Food safety is of paramount importance for all industries. Ensuring the preparation, handling, and storage of food meets certain health and safety standards is critical for businesses involved in the production of food, its distribution and service, not only to uphold their reputation but also to safeguard the public from the spread of foodborne diseases.

The healthcare industry must also adhere to strict standards in the area of food safety. This is particularly important to protect vulnerable individuals who are more susceptible to the detrimental consequences of contracting food-borne illnesses as well as the staff members who care for them.

According to figures from the CDC, each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. This highlights the added risk of contamination within healthcare facilities and the spread of foodborne illnesses posing risks to patients and the public.

In this article, we will explore some of the measures healthcare facilities can implement to mitigate the risk of foodborne illnesses arising and spreading, ensuring the safety of their patients and staff members.

Implement Food Screening

By implementing food screening measures, healthcare facilities can ensure a first line of defense against any unsafe food products from entering their premises or being provided to their patients.

This includes checking the packaging of food to ensure it is intact and has not been compromised or contaminated in any way. Perishable food items should be visually inspected to ensure their quality and freshness and should be stored at appropriate temperatures and settings.

Healthcare facilities can also take advantage of technologies like food X-ray inspection systems which can screen incoming food items for potential contaminants such as stones, metal fragments, glass particles and plastics which may not be visible to the naked eye. By doing so, these facilities can significantly reduce the risk of foreign objects and contaminants that can contribute to the spread of foodborne illnesses.  Learn more about how x-ray inspection systems work here.

Monitor Temperatures

Appropriate food temperatures are critical for maintaining food safety and avoiding the growth and spread of harmful pathogens and bacteria. To reduce the risk of any foodborne illness outbreaks, staff should regularly check refrigerator and freezer temperatures to ensure they are within safe ranges as well as those where food is stored and transported. 

In addition, cooking temperatures should also be adhered to according to the type of food being prepared, and food temperatures should also be monitored before serving. By conducting such checks, staff can ensure the safety of food throughout its supply chain, up to the point of consumption.

Training and Certification

Healthcare practices should ensure relevant staff members receive the training and education they need to safely handle, prepare and serve food to patients, visitors and staff members.

This may include Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification, which can help individuals in healthcare identify potential risks and hazards in the food handling process and take steps to correct these. Regular training on the latest food safety protocols can also ensure staff members introduce measures to minimize the risk and spread of foodborne illness.

By implementing these measures, healthcare facilities can ensure food safety, safeguarding the well-being of their patients, staff, and the public.

What You Should Know:

–       PA Clinical Network (PACN), the nation’s only state medical society, physician-led clinically integrated network and Guidehealth, a nationally acclaimed, AI-enabled healthcare services provider, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership to improve healthcare for Pennsylvania patients.

–       Leveraging the Guidehealth platform and patient care management guides, the collaboration will allow PA Clinical Network to integrate leading AI solutions and clinical services, empowering its providers to deliver superior health outcomes, care quality, and patient experience at a lower cost without overwhelming physicians and their busy practices.

Empowering Pennsylvania Physicians: Guidehealth and PACN Leading Healthcare Transformation

Guidehealth’s expansion into Pennsylvania capitalizes on 25 years of experience supporting health systems and clinically integrated networks (CINs) with top-notch operational efficiency and customer service. Recognized as the best in its field for six consecutive years, Guidehealth excels in quality gap closure, complex care management, and delegated payer services, especially in Value-Based Care Managed Services.

The PA Clinical Network, tailored for independent Pennsylvania physicians, empowers private practices with essential expertise, resources, and tools for success in value-based healthcare. Utilizing data to drive value-based payments and prioritize patient-centered care, the PACN, backed by the Pennsylvania Medical Society, champions autonomy for private practices and spearheads healthcare transformation.

“It is becoming increasingly challenging and costly to engage in value-based agreements, and make the right investments in staff and technology,” said Dr. John Pagan, Chair of the PA Clinical Network. “We are impressed by Guidehealth’s ability to consolidate leading AI solutions and, through their Healthguides™, incorporate them into clinical workflows that meet our practices where they are. These tools will enhance the patient experience, optimize recognition for the great care our independent physicians provide their individual and collective patients, and reduce the burden placed on our doctors.”

What You Should Know: 

– Avēsis and Harmony Health are launching a groundbreaking year-long pilot program to revolutionize preventive dentistry for underserved Medicaid populations with special healthcare needs. 

– The pilot initiative focuses on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who often face challenges in accessing proper oral care.

Pilot Program Details

The program, set to begin in May 2024 across California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, leverages the power of real-time salivary testing and screening. Saliva, a treasure trove of health information, will be used to gain insights into patients’ overall health, oral conditions, and hygiene habits.

