In the final installment of this three-part series, Shaun Romero joins Dr. Winsor to tackle one of the thorniest problems in value-based care: delayed, disconnected data. They explore how FQHCs and ACOs can work together to reduce data latency, improve patient communication, and automate clinical insights. From forecasting trends to texting patients, Shaun offers pragmatic solutions for transforming operational chaos into coordinated care, one dashboard at a time. 

What if every patient received value-based care, regardless of their insurance plan? Shaun Romero returns to The Exam Room to unpack the cultural and operational shift needed to make this possible. From challenging the fee-for-service “chassis” to reducing clinician burnout, Shaun and Dr. Winsor explore how standardizing care workflows can improve quality, rebuild trust, and reduce friction for overburdened providers. They discuss the human cost of fragmented care, the importance of relational trust, and the vital role of ACOs in supporting health centers with social determinants of health. 

In this episode of The Exam Room, Dr. Rhiannon Winsor sits down with Shaun Romero, co-CEO of Medwest LLC, to explore how frontline innovation and simplified workflows are helping providers thrive in value-based care models. Shaun shares his personal journey, sparked by his wife's experience as a primary care physician, and explains how Medwest is transforming clinical data into actionable insight. Together, they discuss the challenges FQHCs face with data fragmentation, EHR complexity, and reimbursement models, and how automation and ownership of data can bridge the gap between provider intention and patient impact.

In this episode with Claudia Cometa, she and Dr. Rhiannon Winsor explore the emotional and psychological side of healthcare communication, focusing on illness identity, grey space, and how language can either empower or disempower. Claudia shares how to reframe chronic illness, promote patient resilience, and build trust using trauma-informed communication strategies. Ideal for clinicians, health center teams, and anyone working in value-based primary care, this conversation is a guide to healing beyond prescriptions.

Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-cometa-pharmd/

Linked to Avanti Health Consultants: https://www.consultavanti.com/

Buy her book, "Patient, Empower Thyself": https://www.amazon.com/Patient-Empower-Thyself-Claudia-Cometa/dp/1954676891/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8DTPOXIDKY5W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c6i9pJgO5xDqiF95Bmk5va0ElHRVYlMlsyS95bx1wXmIWWp1WcpGjOfvG6pP8K-D1w5pSLTJ1bY5Peil941ftNCtoB6oD_Bg6K-GRhzBWrI.EU8riR0S-uvFLnM4HPuf_yheVLlUl-VhYHNUbi9iqPc&dib_tag=se&keywords=patient+empower+thyself&qid=1753309900&sprefix=patient+empowe%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

This episode of The Exam Room focuses on improving the patient experience through simple but powerful changes rooted in customer service and trust-building. Claudia Cometa shares how “unreasonable hospitality” can be a model for transforming care delivery—from warm welcomes to culturally competent staff to designing trauma-informed waiting rooms. We also explore how these changes directly support equity, access, and value-based care delivery.

Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-cometa-pharmd/

Avanti https://www.consultavanti.com/

Claudia Cometa - https://claudiacometa.com/

Buy her book, "Patient, Empower Thyself": https://www.amazon.com/Patient-Empower-Thyself-Claudia-Cometa/dp/1954676891/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8DTPOXIDKY5W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c6i9pJgO5xDqiF95Bmk5va0ElHRVYlMlsyS95bx1wXmIWWp1WcpGjOfvG6pP8K-D1w5pSLTJ1bY5Peil941ftNCtoB6oD_Bg6K-GRhzBWrI.EU8riR0S-uvFLnM4HPuf_yheVLlUl-VhYHNUbi9iqPc&dib_tag=se&keywords=patient+empower+thyself&qid=1753309900&sprefix=patient+empowe%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

In this episode, we go inside the broken healthcare system with Claudia Cometa, founder of Avanti Health Consultants. Claudia shares her journey from clinical pharmacist to full-time patient advocate, highlighting what clinicians often don’t realize about patient trauma, medical gaslighting, and communication breakdowns. We discuss how empathy, trust, and shared decision-making can bridge the gap and improve outcomes across value-based and primary care models.

Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-cometa-pharmd/

Avanti https://www.consultavanti.com/

Claudia Cometa - https://claudiacometa.com/

Buy her book, "Patient, Empower Thyself": https://www.amazon.com/Patient-Empower-Thyself-Claudia-Cometa/dp/1954676891/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8DTPOXIDKY5W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c6i9pJgO5xDqiF95Bmk5va0ElHRVYlMlsyS95bx1wXmIWWp1WcpGjOfvG6pP8K-D1w5pSLTJ1bY5Peil941ftNCtoB6oD_Bg6K-GRhzBWrI.EU8riR0S-uvFLnM4HPuf_yheVLlUl-VhYHNUbi9iqPc&dib_tag=se&keywords=patient+empower+thyself&qid=1753309900&sprefix=patient+empowe%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

Dr. Rhiannon Winsor in this impactful episode as she speaks with Altaf Ibrahim, Director of Quality at Sunset Health, about their remarkable success with breast cancer screenings. Learn how Sunset Health has overcome barriers like patient education, resource limitations, and cultural hesitancy to achieve outstanding performance metrics. Altaf shares actionable strategies, emphasizing empathy, community bonds, and personalized patient engagement. If you're looking for effective ways to boost preventive health outcomes, this episode provides invaluable insights and practical tips. 

In this inspiring episode of "The Exam Room," join Dr. Rhiannon Winsor as she talks with Altaf Ibrahim, Director of Quality at Sunset Health in Yuma, Arizona. Altaf shares his remarkable journey from a plastic surgeon in Pakistan to a passionate advocate for preventive healthcare in the United States. Discover how his personal and professional experiences shaped his dedication to chronic disease management and preventive care, and hear powerful insights into overcoming healthcare disparities. This episode emphasizes the essential role of empathy, trust, and cultural understanding in achieving successful health outcomes.

Do CAHPS scores actually affect your bottom line? In a word: yes.

In this final episode of The Exam Room’s CAHPS series, Dr. Rhiannon Winsor sits down with Kimberly Gonzalez and Sam Reinhard to connect the dots between patient perception, shared savings, and value-based care. They explore:

• How CAHPS scores contribute to MSSP and other incentive programs
• Why low-scoring domains often predict high-cost utilization
• What health center leaders risk by ignoring patient experience
• Simple, high-impact actions that improve both scores and care quality

Packed with practical insights and strategic takeaways, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating value-based care in FQHCs or beyond.

In this urgent special episode of The Exam Room, Dr. Rhiannon Winsor and Producer Benj Braman sit down with Jessica Yanow, President and CEO of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, to talk about the very real and imminent threats to Medicaid in Arizona. With proposed legislation under review, health centers are bracing for a spike in uninsured patients, reduced funding, and operational strain.

Jessica shares how health centers are responding through scenario planning, innovation, and collaboration, and why trust, adaptability, and communication are more critical than ever. You’ll also hear how advocacy, internal culture, and technology like AI are shaping the way forward.

This episode is a must-listen for health center leaders, care teams, and anyone concerned about the future of healthcare access in our communities.

For more information, please visit https://aachc.org/ or contact Jessica Yanow at [email protected]