Biography

With over 30 years’ experience, Joe Flower has emerged as a premier observer and thought leader on the deep forces changing healthcare in the United States and around the world. As a healthcare speaker, writer, and consultant, he has explored the future of healthcare with clients ranging from the World Health Organization, the Global Business Network, and the U.K. National Health Service, to the majority of state hospital associations in the U.S. , as well as many of the provincial associations and ministries in Canada, and an extraordinary variety of other players across healthcare – professional associations, pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, health plans, physician groups, and numerous hospitals. He has been a consultant on change and the future with the U.S. Department of Defense, Airbus and ArianeSpace, and a number of governments in China.

Flower is the author of hundreds of healthcare articles. For over 20 years he was a contributing editor and regular columnist at the Healthcare Forum Journal. When the Healthcare Forum became the Health Forum of the American Hospital Association, he went on to a regular column in the AHA’s Hospitals and Health Networks Daily. He is member of the AHA’s Health Forum’s speaking faculty, and serves on the board of the Center for Health Design.

Flower was a contributing writer for Wired Magazine in its explosive early years, and a columnist for the pioneering health websites DNA.com and HealthCentral.com.

After an MA from San Francisco State University and postgraduate work at UC Berkeley, his further deep research into the nature of change in organizations and people led to interviews with the top thinkers on organizational change, from Peter Drucker to Peter Senge and Ari de Geus. He went deeper, into the study of chaos theory, Eastern thought, and martial arts, eventually earning a black belt in Ueshiba Aikido.

Flower was a founding member of the International Health Futures Network and the principal author of the landmark healthcare forecast, “Technological Advances and the Next 50 Years of Cardiology,” Journal of the American College of Cardiology (vol. 35, no. 4, 2000).

His other writings include:

  • China’s Futures, Global Business Network 2000 (co-author)
  • The 21st Century Healthcare Leader, Jossey-Bass 1999 (co-author)
  • Japan’s Futures, Global Business Network 1998 (Executive Editor)
  • Leading Change: A Key Challenge for Board-Management Teams, The Governance Institute, 1998
  • The Encyclopedia of the Future, MacMillan, 1996 (co-author)
  • Best Practices in Collaboration to Improve Health: Creating Community Jazz, (principal co-author), The Healthcare Forum and the California Wellness Foundation, 1996
  • Prince of the Magic Kingdom: Michael Eisner and the Re-Making of Disney, John Wiley 1991
  • Age Wave, Random House 1989 (co-author)
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Testimonials

A very powerful presentation… A very dynamic speaker with a great deal of information... Certainly had the audience engaged. ... This is really the pathway to the future of medicine.
– Attendees, Community Medical Centers, Fresno, California
Awesome presentation. We rarely get this kind of perspective.
– VP, GE Healthcare
Outstanding job… thought-provoking.
– VP, CIGNA
One of the most rewarding things for a planner of any event is to hear that the speaker you have chosen was absolutely fascinating. Thank you for making that morning so special!
– Peggy Westby, CMP, Director of Educational Services , Minnesota Hospital Association
I've had Joe speak three times for our leadership group of 275 for nine hospitals and his reviews are always excellent. If you're looking for someone who will stimulate, challenge, inspire ... Joe Flower would be the speaker I'd choose.
– Jerry Lewis, Leadership Development, Banner Health-Colorado Region
I found your presentation to be truly motivating, with a keen sense of how leaders and organizations need to stay focused on factors that will affect their future outcomes in an ever-changing world.
– Todd McQueston, Intelligent Profit, Malvern, PA
What a great talk. We were so impressed. Your approach was perfect and your grasp of medicine was breathtaking.
– John Sinnott, M.D., Director, Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Tampa General Hospital FL
I was dazzled by your insightful presentation. It must be very interesting living with such a fecund intellect.
– John Hilgenberg, President, The Eager Street Group, Baltimore, MD

Booksby Joe Flower

How to Get What We Pay For

Healthcare Beyond Reform

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Blog Posts

 

Five Essential Traits of an Exceptional Keynote Speaker

🎤✨ Event pros, you know the right keynote speaker can make all the difference. Selecting...

Read More

Mental Health Awareness: The Mark of a Modern Workplace

🌎✨ As we recognize World Mental Health Day, we're shining a spotlight on critical mental...

Read More

What’s Holding You Back from Managing Your Energy Effectively?

Have you ever wanted to get more energy in your day-to-day activities? https://youtu.be/hltabhE0QRM Have you...

Read More

Use Improv as a Mindfulness Practice and Improve your Well-Being

🌟 Mental Fitness Through Improv & Mindfulness 🌟 https://youtu.be/xuAhzUGZ438 Mental fitness is not just about...

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Innovative Event Strategies to Inspire Your Attendees with Courtney Mesmer

https://youtu.be/1erTgGFdyW8 Watch this week’s podcast episode here: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon...

Read More

Valuable Life Lessons from Parenting & Overcoming Failures

Learn valuable life lessons from overcoming failure and parenting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTIi-nhq60&list=PLXTlGHk63lLgbS8LN-PENXDzwMdqWAnOm "Life’s greatest lessons come from...

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