This innovative approach offers several advantages:

• Non-invasive and efficient: Saliva testing provides a comfortable and easy way to monitor a patient’s health.
• Early disease detection: By analyzing salivary biomarkers, dental professionals can identify signs of diabetes, gum disease, and cavities at an early stage, enabling timely intervention.
• Personalized treatment plans: The program tailors treatment plans to each patient’s unique needs based on their individual health profile. This personalized approach optimizes treatment efficacy and minimizes risks.

This multi-state pilot program reflects Avēsis’ dedication to increasing access to advanced healthcare solutions for diverse patient populations. Strategically chosen sites will serve as hubs for advancing preventive dentistry and promoting value-based care initiatives within their regions.

“More needs to be done to improve oral health outcomes for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For this underserved population, dental appointments are no easy feat—fraught with challenges, uncertainties, and fears,” said Brian Jones, Chief Growth Officer of Avēsis. “Our goal is to do more for patients with special healthcare needs—to break down barriers with innovative technologies that improve preventive care. This is the first-ever chairside salivary test that offers immediate results—what this will do for early disease detection and personalized treatment is significant.” 

What You Should Know: 

– Truveta, a data company dedicated to “Saving Lives with Data,” announced today the launch of the most comprehensive mother-child electronic health record (EHR) dataset ever assembled. 

– Truveta’s dataset surpasses traditional claims-based datasets, which often lack clinical details and have reporting delays. By offering comprehensive, longitudinal EHR data, Truveta empowers researchers to conduct more rigorous and impactful studies, ultimately improving the lives of mothers and children.

Revolutionizing Research on Mothers and Children

Truveta’s dataset offers researchers a unique opportunity to study the complexities of maternal and pediatric health. Key areas of investigation include:

• Understanding the Link Between Maternal and Neonatal Health: Researchers can explore how maternal health impacts birth outcomes, long-term child development (including neurodevelopment), and childhood conditions up to age 5.
• Post-Market Drug Safety Monitoring: Truveta’s data can be used to evaluate the safety of medications and vaccines taken by mothers during pregnancy. This allows researchers to identify potential risks associated with specific medications and guide future clinical decisions.
• Studying Category C Medications: Category C medications have potential risks for fetuses, but limited research exists on their effects in humans. Truveta’s data can help determine the safety and efficacy of these medications for pregnant women.
• Investigating Pediatric Conditions: Researchers can analyze connections between maternal factors (demographics, health history, pregnancy outcomes) and the development of childhood conditions like asthma and eczema.

Unparalleled Data Depth and Security

Truveta’s mother-child dataset offers several key advantages:

• Comprehensiveness and Timeliness: Truveta leverages data from over 30 healthcare systems, providing a complete picture of patient journeys. This includes clinician notes, medical images, claims data, social determinants of health (SDOH) indicators, and mortality data – all updated daily.
• Longitudinal Patient Data: With access to over five years of longitudinal data on over 1 million mothers and their children, Truveta offers researchers a rich resource for in-depth analysis.
• Accuracy and Completeness: Truveta’s data accurately links mothers with their children, preserving crucial details like demographics, medical history, and pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, comprehensive child data is available, including delivery details, diagnoses, procedures, and immunizations up to age 5.
• Unmatched Privacy and Security: Truveta prioritizes data privacy and security. Their de-identification process adheres to the strictest HIPAA regulations, and they employ robust security protocols to protect patient information.

 “Perinatal women and their children have long been excluded from clinical trials and other retrospective data sources, and we can’t understand the full effects of medications, vaccines, and diseases on their connected health outcomes,” said Terry Myerson, CEO and co-founder of Truveta. “Truveta now offers the largest mother-child EHR dataset, empowering researchers to advance care for all mothers and children with complete, timely, and representative data.”

What You Should Know:

–              Foodsmart, the leader in telenutrition and food benefits management, today announced the results of a new study stemming from its partnership of almost 3 years with Chorus Community Health Plans (CCHP), an affiliate of Children’s Wisconsin.

–              In an effort to bridge the nutrition access gap in Wisconsin and address health concerns related to food insecurity across the state, Foodsmart and CCHP launched their partnership in July 2021. This is the first-ever documented program amongst an entire population of Medicaid and Marketplace members to demonstrate that food is medicine lowers healthcare costs by helping to improve food access and affordability, overall nutrition, and related health outcomes.

Transforming Health Through Food: The Impact of the Foodsmart-CCHP Partnership in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, where CCHP members are served, over 400,000 individuals face food insecurity, with more than 37% of households receiving SNAP assistance having children, totaling over 140,000 minors struggling to meet their nutritional needs.

Recognizing this pressing issue, Foodsmart and CCHP have maintained their partnership to address food insecurity throughout Wisconsin. As the largest food benefits management company in the U.S., Foodsmart oversees all aspects of food benefits management, including enrolling members for SNAP benefits and devising personalized nutrition plans tailored to combat food-related chronic conditions such as diabetes.

A study conducted by CCHP and Foodsmart utilized a matched pair-controlled claims analysis to assess the impact of their partnership, ensuring that the control group closely matched the non-control group in demographics. The findings revealed significant average claims savings for health plans, with Medicaid members experiencing savings of $32 PMPM and Exchange members seeing savings of $45 PMPM through participation in the Foodsmart-CCHP program.

The joint effort aimed to develop a scalable solution to tackle food insecurity and nutrition-related chronic conditions. Member benefits include unlimited access to personal dietitian visits, access to thousands of affordable recipes, an integrated healthy FoodsMART for comparing grocery prices and arranging delivery, savings on groceries through local deals and coupons, assistance with SNAP/EBT enrollment and usage, and help in locating available community resources.

Moreover, Foodsmart has collaborated with Children’s Wisconsin to prescribe food for its patients, many of whom are under 18 years old and have seen average savings of $24 PMPM through the CCHP/Foodsmart partnership.

This initiative has become CCHP’s most widely adopted program to date, with over 10% of CCHP households enrolling. Additionally, other households have benefited indirectly from the Foodsmart-CCHP partnership by gaining access to SNAP benefits, affordable recipes, grocery discounts, and educational programs.

By specifically targeting food insecurity as a significant contributor to nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions, substantial savings were observed among members with these conditions. For instance, members with diabetes experienced savings of $107 PMPM, while those with hypertension saw savings of $101 PMPM, and individuals with hyperlipidemia saved $167 PMPM. Across all conditions, Foodsmart members realized 12-month savings ranging from $62 PMPM to $871 PMPM. Although this study focuses on CCHP members, its results closely align with other claims analyses assessing the impact of Foodsmart programs on population health and cost of care.

By reducing the cost of claims for health plans, Foodsmart is enhancing accessibility to essential food benefits for vulnerable communities affected by food insecurity and poor nutrition. The Foodsmart-CCHP partnership stands as a compelling example of the transformative impact such programs can have.

“We never could have imagined just how much of an impact this program would have on our community,” said Mark Rakowski, President of Chorus Community Health Plans. “Since offering Foodsmart to our members, we’re not only saving money on claims, we’re witnessing firsthand how a ‘food is medicine’ approach is helping with our members’ health, including an overall decrease in diabetes, heart disease and food insecurity incidence. The program has also had the biggest reach of any other program we’ve implemented, benefiting more than 11,000 members to date.”

What You Should Know: 

– inVio Health Network and CVS Accountable Care Organization, a division of CVS Health, have announced a collaboration to participate in the new Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) REACH program. This initiative focuses on improving access to high-quality healthcare for traditional Medicare beneficiaries in South Carolina.

– The collaboration builds upon the past achievements of Prisma Health Upstate and Prisma Health Midlands Networks, which merged in 2021 to form inVio Health Network. These entities have a proven track record of success in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), another CMS program. Through MSSP, they have demonstrably reduced healthcare costs while maintaining exceptional quality of care for over 60,000 Medicare beneficiaries.

REACH Program: Reducing Barriers and Improving Outcomes

The REACH program from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) aims to address healthcare disparities. Participating ACOs like the newly formed collaboration between inVio and CVS will work towards:

• Reduced Barriers to Care: The program seeks to eliminate obstacles that prevent patients from receiving necessary medical attention.
• Coordinated Care: A focus on ensuring patients receive well-coordinated care across different healthcare providers.
• High-Quality Patient-Centered Care: Prioritizing patient needs and preferences to deliver exceptional medical care.
• Improved Overall Health and Satisfaction: The ultimate goal is to improve patients’ health, clinical outcomes, and overall satisfaction with their Medicare coverage.

Enhancing High Quality Patient Care

inVio Health Network, a leading physician-led network in the Southeast, brings deep local knowledge and a commitment to high-quality patient care. CVS Accountable Care contributes its extensive experience and resources. Together, they will leverage this combined expertise to:

• Enhance Care Coordination: Advanced analytics will be used to streamline care coordination for patients, ensuring they receive seamless treatment across different providers.
• Value-Based Care and Population Health Management: The collaboration will implement key programs and resources focused on value-based care and population health management. This data-driven approach allows for proactive care and improved health outcomes for the entire patient population.
• Longitudinal Care Management: The focus will be on providing patients with consistent and comprehensive care throughout their healthcare journey.

“We are on a collaborative value-based journey with our physicians and healthcare clinicians to improve the quality and health across South Carolina, regionally, and nationally,” said Dr. Bill Gerard, CEO of inVio Health Network, “This new model allows us to provide enhanced resources and clinical services across our network where we will be collaborating with MinuteClinic locations across South Carolina to be part of our network’s ACO REACH program. We look forward to the incredible opportunities ahead as we transform healthcare together.”

What You Should Know: 

– Pine Park Health, a rapidly growing primary care provider focused on senior living communities, has announced its adoption of Innovaccer’s leading healthcare AI platform. 

– The integration aims to optimize population health analytics and further Pine Park Health’s mission of serving residents with exceptional care.

Serving Seniors in California, Arizona, and Nevada

Pine Park Health operates across over 150 communities in California, Arizona, and Nevada. As a value-based care provider, their core philosophy centers on keeping seniors healthy and out of hospitals. They achieve this through a unique care model that delivers primary care directly to patients’ residences.

The Innovaccer Healthcare AI Platform empowers Pine Park Health with a data-driven approach to population health management. The platform unifies patient records by integrating clinical and claims data from various sources, including the company’s data warehouse, electronic health records (EHRs), and other relevant systems. This comprehensive view allows Pine Park Health to gain valuable insights into their patient populations.

Unified Records and Population-Level Insights

Clinicians at Pine Park Health benefit from access to unified patient records within the Innovaccer platform. This, combined with population-level insights, empowers them to measure and continuously improve the care delivery model. Additionally, Pine Park Health can utilize these insights to identify trends and potential areas for improvement in senior care across their communities.

AI-Powered Risk Adjustment

Innovaccer’s advanced risk adjustment AI analytics are another key feature leveraged by Pine Park Health. This technology helps identify care gaps and enables them to be addressed directly at the point of care. This translates to more accurate risk assessments and improved Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) scores for patients. Ultimately, these advancements contribute to improved health outcomes while reducing overall healthcare costs.

What You Should Know:

• PayZen, a healthcare-focused technology company tackling healthcare affordability with AI-powered solutions, today released its latest industry report titled The High Cost of Health: Analyzing America’s Healthcare Affordability Crisis.
• The report surveyed 1,007 Americans who had a hospital visit or surgery for themselves or a dependent in the last 24 months about the accessibility and affordability of healthcare in the US. 

Navigating Healthcare Affordability in America: Insights and Solutions from the Frontlines

The report exposes troubling patterns in how Americans access healthcare, with a significant portion facing challenges in affording it. Key findings from the report include:

– 75% of respondents express concern about being able to cover unexpected medical expenses.

– On average, respondents report being able to afford a maximum monthly payment of $97 for out-of-pocket medical costs.

– Over a third (36%) have had to forgo necessary medical treatment in the past year due to financial constraints, and nearly 39% have delayed care for more than a year.

– As a consequence, many Americans resort to risky behaviors such as postponing appointments and skipping medications.

– Specifically, 36% of respondents have skipped or postponed medical care in the last 12 months due to costs, with uninsured individuals being particularly affected (83%).

– The types of healthcare skipped or delayed include preventive visits (49%), prescription drugs (48%), mental health care (40%), and diagnostic testing (39%).

– Skipping or postponing medical care leads to increased stress and anxiety (68%), exacerbated health issues (48%), and negative impacts on job performance or career advancement (26%).

– Uninsured individuals are more likely to delay medical care for over a year due to financial reasons (63%).

– Despite their inability to pay, a vast majority (91%) of respondents express willingness to sacrifice luxuries to alleviate healthcare costs out of necessity.

The report underscores Americans’ optimism for extended payment options and technological advancements in healthcare affordability, with 77% supporting longer-term monthly payment plans and 75% advocating for multiple payment options over extended periods. PayZen, employing cutting-edge technology, endeavors to comprehensively tackle healthcare affordability issues, resulting in enhanced patient satisfaction and improved financial outcomes for healthcare providers. Through personalized payment plans, PayZen alleviates post-treatment financial burdens, while its innovative Care Card, offering both physical and virtual debit options, addresses deferred care due to cost, ultimately bolstering healthcare access and providing consumers with financial reassurance.

“These findings underscore the urgent need to address healthcare affordability issues to ensure equitable access to essential services and alleviate financial burdens on individuals and families,” says Itzik Cohen, Founder & CEO of PayZen. “It’s not a willingness to pay issue, it’s a financial capacity to pay problem”.We’re emboldened by the findings in this report to continue our mission to bring financial health to healthcare, and restore people’s autonomy when it comes to their financial and physical health.” 

Health equity helps ensure all individuals have equal access to healthcare. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

To address the benefit needs of underrepresented population groups, payers can develop “more equitable approaches to healthcare benefits design that recognize and meaningfully address access and affordability concerns,” according to a 2022 article in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

With their focus on paying above-average salaries and having rich benefit options, many employers feel this is not a concern in their population. However, they may still find that employees and their families live in areas of concern, such as areas of greater poverty.

Recognizing the health needs of all employees can advance engagement, productivity, and ultimately improved performance. Here are three strategies for healthcare payers to consider when developing benefits plans for equitable coverage for their populations.

1. Begin with leadership buy-in

As payers start thinking about advancing health equity, they must build the business case first. The organization’s leadership must support this approach and prioritize health equity in the corporate health and well-being strategy.

As treatment costs change year-over-year, a percentage known as the medical cost trend, we can expect a 7% medical cost trend in 2024. This is an increase in 2024 for healthcare costs covered by individual and group health plan markets, compared to 6.0% in 2023 and 5.5% in 2022, according to data from PWC.

However, these costs impact different populations differently, which is a foundational point to understand and present when talking with leadership. Even how people allocate their money for health care concerns will vary by population.

2. Understand your data and data sources

Payers can track and measure multiple health and socioeconomic data sources to help ensure their health equity goals and strategies are sound. This includes supplementing their existing data with new and external data resources, such as publicly available data.

For example, the United States Department of Agriculture tracks supermarket accessibility at a Census Tract Level. Food insecurity is an important socioeconomic factor, so merging this data source with existing population health data makes it possible for payers to understand how access to quality food can impact their population’s health outcomes.

Other potential data sources include:

·         The CDC/ASTDR Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of every census tract ranked on 16 social factors, including poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing. It groups them into four related themes: socioeconomics, household characteristics, racial and ethnic minority, and housing type and transportation.

·         Health survey data, such as the American Community Survey, can provide insights into the attitudes and behaviors of good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

·         The HUD’s Location Affordability Index can help health plans and employers understand the cost of housing and transportation for their members and employees. These are two of the most significant budget items for most families and can dramatically impact the overall health equity of members. This data can also direct decisions about where to invest in communities.

And the list goes on. Race and ethnicity data emerged as the country moved out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender at birth or gender identity data can also be collected. Providers may also capture data about sleep, stress, burnout, tobacco use, and financial concerns during their face-to-face visits with patients. All these factors can play a role in health, and the volume and quality of this data will only grow as providers become more comfortable and effective in capturing it.

Payers can draw insights from healthcare and socioeconomic data to better understand their population by focusing on the right healthcare analytics, visualization, and reporting to these robust data sets. They can also better understand if the third-party vendors they have contracted with to engage their population – for example, a grocery delivery service or wellbeing provider – are helping people who are most in need.

3. Develop a relevant, data-driven engagement strategy

Once the data has revealed which populations need to be engaged, payers must consider how they engage those target populations. The more personalized the communication, the more effective it will drive positive outcomes.

Data can help here, too, so it is valuable to supplement population health data with community information via census tract data. By understanding the community members live in, payers can consider specific barriers when crafting an outreach and engagement strategy.

Here is an example. Aggregated population health data from employers and health plans can identify significant trends. This data shows a significantly higher number of emergency room visits in higher-poverty neighborhoods than in lower-poverty communities. 

It is easy to understand why – higher poverty areas may have less access to primary care physicians and reliable transportation, meaning the only choice for care for people living there may be an expensive ER visit with ambulance transport.

By understanding these barriers, employers and health plans can consider how to adapt their communications and engagement strategies appropriately. Engaging with community and neighborhood partners to ensure every member can access quality care regardless of socioeconomic barriers makes sense.

Payers can impact their populations with health equity strategies

So many factors affect health equity, such as affordability of and access to care, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. With an ongoing understanding of the data, payers and employers are equipped to engage those patients who need to be involved to ensure health equity. 

About Brandi Hodor

Brandi Hodor is a senior analytic advisor with Merative. She oversees a cross-functional team that can deliver analytics with a commitment to innovative solutions in traditional and value-based care arrangements.

What You Should Know:

• FeelBetter, the leading provider of polypharmacy patient management technology and pioneer of Pharmaco-Clinical Intelligence, today announced a commercial partnership with Atlantic Health System (“Atlantic Health”).
• The not-for-profit health system, which provides care for more than half the state of New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania, is leveraging FeelBetter’s AI-based precision population health platform to optimize and personalize medication management for polypharmacy patients across Atlantic Health System aligned Accountable Care Organizations (ACO).

Atlantic Health System and FeelBetter Forge Strategic Partnership to Tackle Polypharmacy Challenges

The collaboration will commence with an initial emphasis on leveraging FeelBetter’s Pharmco-Clinical Intelligence to identify patients at high risk of imminent hospitalization due to polypharmacy issues, defined as the concurrent use of five or more medications. It will propose alterations to medication regimens and other necessary clinical interventions, while also overseeing care trajectories at both individual and population health levels. The deployment of FeelBetter’s platform is scheduled for 2024 to facilitate the management of polypharmacy for patients across Atlantic Health’s three Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which cater to a collective of over 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries and more than 420,000 commercially attributed beneficiaries.

