Category Archives: Guest Post
Hiding in Plain Sight: LBGT Older Adults
by Devin Bowers, Innovation Fellow An estimated 1.6 million to 2.4 million gay (G) men and lesbians (L), aged 65 years and older live in the United States and there will be an estimated 2.88 million to 4.32 million GL older adults by 2030. The number of transgender older adults is approximated at 700,000 and […]
Continue readingA review of other SIM states: Part I
by Daniel Greenberg, Innovation Fellow The Virginia Center for Health Innovation was awarded a State Innovation Models Round Two Design Award in February, a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to “design multi-payer health system transformation models” for a one-year period. VCHI deploys a health innovation plan unlike any other model with […]
Continue readingHeart of Virginia Healthcare
by: Anton Kuzel, MD Last week, the Agency for Health Research and Quality announced the award of seven EvidenceNow: Advancing Heart Health in Primary Care grants to state-level cooperatives aimed at improving the quality of care provided by small to medium practices (ten or fewer clinicians at a given site). I am proud to say […]
Continue readingStudents ‘hack’ innovations in caregiving
by Julia Truelove, Innovation Fellow In the constant conversation about meeting the needs of the aging population, one important issue is often left out of the equation - the physical and mental health of family caregivers. This past weekend, a diverse group of college students from across the Commonwealth gathered to try to address exactly […]
Continue readingDementia, who?
by Devin Bowers, Innovation Fellow It is not often that we hear the question asked “Do you have any concerns about your memory?” in the office of a primary care physician (PCP). Memory loss can be misconstrued by PCPs as a normal part of aging; therefore it is overlooked in the myriad of other chronic […]
Continue readingHelping Value-Based Care Delivery Pay for Itself
by Robert J. Fortini, VP and Chief Clinical Officer, Bon Secours Medical Group Although many commercial health plan payments now focus on value rather than volume, the bulk of physician income is still derived from fee-for-service payments—or, for employed physicians, salary plus production incentives.a Pioneers of value-based payment arrangements must navigate this reality if they […]
Continue readingImproving the Health of Older Adults with Chronic Conditions
by Fran Anderson, Director of The Center For Aging, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia Ms. Rosa has just returned home after her second hospital stay within a month. She is 66 years old and has several chronic conditions with 12 prescribed medications. Ms. Rosa sees two doctors and uses two different pharmacies. Her medications were […]
Continue readingTaking a Long View on Virginia’s Health
Chris Mullins by Christopher J. Mullins, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic The year 1990 marked the release of the very first America’s Health Rankings report – when we first learned where Virginia ranks relative to every other state in overall health and wellness. As UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in the Mid-Atlantic region, I always look forward to […]
Continue readingDeveloping a shared understanding of population health
by Stephen Horan, PhD The term “population health” is creating a lot of buzz, along with some confusion. It is important to understand population health and related concepts in order to anticipate where the health system is going, and envision the kinds of health innovations that are needed. In this article we introduce some basic […]
Continue readingDeciding whether to adopt an innovation
by Stephen Horan, PhD Stephen Horan, PhD Should we adopt the patient centered medical home? Should we adopt employee incentives for wellness? Should we adopt the latest evidence-based guidelines on community cancer screening? Each of these questions involves a decision about whether to adopt an innovation. How we make these decisions can have a profound […]
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