Introducing Dr. Seth Glickman

Seth, who will be a regular contributor to HEALTH CARE un-covered, brings a wealth of experience to this fight.

Let me introduce you to someone who shares my passion for reforming our broken health care system, Dr. Seth Glickman. Seth is driven by a vision that is as bold as it is necessary: to deliver timely, equitable, and affordable care. But he knows—and I agree—that this can only happen if we take an unflinching look at what is broken, move beyond lip service, and muster the moral courage to create accountability and action for real, lasting change.

Seth, who will be a regular contributor to HEALTH CARE un-covered, brings a wealth of experience to this fight. He’s worked as a clinician, a researcher, and a senior physician executive in both provider and payer organizations. He has served as chief medical officer and senior vice president of Blue Shield of California; president and chief medical officer of Intermountain Healthcare; president and executive medical director of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Alliance; and in numerous other executive and academic positions. 

He’s also a serial entrepreneur who understands the challenges from every angle. His journey into medicine was catalyzed by his father, a respected veterinarian and public health researcher, whose love for science and deep commitment to improving health sparked Seth's own sense of purpose.

Seth’s focus on equity and justice in health care took shape during his time in clinical training in emergency medicine on the South Side of Chicago and through fellowships at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy of Medicine. He’s also been deeply influenced by trailblazers like Sidney Wolfe, co-founder of Public Citizen, who used research-based advocacy to take on powerful special interests and protect the public from dangerous drugs and medical devices.

But despite his successes, Seth, like me, has become increasingly disillusioned with the moral decay in our health care system. Patients and clinicians are now reduced to mere cogs in a machine controlled by corporate greed, special interest groups, institutional investors, and executives who prioritize profits over people. The result? An outrageously expensive and wasteful system marked by shameful inequity, poor access, and a disturbing lack of empathy for patients and clinicians alike. And for all the talk and investment in fixing it, the results remain woefully inadequate.

It’s this stark reality that fuels Seth’s passion for the next chapter of his career—driving real change through cutting-edge advocacy, research, and policy. As Sydney Wolfe wisely said, “sunlight is the best disinfectant,” and Seth is committed to shining a light on the forces that have corroded our system and developing common-sense solutions that deliver real results for patients and clinicians.

He’s also channeling his extensive experience into advising, consulting, and executive coaching, working with forward-thinking companies and clinical leaders to help them lead with authenticity and achieve both maximum impact and personal fulfillment.

Seth Glickman is someone you’ll want to watch—his resolve and expertise are exactly what our health care system needs right now. Meet Seth!