Polypharmacy, a growing public health concern among elderly patients, many of whom contend with multiple chronic conditions, heightens the risk of adverse health outcomes, escalates healthcare utilization, and inflates care expenditures. In the United States alone, suboptimal medication management contributes to 275,000 deaths annually and incurs more than $528 billion in avoidable costs.

Atlantic Health System stands as a pioneer in healthcare, establishing benchmarks for quality healthcare delivery in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area. Fueled by a workforce of 20,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians devoted to fostering healthier communities, Atlantic Health System caters to over half of New Jersey’s population, encompassing 14 counties and serving 7.5 million individuals.

“At Atlantic Health System, adopting new AI-based technologies with the potential to enhance healthcare is part of our unwavering commitment to providing high quality, safe, affordable patient care,” said Dr. Thomas Kloos, President, Vice President, Atlantic Health System and President, Atlantic Accountable Care Organization. “In partnering with FeelBetter, we’re taking another step forward in fulfilling our mission. Tackling the tremendous challenges associated with polypharmacy, where patients take multiple medications for multiple chronic diseases and conditions, is critical to improving health outcomes and quality of life, controlling costs, and keeping our senior patients healthy in their homes across our communities for as long as possible.” 

What You Should Know:

• Philips Foundation, with its mission to provide access to quality healthcare for 100 million people a year in underserved communities by 2030, is facilitating access to prenatal care through March of Dimes Mom & Baby Mobile Health Centers® in Phoenix, Tucson and Washington, DC.
• Through the partnership, Philips will provide point-of-care ultrasound technology with telehealth capabilities in three mobile health centers as well as support staffing and operational needs and provide allowances for local healthcare partners and community health workers.

Improving Prenatal Care Access in Underserved Communities

In comparison to other wealthy nations, the United States still struggles with the highest maternal mortality rate. Despite the crucial role of quality prenatal care in ensuring maternal health and positive birth outcomes, more than 550,000 women in the US lack access to such care each year. The introduction of mobile healthcare services has proven effective in bridging this accessibility gap.

Studies indicate that patients who utilize mobile health clinics feel more confident in navigating the complex medical scheduling and billing processes within the broader healthcare system. These clinics, staffed by local healthcare professionals, are further supported through partnerships with local clinical organizations, facilitated by March of Dimes. This collaborative approach ensures that communities with limited maternity care resources receive essential care, education, and support.

Emphasizing sustainability and scalability, this initiative combines technology with comprehensive staff training, serving as a model for delivering high-quality maternal healthcare that can be replicated in underserved areas. Routine ultrasounds play a vital role in monitoring a fetus’s health, development, and pregnancy progress, as well as in detecting congenital anomalies. However, almost half of all US counties lack hospitals offering obstetric services. The introduction of tele-ultrasound not only facilitates imaging for assessing and monitoring prenatal health risks but also enables real-time collaboration among healthcare providers, thereby enhancing the quality of prenatal care for pregnant women. This technology allows for remote sharing of diagnostic information and connection with high-risk obstetric specialists, empowering local clinical staff and community health workers to deliver quality care and improve patient outcomes.

Jeff DiLullo, chief region leader at Philips North America, emphasized the urgency of addressing the high maternal mortality rates in the country, stressing the need for collective innovation and implementation of solutions prioritizing maternal health and safety. He expressed hope that the collaboration with March of Dimes, aimed at delivering care to underserved communities, would serve as a model for expanding access to better healthcare for more individuals.

What You Should Know:

• Beanstalk Benefits today launched the first benefits platform to give individual employees the access and control to build their own portfolios of “everyday” benefits. 
• By giving employees the flexibility to choose their own health, wealth and wellbeing services and solutions, rather than choosing on their behalf, employers are now better able to meet the dynamic needs of each member of their diverse and modern workforces – all under a single contract.

Beanstalk Benefits: Simplifying and Optimizing Employee Benefits Management

Beanstalk consolidates top-tier benefits services into a comprehensive suite covering mind, body, lifestyle, family, and financial needs. Through its intuitive platform, employees can customize their benefit portfolios, utilizing either employer-sponsored or personal accounts. The suite caters to the diverse workforce, spanning five generations, with solutions ranging from health management to parenting, elder care, finance, and mental well-being. Initial suite members include BeMe for teen well-being, Upswing Health for on-demand pain relief, Vitalxchange for parenting resources, and Sober Sidekick for sobriety support.

Beanstalk Benefits streamlines the complexity of benefits options by providing:

1. Access and Flexibility: Employees gain direct access to a wide array of benefits services and solutions, managing their portfolios effortlessly on an adaptable platform. This enables employers to offer benefits that better suit their diverse workforce, including virtual health solutions for underserved areas.

