Speaker(s): 

Scott Friedenberg, MD, Staff, Geisinger - has nothing to disclose.

Ami L. DeWaters, MD, MSc, Staff, Penn State Health - has nothing to disclose.  

Duncan Dobbins, PharmD, Staff, Geisinger - has nothing to disclose. 

Learning Objectives: 

At the conclusion of this session, the participant should be able to: 

• Define Health Systems Science (HSS) and explain its relevance to modern healthcare delivery and transformation.
• Describe the relationship between HSS and key healthcare components, including structures, processes, and value-based care.
• Apply systems thinking principles to recognize patterns, relationships, and interdependencies within complex healthcare systems.
• Discuss the potential role of artificial intelligence in supporting empathy, insight generation, and systems improvement efforts.
• Apply foundational thinking principles, including problem framing and empathy-building, to begin cultivating a system-oriented mindset for collaborative innovation

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships with/without Commercial Interests:

The Planning Committee consisting of Nicole Woll, PhD, MEd; Robert Cooney, MD, MSMedEd; Kristi Shirk, BA; Annie Seif, BS; Scott Friedenberg, MD; Daniel Longyhore, PharmD; Karen Tillotson, PA-C and Becky Stoudt, DNP, PhD, CRNA have no identified disclosures. 

Any/All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. 

Content Disclosure: 

This presentation/content is HIPAA compliant. 

Commercial Support for this Session

None

Session Description:  
This first session serves as the foundation for the Health Systems Science Leadership Course, introducing participants to the core concepts of Health Systems Science (HSS), systems thinking, and human-centered design. Throughout the day, learners explore why HSS has emerged as a critical complement to traditional medical education, examine the structures and processes that influence healthcare delivery, and develop a systems perspective for understanding complex challenges. Participants are then introduced to design thinking as a framework for innovation and engage in hands-on empathy-building activities, including journey mapping and storytelling exercises, to better understand the experiences of patients, colleagues, and stakeholders. The session concludes by exploring how artificial intelligence can support empathy and systems improvement while preparing learners for their longitudinal project work, design pod collaborations, and future course activities. 

Session Schedule and Topics: