MaineHealth Regional CMO for the Western Region Matt Dunn, DO, shares how Memorial Hospital dramatically increased access to primary care over the last several years, improving both patient and provider satisfaction in the process.

Recent news coverage has revealed abuses of the Medicare Advantage program and caused some providers to express concerns about participating in it. In this extended episode, LincolnHealth's Tim Goltz, MD, joins us to discuss the ethics of the ACO's and MaineHealth's approach to the program and the sometimes difficult path toward realizing the promise of value-based care.

The ACO's Laura Larssen joins Heather and Mike to discuss measures that have just been added to the MHACO Quality Heat Map, including a first-ever health disparity measure.

MaineHealth ACO President Jennifer Moore shares the latest quality and financial results from the ACO's participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Plus, the MaineHealth Medical Group's new chief wellness officer, Christine Hein, MD, on current and future efforts to address provider wellness and burnout.

MHACO Chief Medical Officer Rob Chamberlin, MD, announces the innovation projects that the ACO is funding this year through a special allocation of shared savings. Also, we meet Heather Ward, MD, BACON's new co-host!

Marin Johnson, Dr. Katie Sharp and Dr. Renee Wolf join us to discuss the role community health workers are playing in preventive medicine. Also, co-host Julie Grosvenor, MD, reflects on the role of the ACO and the podcast as she prepares to leave the show.

Rob Chamberlin, MD, the CMO of the MaineHealth ACO, introduces new tools available to MaineHealth providers and practices to help plan and complete Medicare annual wellness visits. Plus, Carrie Gordon, MD, updates us on the Let's Go childhood obesity prevention program.

As the ACO prepares to enter into two-sided risk contracts with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, we bring you two relevant interviews from previous episodes. The first features the ACO's Lauren Purcell on the intricacies of MA plan star ratings; the second features Brett Loffredo, MD on improving the precision of clinical documentation.

MMP's Caitlin Costigan on using annual synchronized prescribing to improve med adherence; Plus, tips on caring for transgender youth and LGBTQ+ patients.

MaineHealth ACO President Jen Moore provides highlights from the organization's recently released annual report, showing strong performance in 2021. Plus, Carol Zechman, Kimberly Beaudoin and Kate Herrick join Julie and Mike to celebrate 20 years of MaineHealth Access to Care's service to Maine's most vulnerable populations.