Janani Rangaswami, MD, FACP, FCRS, FAHA

In 2020, NCQA convened a Diabetes and Heart Failure Roundtable with a diverse panel of experts to confront the persistent challenges of care delivery and to drive improvement in the quality of care for patients affected by type 2 diabetes and heart failure. Findings from the discussion are presented in a white paper, Optimizing Care for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure.

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Dr. Janani Rangaswami, Clinical Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, and Dr. Mary Barton, NCQA’s Vice President of Performance Measurement, chat with NCQA’s Matt Brock about the paper’s findings, barriers to ideal care delivery and strategies for improvement.

Visit NCQA’s website to learn more about Optimizing Care for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure.

Check out the corresponding Inside Healthcare Podcast for a deeper dive into the paper’s findings, barriers to ideal care delivery and strategies for improvement.

Vanessa Guzman of SmartRise Health

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Vanessa Guzman, CEO of SmartRise Health, chats with NCQA’s Matt Brock about aligning quality improvement between payers and providers. Vanessa discusses key components of a quality program for these two groups, and how to prioritize measures when participating in multiple value-based care arrangements.

Vanessa also discusses how payers and providers can engage patients to address gaps in care and how best to integrate social determinants of health as part of a quality program.

Learn more about the NCQA’S Digital Measurement Community here.

This episode of Inside Health Care features a panel discussion about a joint study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by NCQA, Duke University and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Office of Minority Health. Panelists are Matt Maciejewski, PhD, and Clarissa Diamantidis, PhD (Duke); Loida Tamayo (CMS); and Karen Onstad and Matt Brock (NCQA).

CKD is a gradual loss of kidney function that begins with asymptomatic kidney damage and may progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. Rates of diagnosed CKD in Medicare beneficiaries have increased over time; in 2017, 15% of Medicare beneficiaries over 65 had CKD. 37 million adults in the United States have CKD—and 90% of them don’t know they have it.

Although evidence suggests that estimates for the number of people with CKD are low, there is limited information about how many cases go diagnosed and why providers might miss it. The study linked laboratory and claims data to examine CKD recognition and severity (stage) in Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

Click here to learn more about the joint study.

In this episode of “Inside Health Care,” Peggy O’Kane, NCQA President, talks with Frank Micciche, NCQA VP of Public Policy and Communications, about what she learned from 2020, including her rediscovery of the importance of public health and its links with the private sector.

Peggy and Frank also discuss NCQA’s priorities for 2021 and beyond: Digital quality measures, multicultural health care, telehealth and more.

Dr. Douglas Jacobs

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Dr. Douglas Jacobs, Chief Innovation Officer of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, chats with Eric Musser, NCQA Deputy Director of State Affairs about his background, how Pennsylvania responded to COVID-19 and built equity inside the department in response to America’s racial reckoning in 2020.

Dr. Jacobs also talks about incentivizing Medicaid managed care organizations to close disparities, how NCQA’s Distinction in Multicultural Health Care fit into the department’s larger health equity goals and the biases of algorithms in health care.

Vanessa Guzman of SmartRise Health

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Vanessa Guzman, CEO of SmartRise Health, chats with NCQA’s Lawrence Green about accountable care organization (ACO)-payer partnerships, risk value-based payments and improving quality in cost-related metrics. Vanessa discusses ACO and payer priorities, successful ACO-payer models and the role of quality measures in an ideal strategy.

Vanessa also talks about the key elements for building an ACO-payer infrastructure to support quality in value-based arrangements and how data can help build partnerships for closing gaps in care and addressing social determinants of health.

Learn about NCQA’s Digital Quality Community here.

Vanessa Guzman of SmartRise Health

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Vanessa Guzman, CEO of SmartRise Health, chats with Matt Brock, NCQA Director of Communications, about the intersection of gaps in care, population health and quality reporting. Vanessa discusses the role of preventive health, behavioral health and social determinants of health in closing care gaps.

Vanessa also talks about leveraging data to close gaps in care and the role technology and artificial intelligence play in improving population health outcomes.

Learn about NCQA’s Digital Measurement Community and chat with us in the forum here.

Danielle Brooks of AmeriHealth Caritas

In this episode of Inside Health Care, AmeriHealth Caritas’ Danielle Brooks, Director of Health Equity, chats with Dr. Michael Barr, NCQA Executive Vice President, about “The Return on Investment for Health Equity and Quality Improvement,” her presentation at this year’s Digital Quality Summit.

Danielle also discusses the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on communities of color and how this might impact addressing health disparities, measures to take when collecting data to address health equity and the importance of having diverse ethnicities and voices in the room when developing health care products.

Learn more about NCQA’s Digital Quality Community here.

Ashlee Wisdom of Health In Her Hue

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Ashlee Wisdom, CEO and founder of Health In Her Hue, chats with NCQA’s Lawrence Green about the importance of connecting Black women with culturally competent health care providers, telehealth services and health information that centers Black women’s lived experiences. Ashlee addresses how the roots of America’s health care system align against the interests of Black women and how she’s helping to change the narrative around health equities.

Ashlee also discusses how she built Health In Her Hue, user and patient responses to the website and app and the limitations of technology for providing systemic change in health care.

Don’t forget to check out NCQA’s Quality Innovation Series, featuring talks and seminars from health care experts, live and on-demand. And rate Inside Health Care on your podcast streaming platform!

Dr. Adrienne Mims Courtesy of JenCare Senior Medical Center

In this episode of Inside Health Care, Peggy O’Kane, NCQA President, and Dr. Adrienne Mims, former Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Alliant Health Solutions, current health care provider at Jencare Senior Medical Center discuss Dr. Mims’ multifaceted professional background, EHR use, solutions to health disparities and motivating chronically ill patients.

Dr. Mims also addresses how COVID has changed primary care for older patients, the emergence of telehealth and discussing end-of-life issues with patients.

Don’t forget to check out NCQA’s upcoming Quality Innovation Series, which features talks and seminars from health care experts, live and on-demand. And rate Inside Health Care on your podcast streaming platform!