2. Simplified Contracting: Beanstalk handles all contracts, vendor relations, and customer service, continuously updating its suite with new market entrants. Employers sign one contract and pay an annual fee for access to all solutions.

3. Increased Uptake: Employees are empowered to choose and manage their benefits, enhancing engagement. Beanstalk personalizes communication and updates employees on relevant options.

4. Cost Optimization: Beanstalk’s data analytics tool provides employers with insights to optimize spending, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently based on employee needs.

“We saw a gap because people’s needs often shift during the year, after open enrollment. But typical benefits programs aren’t flexible, and they don’t give busy employees a way to easily find resources and adapt their own portfolios to personal circumstances,” said Matthew Sydney, CEO of Beanstalk. “At the same time, we’re talking to employers that are worn out evaluating employee needs against thousands of benefits offerings. Even the most well-meaning can’t sign enough vendor contracts to create a single benefits package that fits every individual well. Beanstalk lets employers put the benefits decision-making into individual employees’ hands, while employers get aggregated, apples-to-apples data on how employees use their benefits.”

Given the attention paid to the devastating impact of COVID-19, one might assume it was the leading cause of death in the US. But while the fatalities were stark – almost 1.2 million Americans died of COVID in the last 4 years – heart disease remains the largest cause of death and by a landslide. In 2021, the year with the most COVID-19 deaths (416,893), heart disease claimed 60% more lives (695,000) in the US. Perhaps more, striking, however, is that many, if most, of these deaths, were preventable. 

High blood pressure or hypertension is the leading cause of heart attacks in the U.S.  While hypertension and heart disease are often thought of as illnesses of older adults, they can affect people of all ages. Women are as much at risk as men. Heart disease and hypertension are major contributing factors to both maternal and infant deaths each year. 

While we do not have a vaccine to protect against hypertension, there are preventive measures that can be effective. The risk of hypertension can be lowered by reducing salt intake, and heart disease can be reduced by not smoking, adopting a low-cholesterol diet, and exercising regularly. Certain medications can also reduce the risk of heart disease, including cholesterol-lowering medications; blood pressure medications; and antiplatelet medications. With the exception of newer weight-loss drugs, most of these medications are almost always covered and readily available.

So why, even with these prevention options, does heart disease remain the silent killer? Because we do not treat it like it’s preventable. Tens of millions of adults – including those at elevated risk – have not been screened for high blood pressure; prescribed the appropriate medication; or monitored over time. Less than half of those diagnosed with hypertension in the US control it with medication.

Such fatalities could dramatically change by making screening and treatment of heart disease ritualized and incentivized parts of health care. This is not just a theory – there is evidence that it works.  Several years ago, the CDC recognized that the rate of hypertension control in Minnesota was about 70%, far higher than the national average.  It wasn’t always the case: the state treads closer to the national average in the mid-90s. However, a combination of efforts, including widespread collaboration between healthcare providers and payers to set specific heart disease-related clinical guidelines for appropriate care; the ability to provide feedback on compliance with those guidelines; and financial incentives for clinicians to comply helped lead the way.

For several years, the CDC, in collaboration with CMS, has overseen the Million Hearts initiative, a multi-faceted effort to reduce heart disease. Among its efforts is a focus on promoting community-level health behaviors, such as increasing screening efforts; reinforcing the benefit of prescription and over-the-counter medications; and targeting communities that are at elevated risk for heart disease due to social and economic conditions.

Emerging technology can also be tapped to improve prevention efforts. Data sharing between the health care and the public health sectors can lead to a greater understanding of the communities at heightened risk. Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely prove useful in analyzing clinical, demographic and socio-economic data to refine efforts to treat patients and inform policymakers, clinicians and community members.  

While prevention efforts have seen progress, the effectiveness of government initiatives like Million Hearts and the WISEWOMAN program has been inhibited by a lack of funding. This is a frustrating obstacle, especially given heart disease-related fatalities in the US. In the most recent fiscal year, the CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke line item was approximately $155 million, an amount that pales in comparison to the billions spent on pandemic responses and is a fraction of the cost of paying for the consequences of heart disease. 

During the pandemic, there was some regression around heart disease prevention, as fewer patients received annual physicals and screenings, and the healthcare system was, rightfully, focused on COVID prevention and health consequences. But now is the time to reverse those setbacks. 

There are distinct roles individuals, government, and the private sector can assume to reduce heart disease. On the individual level, we should all take heed to eat healthfully, exercise, not smoke and talk to our health care providers about preventive measures.

