Category Archives: Uncategorized
Episode 9: Clinical Leader Profile – Ballad Health is off to a strong start with PICC line reductions
In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with members of Ballad Health's Smarter Care leadership team about their great success so far in reducing PICC line insertion for late stage CKD patients.
Continue readingEpisode 6: Clinical Leader Profile – Digging into the data with Sentara Quality Care Network
Summary: This is the first episode in a series of profiles featuring our Smarter Care Virginia clinical leaders. In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with Dr. Moss Mendelson (Sentara Quality Care Network) and Kyle Russell (Virginia Health Information). Dr. Mendelson and Kyle share how […]
Continue readingEpisode 5: Health plan actions to address low-value care
In this episode VCHI President & CEO, Beth Bortz talks with her fellow National Task Force on Low-Value Care member, Dr. John Keats. Dr. Keats and Beth discuss the role health plans can play in reducing low-value care. Dr. Keats shares how Cigna has led in this work through a number of initiatives, including policy changes around Vitamin D screening.
Continue readingEpisode 4: How the Commonwealth is prioritizing the reduction of low-value care
Summary: In this episode, VCHI’s President & CEO Beth Bortz chats with Secretary Daniel Carey, MD about how the commonwealth is prioritizing the reduction of low-value health services. Secretary Carey is currently a Vice Chair of VCHI’s board and is co-chair of the Smarter Care Virginia Employer Task Force. Our Guest: Secretary Daniel Carey, MD […]
Continue readingGovernor’s Task Force on Primary Care Takes Quick Action to Aid Virginia’s Primary Care Clinicians
One of the first needs the group identified was access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for primary care clinicians. Shortages of PPE, especially N95 masks, have been widely publicized. Unlike hospitals with established supply chains, primary care practices have struggled to identify vetted vendors and meet significant minimum order requirements. Primary care clinicians are the front line – often doing a significant amount of COVID testing - so access to PPE is critical.
Continue readingEpisode 2: Influencing clinicians to change their behavior around low-value health services
Summary: In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia lead evaluator, Dr. John Mafi speaks with SCV faculty member, Dr. Howard Beckman about the best communication strategies to utilize in order to influence clinicians to change their behavior around low-value health services. Our Guests: John N. Mafi, MD, MPH is an assistant professor of medicine in the […]
Continue readingVCHI Announces Partnership with Governor Northam to Establish Task Force on Primary Care
Today in his press briefing, Governor Ralph Northam announced the creation of a task force on primary care in partnership with the Virginia Center for Health Innovation (VCHI) and Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey. The Governor’s Task Force on Primary Care comes as primary care physicians report that the COVID pandemic has caused financial stress and layoffs in their practices.
Continue readingNew partnership to advance primary care Measures That Matter
Today, the Virginia Center for Health Innovation (VCHI) announced the creation of a new partnership with the Center for Professionalism and Value in Health Care and the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation to develop, test and advance primary care “Measures That Matter” in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Continue readingHealth care teams turn on a dime to change care delivery and serve patients
Primary care teams across Virginia quickly adapt their workflows to keep patients safe.
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