Emerging organically from the visionary leadership at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center and the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), FOH is dedicated to shaping the future of health through shared leadership, collaboration, and transformation across diverse health systems and geographies.
FOH transcends traditional healthcare boundaries, embracing its deliberate choice to focus on “the human element of the future of health, not just the technological aspect.” The emphasis on human-centric leadership and innovation differentiates FOH as a conduit through which transformational ideas flow mutually between community members, their organizations, policymakers, and patients – and vice versa.
The Power of a Purpose-Driven, Global Leadership Network
FOH is a closed, secure forum uniting hospital administrators, health system CEOs, government officials, and policymakers globally. While members span multiple continents, they share common challenges rooted in healthcare delivery and system management. As FOH founding member, Charles Kahn explains, these shared issues and “the purpose of the community is to bring together those people who are at the forefront, at the state-of-the-art, who are innovators. And take all those things that are common across healthcare delivery, regardless of the setting and country, and bring those ideas together because much can be applied globally.”
The COVID-19 pandemic exemplified these collective challenges. Hospitals faced unprecedented disruptions, such as the widespread suspension of elective procedures and critical breakdowns in supply chains. Kahn reflects that “hospitals were confronted with a very unique situation where the lion’s share of their elective activity had to be curtailed… The supply chain had broken down, and that was unique and problematic.” This crisis underscored FOH’s essential role as a platform where health leaders unite to share insights and co-create solutions.
All revenue generated by FOH is donated and reinvested globally to advance its mission of promoting health equity, driving innovation, and cultivating leadership throughout the health sector.
Shared Vision and Collaborative Leadership
Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center and FOH co-founder, describes in a recent interview, the community’s purpose as building a collective vision for the future of health. He states that “FOH is a leadership community—we’re looking for the organizations around the world that are looking to make a difference…to create a joint vision of what the future of health needs to look like.”
With a mix of diverse leaders representing many countries and sectors, FOH is unique in its scope and ambition. Prof. Zimlichman emphasizes, “there’s nothing else like that in the world…The name of the game is leadership and urging each other to create this common vision.”
FOH brings together members through ongoing virtual meetings and an annual in-person summit, focusing on vital themes such as workforce development, artificial intelligence, patient safety, and health equity. These dialogues lead to tangible strategies and publications accessible to organizations worldwide, regardless of income or sector. Prof. Zimlichman underscores their global impact: “We want every organization—private or public, low- or high-income—to use the work that’s coming out of FOH to help shape long-term strategy and concrete steps on how to get there.”
Driving Tangible Impact on Global Health Systems
The Future of Health community goes beyond dialogue, delivering concrete advancements in healthcare transformation globally. By bringing together senior leaders in a secure network, FOH fosters cross-sector partnerships, influences policy, and accelerates the adoption of innovations addressing critical issues like workforce shortages, AI integration, and health equity.
Prof. Zimlichman captures FOH’s mission clearly:
“I think the most significant value is our commitment to always improve the medical care we give our patients. I live by the belief that clinicians ultimately have two goals: one is to treat patients, and the other is to always try and improve the care we give. Advanced and outstanding health systems are those same systems that know how to invest effort into constantly improving.”
This commitment to improvement and change is reflected in FOH’s strategic frameworks, best practices, and initiatives accessible to organizations worldwide, ensuring innovations lead to scalable, impactful solutions that improve health outcomes across diverse contexts.
The Collective Impact: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
At FOH’s core is the conviction that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The community cultivates a secure environment where members exchange knowledge and collaborate on addressing persistent systemic challenges.
Kahn highlights the community’s value in fostering sustained connections: “I would consider it a success if it just continued to exist, because just the communication of people and the linkages that come from getting together have real meaning.” He hopes the community’s ongoing work will spur innovations benefiting healthcare systems globally.
The geographic diversity of FOH’s membership from North America, Europe, to the Middle East, along with its nonprofit structure, enables continuous innovation-sharing that helps improve patient care and health outcomes worldwide.
Looking Ahead: FOH’s Role in a Changing Global Health Landscape
FOH’s leadership is preparing for the future with cognizance of upheavals such as pandemics, technological disruptions, and demographic shifts shaping healthcare needs worldwide. The community’s focus on fostering human-centric leadership and adaptable, innovative systems remains its north star in navigating uncertainty.
Building on the global legacy of clinical excellence and innovation, FOH inspires health leaders everywhere to collaborate courageously, envision boldly, and act decisively, ensuring that healthcare is shaped by leaders equipped to meet its challenges.
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