance is available to all applicants who submit their application before
Application Requirements
Applicants for the program are required to have:
- A resume in Word or PDF format
- Two professional references to discuss your candidacy in detail
The Program fee for GHLP is USD 33,000 inclusive of all taxes. It covers teaching fees, all academic materials, lunches, and select dinners. The fee does not include transport expenses (domestic and international), any associated visa fees etc. and accommodation for modules and/or workshops.
Upon completion of the program, you will receive the Global Health Care Leaders Program Certificate from Harvard Medical School Executive Education.
tuition fee assistance is available to all applicants who submit their application before
Program starts in September 2025
The Global Health Care Leaders Program is a multi-modular program delivered by Harvard Medical School Executive Education and is globally marketed by Northwest Executive Education.