Virginia Health Innovation Network – Virginia Center for Health Innovation

Applying for the Accountable Health Communities Opportunity

If your organization is interested in applying for the Accountable Health Communities grant, your initial Letter of Intent is due to CMS on February 8th. This grant application requires both active participation from the state Medicaid agency, Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), and a contract between the applicant and DMAS. DMAS is supportive of this […]

A review of other SIM states: Part I

by Daniel Greenberg, Innovation FellowThe 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 five […]

Innovator Interview: Karen Rheuban, MD

Innovator: Karen Rheuban, MDPosition: Director, University of Virginia Center for TelehealthVHIN: What progress has been made in the Commonwealth of Virginia to connect persons with chronic conditions to remote monitoring? How will Virginia’s SIM grant further this progress? KR: The Commonwealth, through the work of our medical schools, healthcare systems, FQHCs and the Virginia Department […]

Innovator Interview: Marissa Levine, MD, MPH

Innovator: Marissa Levine, MD, MPHPosition: Commissioner, Virginia Department of HealthVHIN: Your one-year anniversary as Virginia State Health Commissioner is approaching, what have been the most exciting and challenging aspects of this appointment?ML: Responding to a new threat to the US and Virginia, Ebola, was a significant challenge. Ebola forced us to re-evaluate our prior 13 years […]

Innovator Interview: Richard Szucs, MD

Innovator: Richard Szucs, MDPosition: Chairman, Honoring Choices® VirginiaVHIN: How do you define advance care planning?RS: Advance care planning is the process whereby an individual plans ahead for how decisions regarding their health care will be made if they are unable to make those decisions for themselves. It is more than simply filling out a document. […]

Taking a Long View on Virginia’s Health

by Christopher J. Mullins, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-AtlanticThe 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 this annual report […]

Innovator Interview: Charles “Bud” Conklin, D.D.S.

Innovator: Charles "Bud" Conklin, DDSPositions: Chief, Dentistry, Carilion Clinic | Associate Professor and Thread Director, Virginia Tech-Carilion School of MedicineVHIN: Carilion is one of the first medical schools in the nation to include a case-based oral health curriculum component in its medical school. What was the impetus for the focus on oral health? CC: Most […]

Innovator Interview: William Lee, DPh, MPA, FASCP

Innovator: William Lee, DPh, MPA, FASCPPosition: Pharmacy System Director, Carilion Medical CenterVHIN: Tell us about your work under the Healthcare Innovation Award to train pharmacists in patient education and medication management.BL: Carilion New River Valley Medical Center was the recipient of a $4.2 million dollar CMS Innovation award to demonstrate how pharmacist can Improve the […]

Innovator Interview: Jennifer Palazzolo, MPH

Innovator Name: Jennifer Palazzolo, MPHPosition: APCD Program Manager, Virginia Health InformationVHIN: What is the All Payer Claims Database (APCD)? JP: The APCD combines paid medical and pharmacy claims from commercial and public payers such as Medicaid and, in the future, Medicare. What’s exciting is that the APCD provides a system-wide view of health care that […]

Innovator Interview: Katherine Neuhausen, MD, MPH

Innovator: Katherine Neuhausen, MD, MPHPosition: Director of Delivery System Transformation, Office of Health Innovation, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVHIN: How do you define population health management?I view population health management as having two major components:Data-driven development and implementation of interventions to address the needs of subgroups of a population (such as individuals with chronic disease or at […]