Government agencies like the FDA can redouble the efforts of its National Salt Reduction Initiative to limit excessive sodium in packaged foods. Meanwhile, CMS can enhance the quality measures and financial incentives that reward clinicians for monitoring and treating hypertension and unhealthy cholesterol levels. There’s also ample opportunity for Congress to increase funding for CDC’s Million Hearts initiative. 

At the same time, federal agencies can continue to modernize their data systems  – including by tapping AI – to identify those at elevated risk, assess the interventions that are most effective and customize messaging to varied populations.    

Meanwhile, the food industry should take the initiative to reduce sodium levels and demonstrate that it can be responsible for positive change without governmental enforcement and public upheaval.

The number one cause of preventable deaths may never receive the level of support dedicated to COVID.  But it is not only viral pandemics that should mobilize the nation.  With increased attention, resources and actions, we can finally begin to turn the tide.  

About John Auerbach, SVP, Federal Health, ICF 

John is ICF’s primary federal health expert and thought leader within the company’s public sector business. Amid tremendous global health and social challenges, ICF’s capabilities and solutions for federal health agencies have never been more relevant. John’s thought leadership advances ICF’s combination of proven domain and scientific expertise with leading-edge analytics and technology solutions to drive improved health outcomes for clients.

John came to ICF from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he most recently served as the director of intergovernmental and strategic affairs. In this role, he was the lead strategic advisor on CDC engagement with government agencies at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, as well as public health and other external partners. He also had oversight of CDC’s health equity workgroup and served as the chief equity officer for CDC’s COVID-19 response.

What You Should Know:

– A new study by The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, a leader in virtual second opinions (VSOs), reveals significant cost savings and improved care for patients.

– The quantitative analysis, conducted by an independent third party, demonstrates that VSOs generate an average savings of $8,705 per patient.

Reduced Misdiagnoses and Overtreatment Lead to Cost Savings

The study highlights the potential for VSOs to prevent misdiagnoses and unnecessary procedures.  Key findings include:

• Average Savings: VSOs deliver an average savings of $8,705 per patient. For complex cases with initial treatment plans exceeding $10,000, the average savings jump to a remarkable $100,911.
• Reduced Overtreatment: The Clinic’s VSOs recommended alternative treatment plans in 67% of cases. This included a shift away from surgery in 85% of cases where surgery was initially recommended, and a 62% reduction in recommended hospitalizations compared to the original treatment plans.
• Improved Diagnosis: Misdiagnosis is a significant healthcare concern, with estimates suggesting 800,000 deaths or disabilities annually in the US. VSOs from expert specialists can help prevent misdiagnoses and ensure patients receive the most appropriate treatment.

Impact Across Medical Specialties:

The study also revealed specific cost savings within various medical specialties:

• Musculoskeletal (MSK): $28,220 average savings per patient
• Cardiovascular: $8,036 average savings per patient
• Cancer: $4,306 average savings per patient

Beyond Cost Savings: Improved Patient Wellbeing

While cost savings are significant, the study emphasizes the profound impact VSOs can have on patient well-being. Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, underscores this point:

“Imagine discovering an alternative treatment that is less invasive and has better outcomes… The difference The Clinic can make in the cost of care matters, but the impact of getting care right is even more powerful.”

Rigorous Analysis Ensures Credibility:

The study’s credibility is bolstered by the methodology. Vital Statistics, LLC, an independent firm, conducted the analysis. Using a random sample of 300 patient charts from 2023, they employed medical coding and established cost data to calculate the associated savings.

What You Should Know:

– Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare (“Senior Whole Health”) announced a strategic partnership with Cityblock to elevate the quality of care for its Massachusetts members.

– The partnership extends beyond traditional medical care by connecting members with community-based organizations that provide assistance with housing, healthy food access, and utility reimbursements.

Serving Dual Eligible Members in Massachusetts

Senior Whole Health caters to Massachusetts residents dually eligible for both Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid). Cityblock, a recognized leader in value-based healthcare, serves Medicaid and lower-income Medicare beneficiaries. This partnership expands access for members, allowing them to connect with a broader network of specialists:

• Mobile urgent care
• In-home care
• 24/7 virtual care

Integrated Care Model for Improved Outcomes

Cityblock’s model leverages a multidisciplinary care team comprised of primary care providers, behavioral health specialists, community health partners, nurse care managers, pharmacy navigators, and more. Their 2024 “Equity in Action Report” highlights the effectiveness of this approach, demonstrating a notable decrease in unnecessary emergency room visits, increased member engagement, and improved clinical continuity – all contributing to a healthier quality of life.

“We’ve seen that the dually eligible population often has a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and unmet social needs that can lead to poor health outcomes,” said Dr. Kameron Matthews, Cityblock’s chief health officer. “We are honored to partner with Senior Whole Health in Massachusetts to ensure their members have access to the care and support they need and deserve – this is true health equity in action.”