Author, physician-scientist, and public leader who believes that innovation in health can start anywhere.

Public Startup

In Public Startup, physician-scientist Christopher R. Cogle overturns a stubborn assumption that government is incapable of innovation. He shows how Medicaid, often caricatured as bloated and bureaucratic, has quietly become one of the most consequential innovation engines in American business, health, and public policy.

Drawing from patient stories, high-stakes policy battles, and firsthand experience inside the machinery of modern health systems, Public Startup reframes Medicaid not as a fiscal burden, but as a laboratory of reinvention. One that shapes the care of nearly one in five Americans and sets the template for the rest of the system.

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  • “At a moment when trust in public health is under strain, this book is a source of hope."

    - Debra Houry, MD, former Chief Medical Officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • “An important and timely contribution to how we think about public systems, healthcare, and the future of care in America.”

    - Jessica Lee, MD, former Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

  • “An authoritative and passionate ode to Medicaid—scrappy, inventive, and far more effective than its critics claim.”

    - Christopher F. Koller, former President of the Milbank Memorial Fund

  • “A grounded, real-world account of how Medicaid innovation actually happens. Essential reading for anyone serious about improving care at scale.”

    - Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSHS, former Delaware State Health Officer and Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer of Nemours Children's Health System

  • “The clearest explanation of how Medicaid works—and why improving imperfect systems matters more than abandoning them.”

    - Mark L. Rosenberg, MD, MPP, Founding Director, US National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

  • “Chris Cogle shows how Medicaid’s dense rules hide powerful levers for improving health—a compelling argument for turning constraint into innovation.”

    - Jeff Brosco, MD, PhD, former Director within the Health Resources and Services Administration

  • “Most public health leaders underestimate Medicaid’s potential. This book should be required reading for educators and practitioners alike.”

    - Claude Earl Fox, III, MD, MPH, former Alabama State Health Officer and Administrator in HRSA

Dr. Cogle smiling profile image taken by Adrienne Fletcher Photography

Photo Credit: Adrienne Fletcher Photography

Christopher R. Cogle, M.D. is an author, physician-scientist, and public leader. He serves as Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida, Director of the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy, and Chief Medical Officer for Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida Medicaid, where he works at the intersection of science, policy, and large-scale public systems..

His work has been recognized by the National Academy of Medicine, the Milbank Memorial Fund, the American Cancer Society, and Harvard Business School. In his forthcoming book, Public Startup, Dr. Cogle draws on his experiences in medicine and public service to explore how creativity, science, and disciplined leadership can transform even the most complex institutions.

About Dr. Cogle