John Kenagy

Dr. John W. Kenagy has transitioned from a vascular surgeon to a leader in healthcare innovation, focusing on adaptive design to improve patient care and organizational efficiency. After completing his Surgery Residency at the University of Washington from 1971 to 1976, Dr.

Kenagy earned both an MPA and ScD, subsequently becoming a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School. Dr. Kenagy’s academic and professional endeavors have centered on ‘Adaptive Design’ in healthcare, a methodology aimed at improving care quality while simultaneously reducing costs. This approach culminated in his highly acclaimed book, Designed to Adapt: Leading Healthcare in Challenging Times, which was named Book of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Concurrently, Dr. Kenagy served as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Information Security Officer (SVP/CIO & CISO) at Legacy Health, bringing his two decades of surgical practice experience to this critical leadership role. A prolific author, Dr. Kenagy has published numerous impactful works on healthcare innovation, including ‘Value-based partnering in health care,’ ‘Disruptive innovation: a new diagnosis for health care’s financial flu,’ ‘Time to roll out ‘disruptive innovation’,’ ‘Will disruptive innovations cure health care,’ and ‘Service Quality in Health Care.’ Through Kenagy & Associates, he provides specialized learning experiences and consultation to healthcare organizations globally, championing his Adaptive Design methodology.

His consulting work focuses on empowering clinical teams, fostering continuous frontline innovation to improve profitability, and ensuring high standards of patient safety and quality. Dr. Kenagy’s pioneering work has garnered significant industry recognition, with figures such as innovation expert Clayton Christensen commending his Adaptive Design approach for its transformative potential in significantly enhancing patient care and operational efficiency within complex healthcare systems.