Smarter Care Connections is a podcast produced by the Virginia Center for Health Innovation (VCHI). Smarter Care Connections features conversations with faculty from the Smarter Care Virginia low-value health care reduction initiative, as well as other thought leaders and partners of VCHI. These conversations are intended to be informative and easily digestible by health care professionals and policymakers interested in improving healthcare value.
10th Anniversary Special Series: Aneesh Chopra, Dr. Ibe Mbanu, and Meredith Touchstone
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections is the sixth and final episode in our special series celebrating VCHI’s 10th Anniversary. Our guests this week are a triple threat. That’s right, we have three amazing guests – Aneesh Chopra, Dr. Ibe Mbanu, and Meredith Touchstone. They each bring unique expertise and perspective to our work.
10th Anniversary Special Series: Marcos Dachary and Kyle Russell
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections is the fifth in our special series celebrating VCHI’s 10th Anniversary. Our guests this week are Marcos Dachary and Kyle Russell. Marcos, Kyle and their respective teams provide data and analytics support that fuels much of VCHI’s work. Our Guests: Marcos Dachary Marcos Dachary is a principal and
10th Anniversary Special Series: Dr. Dick Hamrick and Dr. Len Nichols
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections is the fourth in a special series to recognize VCHI’s 10th Anniversary. Our guests this week are Richard M. Hamrick, III, MD, MBA and Len Nichols, PhD. Dr. Hamrick was a founding board member of VCHI and is still very involved in our work and Dr. Nichols is
10th Anniversary Special Series: Dr. Dan Carey and Dr. Mark Fendrick
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections is the third in a special series to recognize VCHI’s 10th Anniversary. Our guests this week are Drs. Dan Carey and Dr. Mark Fendrick, both of whom have a long history working with the VCHI team. Our Guests: Daniel Carey, MD, MCHM Dr. Daniel Carey is currently the
10th Anniversary Special Series: Nancy Agee and Deborah Oswalt
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections is the second in a special series to recognize VCHI’s 10th Anniversary. Our guests this week are Nancy Agee and Debbie Oswalt, two founding board members of VCHI. Our Guests: Nancy Howell Agee Nancy Howell Agee is president/CEO of Carilion Clinic, a $2 billion not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system
10th Anniversary Special Series: Dr. Bill Hazel and Beth Bortz
Summary: This episode of Smarter Care Connections kicks off a special series leading up to the Virginia Center for Health Innovation’s 10th Anniversary celebration in May 2022. For those who are new to us, in January, VCHI officially marked 10 years of improving the value of healthcare in Virginia. This podcast series will feature many
Episode 13: The impact of COVID-19 on low and high value care in Virginia
On this episode of Smarter Care Connections, Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions and member of the Smarter Care Virginia evaluation team is back to interview John Mafi, MD and Michelle Rockwell, PhD on their research on the impact the COVID 19 pandemic had on both low and high value care.
Episode 12: Getting serious about reducing low-value care: Addressing health system culture and cascades
In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia lead evaluator Dr. John Mafi chats with colleague and fellow low-value care crusader, Dr. Ishani Ganguli on her research around low-value care cascades and reducing low-value care at the health system level. The two discuss the importance of clinician feedback; communication strategies to reduce low-value care; how local health system culture can sink low-value care reduction efforts; and the importance of considering the harmful care cascades that can result from even one low-value health service.
Episode 11: Catching up with fellow health value visionary, Nancy Giunto
In this episode, VCHI President & CEO, Beth Bortz talks to Nancy Giunto, executive director of the Washington Health Alliance about the approach they have taken to report on and improve health value in Washington state.
Episode 10: Clinical Leader Profile – Carilion Clinic’s crusade to tackle low-value pre-operative testing
In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with Dr. T.A. Lucktong and Jane Colwell at Carilion Clinic about their approach to reducing low-value pre-0perative testing. They share detailed insights into what has and hasn’t worked for their team.
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.
Episode 8: Clinical Leader Profile – How Virginia Care Partners is delivering value with the right incentives and a data-friendly culture
Summary: In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with Gerard Filicko, . Gerard is the lead for VCP’s Smarter Care Virginia work. Gerard shares how VCP’s culture and ongoing improvement efforts have helped them get off to a good start. Additionally, Steve and Gerard discuss
Episode 7: Clinical Leader Profile – How Inova is using Smarter Care to level up their low-value care reduction initiatives
Summary: In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with Drs. Neeta Goel, Warren Levy, and Tushar Patel with Inova and Signature Partners. Dr. Goel is the lead for their organizations participation in Smarter Care Virginia. She and her colleagues give us a peek into how
Episode 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
Episode 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.
Episode 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
Episode 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
Episode 1: Opportunities to realign healthcare spending around value during the COVID 19 pandemic and beyond
In this episode, Smarter Care Virginia team member Steve Horan, PhD, CEO of Community Health Solutions, chats with Dr. Fendrick about the opportunities to realign healthcare spending around value during the COVID 19 pandemic and beyond.