Megan Slaga, Aledade's Director of Pharmacy, discusses high-value medication initiatives in accountable care organizations with Josh (@DrIsrael) and Joe (@JoeShonkwiler). She explains why Part D (prescription drug spending) isn't considered part of regular Medicare/Medicaid spend in ACOs and shares her insights on finding high-value alternative medications and promoting medication adherence. 

On this week’s podcast, Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Joe (@JoeShonkwiler) sit down with several guests who participated in the National Association of ACOs (NAACOs) conference, which was held in Baltimore from April 24 to 26. Annette DuBard (@AnnetteDuBard), Vice President of Clinical Strategy, recaps the panel she participated in, speaking about quality measures and how they can contribute towards the goals of accountable care. Nick Bartz (@NickBartz), Vice President of Business Intelligence, also served as a panelist and shares his learnings about how ACOs can best leverage data to drive outcomes. Finally, Travis Broome (@Travis_Broome), Vice President of Policy, gives a rundown of the newest primary care payment models that CMMI just announced at the end of April.

At Aledade, Practice Transformation Specialists (PTS) work closely with providers to support them as they transition to value-based care. Heidi Aubertin (@HeidiAubertin), a Senior PTS of the Freedom ACO in Philadelphia, comes to the show to talk to Josh (@DrJIsrael) about what she does on a daily basis to improve the workflow of her practices, encouraging small tweaks that reap large benefits. She shares her thoughts on communicating effectively with practices, building strong relationships, and leading by serving.

Matt Weimer (@mattweimer) is the Vice President of Health Services and Chief Medical Officer at Valley Health Systems, a large federally qualified health center (FQHC) in West Virginia that provides comprehensive care to patients without regard for their ability to pay. Dr. Weimer shares what it means for an FQHC to be part of an ACO, and why being in an ACO has recharged him personally. He has seen Valley Health physicians respond enthusiastically to the idea of providing higher quality care to patients, reducing provider burnout, and creating a more sustainable healthcare system.

As part of National Healthcare Decisions Day, Dr. Tom McCarrick, Chief Medical Officer at the Vanguard Medical Group in New Jersey, sits down with Josh (@DrJIsrael) to discuss advance care planning — an important way to ensure that patient’s wishes are respected when critical healthcare decisions need to be made. From Dr. McCarrick’s experience, Annual Wellness Visits are a great way for primary care providers to start having more of these important conversations with patients. #NHDD #convoproject

Julie Sunderland, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Biomatics Capital and a member of Aledade’s Board of Directors, joins Josh (@DrJIsrael) to discuss her background, what attracted her to invest in this tech-enabled health care company, the role that private equity can play as a force for change, and how she thinks about a company’s culture, people and ideas when considering whether to invest.

Dr. Lelin Chao (@Dr_Lelin) joins the show to talk about the importance of addressing mental health and substance abuse disorders in primary care. Lelin and Josh (@DrJIsrael) discuss the behavioral health integration some innovative approaches to this challenge. Lelin is an Aledade Medical Director and the co-founder of Health Alliance Associates, a housing-first, advanced primary care practice that provides substance use disorder, behavioral health counseling and primary care to patients struggling with medical illness, addiction, and homelessness.

Kim Lynch(@kllynch7), Senior Vice President of Adoption & Practice Success, joins the show to talk about how Aledade continues to reinvent itself and solve new problems. Kim takes us on a deep dive of the Net Promoter Score, and how Aledade strives to provide delight to its partner providers. As one of the first employees of the company, Kim reflects on what it takes to “build the plane while flying it."

A new study published in the American Journal of Managed Care shows that Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) can increase healthcare quality and reduce healthcare costs. Josh (@DrJIsrael) sits down with two of the authors of this paper, Farzad Mostashari (@Farzad_MD) and Jen King, to talk about the challenges and importance of doing studies like these, and how AWVs can be used to build primary care relationships and serve as a key component of ACO strategy.

Catherine Olexa, (@MsOlexa), joins Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Joe (@JoeShonkwiler) for a conversation about the importance of reaching out to patients who are at their most vulnerable during episodes of acute care and as well as those who have just been discharged from the hospital or those nearing the end of life. She shares the journey that led her to Aledade and to value-based care with the primary care physician at the center. Catherine continues to find innovative ways to help doctors care for their sickest patients through better data, better workflows, and better partnerships.