Population Health Management and Disruptive Innovation discussed at 2018 ACHE/CHEF IHA Leadership Summit Sessions
By Laura Grochowski, Manager, Contract Auditing, Boncura Health Solutions and a member of the CHEF Chapter Communications Committee
“We have to ask the question of who’s not thriving in our community and what can we do as an institution… What’s the root cause of the gaps we’re seeing and how are we contributing?” challenged Dr. David Ansell during the first of two ACHE/CHEF Face to Face Education Programs held at the IHA Leadership Summit on September 25th. Dr. Matthew Davis, MD, MAPP added, “Disparities cost lives,” calling out specific disparities such as income, housing, access to healthcare and access to mental healthcare during the Population Health Management: Justice, Access and Implications session.
Panelists agreed on the importance of community engagement, partnerships, resource allocation and data driven evidence based action in addressing these questions. Monica Garcia-Norlander shared the need to “put resources behind actions” to bridge the gaps to achieving health metrics while Dr. Davis added that organizations should identify and pursue short term goals, measuring not just the successes but also the failures. Summarizing the session, Dr. Sameer Vohra urged health organizations to be bold to act with the right partners, use data to guide action and make equity an organizational strategy.
This program was moderated by Dr. Sameer Vohra, Executive Director, Office of Populations Science and Policy, SIU School of Medicine, and included panelists David Ansell, MD, Internal Medicine Physician/Senior VP, Community Health Equity, Rush University Medical Center; Monica Garcia-Norlander, Center Director, Center of Health Equity Research Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Head, Academic General Pediatrics and Primary Care; Director, Smith Child Health Research Institute; Associate Chief Research Officer for Health Services and Policy Research, Stanley Manne Research Institute; A Todd Davis, MD Professor in General Academic Pediatrics; Mary Ann and J. Milburn Smith Research Professor for the Director of Child Health Research; Professor of Pediatrics-Academic General Pediatrics and Primary Care, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare Delivery was the topic of the second session where Betsy Owens described disruptive innovation as solving a problem that is fundamental to our field and creates a sense of urgency. One of the challenges to being disruptive, she added, is having relevance in patient care when 86% of research never makes it the bedside and how important it is to have full integration of researchers and clinicians. Dr. Thomas Cornwell echoed this stating the importance of having administration and clinical leadership coming together and knowing your customer. “How (one) defines value, quality, cost, risk and satisfaction depends on who we are asking the question to,” Dr. Andrew C. Bland added.
The panelists expressed several challenges in adopting disruptive innovation including Scott Filer who expressed concern regarding innovation becoming a word rather than an action. Becky Owen’s added, “The challenge is to get a bubbling idea to become an idea in motion.” Keeping positive momentum, limiting distractions, and being mindful of what a truly integrated care system should look like were additional challenges mentioned during the session. As Scott Filer stated, it’s at the ‘edge effect’ is where disruptive innovations occurs.
This program was moderated by Scott Filer, MPH, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Force Diagnostics, and included panelists Andrew C. Bland, MD, MBA, FAAP, FACP, Medical Director, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission; Thomas Cornwell, MD, CEO, Home Centered Care Institute/Founder, Home Care Physicians, Northwestern Medicine; and Betsy Owens, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.