Altru Health System’s Post

Feeling invigorated by my fellow panelists and conference members at the Reimagining Primary Care Forum yesterday! I feel like one of the hardest parts of primary care is the sudden feeling sometimes that you are so alone - that the full weight of a person’s life rests entirely on you, and that if not you, who will? (Who else will advocate for your patient to get their neurology appointment sooner than 15 months out, or wrangle with insurance to get their blood thinner approved, or push for urgent respite housing for your cancer patient about to be evicted?) Yesterday was a deeply encouraging reminder that we are not alone in primary care - that there are so many thoughtful, insightful, and committed primary care clinicians and advocates actively working across the country to make primary care better for all - and also that the process of making primary care better for all needs to create truly integrated teams and communities Themes that resonated with me from the day: - how do we create true primary care teams that do not simply revolve around and depend on the PCP but horizontally empower other team members like pharmacists to maximize their potential? - how do we balance the desire of PCPs to maintain relationships with patients (including via more straightforward visits) while triaging visits/encounters to other team members (eg APPs) to comanage and lessen the work burden? Themes that resonated with me from our panel: - there is much more opportunity for value-based care to improve payment and structuring for primary care - but VBC alone is not sufficient to fix the deep seated ills of primary care (or our health system). (And I would argue VBC will never work to advance equity without an honest conversation about what we truly value in health care and define as health care - including addressing SDOH) - The role of policy makers is key - and as we go into an election year, it’s an opportunity to ask our leaders and politicians how they will concretely support our country’s primary care needs - primary care transformation needs to happen in the context of communities and health ecosystems. The struggles that patients bring to us in primary care are symptoms of societal ills and inequities - and we can’t solve it all in the health care sector alone (Shoutout to fellow panelists David B. Duong, MD, MPH Aaron Hoffman, DO, MPH Erika Pabo, MD, MBA Gary Price and facilitator Joel Brill!) #reimaginingprimarycare #primarycare #valuebasedcare #sdoh #healthequity

#HealthEquity means making the hospital work for everyone, and that is one of the most crucial aspects to running a successful hospital system today. As such, it is important that everyone in the C-Suite continues to work with the goal of health equity in mind.

A very useful addition to the thinking on evaluation of impact of virtual wards by Melissa Co at The Health Foundation which concludes - “The question of whether virtual wards ‘work’ 'is complex but also part of a bigger picture. An ageing population in England with higher rates of multiple chronic diseases and the shift towards net zero care in the face of climate change mean the NHS needs to radically shift towards more proactive, community-based care. Virtual wards are likely to be a part of this future. Instead of simply asking whether virtual wards work, we may need to ask what needs to happen to ensure they do.” Thanks Paul Chappell for sharing. #VirtualWards #HospitalAtHome #RemoteMonitoring Digital Care

Through the development of a palliative virtual ward we have seen the positive difference for patients, and those important to them, living with a palliative diagnosis. A system approach to the success of virtual wards as an alternative and integrated part of a patients journey is key. #integratedcare #systemworking #virtualward #personalisedpatientcare

The future of health care lies in embracing innovative approaches and adapting to meet the evolving needs of patients. As patient needs evolve, health care organizations must adapt and change existing models of care. As featured in the Boston Business Journal, “nationally, nearly 96% of patients reported being ‘satisfied or very satisfied’ when using home hospital, according to the study from DispatchHealth, Medical Mutual and Conduit Health Partners.” Patients benefit from personalized care in their own environments, while health care organizations can achieve cost savings and better manage capacity. I encourage you to read this article to learn more on how health systems are turning to partnerships for Hospital at Home: https://lnkd.in/giBU3fbt #HospitalAtHome #HealthcareInnovation #PatientCare #HealthcareIndustry

Let's talk about this for a second because this.. THIS is important! ⚖MedStar Washington Hospital Center Named the Most Socially and Racially Responsible Hospital in the District!⚖ The 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index evaluated more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center ranked #1 in D.C. and is one of only 54 U.S. hospitals to earn Honor Roll status with “A” grades in all top categories: Social Responsibility, Health Equity, Value of Care, and Patient Outcomes — key performance metrics that contribute to the overall rating. It also named MedStar Washington the most racially inclusive hospital in the District. Read more at https://lnkd.in/ga4HXzJK #MedStarHealthProud 

This is an insightful article on the challenges for rural hospitals. We have to protect access to healthcare in these areas and reverse the trends that are driving closures. #ruralhealth #accesstocare https://lnkd.in/gzVCVrnM

Thanks, Laura (Miller) Dyrda Becker's Healthcare The Mortal Threat to America's Heartbeat - The Imperiled State of Rural Hospitals: The very essence of our healthcare infrastructure is at a crossroads, with rural hospitals — once the stalwart of health accessibility — teetering on the brink of a mass extinction event. As the rust belts and harvest prairies that cradle these institutions grapple with economic adversity, the healthcare landscape is being irrevocably reshaped. Chartis, in a recent somber foretelling, identified 418 rural hospitals staring into the abyss of potential closure. Like a red siren in a storm, these findings warn of an impending crisis that could plunge vast swathes of our heartland into healthcare deserts. We delve into the labyrinthine factors contributing to this ominous prophecy, probing the statistical significance, the underlying shifts, and the dire implications for the lives and livelihoods they serve. The Call to Action: Rekindling Hope: It is a clarion call for stakeholders, from policymakers to philanthropists, from technocrats to tenured doctors, to converge in a unified resolve. We must strive not just to prevent the closure of these essential establishments, but to invigorate them with a renewed sense of purpose and sustainability. The legislature must be anathematic to closures and instead be the tinder that ignites innovation and investment in rural care. The medical community, bound not just by an oath but by a sense of duty, must rally towards telemedicine, community healthcare initiatives, and educational imperatives that embolden both patients and providers. The challenge is formidable, but so is the resilience imprinted upon the American spirit. In the tale charting the redressing of rural healthcare, we should find narratives of collaboration, compassion, and inventive problem-solving. Each statistic that hints at a hospital's vulnerability should redouble our efforts to defy predictions and craft a narrative of survival and service. The renaissance of America's rural healthcare is not a contingent or casual ambition but the very barometer of our nation's medical tenacity and moral fabric. As we stand on the edge of this fateful precipice, we must choose not to step back in fear but forward in faith, forging a future where healthcare resonates in the silence of once-mighty pillars of wellness. Our next chapter awaits, unwritten and untold, animated by the actions we take today to defend and restore the heartbeat of rural America. It is not a story for just one community but for the collective consciousness of a nation that cherishes not just life but the quality of living, rural and resolute.

Interesting article Alex Kacik that's having a big impact on the M&A market and our level of activity Juniper Advisory.

Hospital at home helps increase access to healthcare in rural areas offering high-quality care at the patient's residence. Learn how the concept is gaining traction in this blog post. https://lnkd.in/gGiPfAQQ