Community-Based Care

Rethinking Caregiving in America: A Framework for Growth and Sustainability

// By Daniel Fell // The case for supporting family caregivers as an integral part of the care team. Here, we look at recent initiatives led by the federal government, share some programs developed by forward-thinking health systems, and propose a framework that health care executives can use to reimagine the role of caregivers.

Acute Care Telehealth: A Lifeline for Struggling Hospitals?

Teresa Rincon, RN, PhD, FCCM, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Graduate School of Nursing, and senior telehealth consultant with Blue Cirrus Consulting

Acute care telehealth expands access to care by connecting community hospitals with specialized experts, which helps to close gaps in knowledge and keep care local. When patients in a rural community get sick and need access to intensive care or specialized care, the typical small community hospital — if there is one — doesn’t have Read More

Acute Care Telehealth Expands Access in Community Hospitals

Jane Weber Brubaker

Telemedicine technology connects community hospitals with specialized experts, closing gaps in knowledge and keeping care local.  // By Jane Weber Brubaker // When patients in a rural community get sick and need access to intensive care or specialized care, the typical small community hospital — if there is one — doesn’t have experts on-site to Read More

A Medical Career Spent in Service of Improving Health Disparities

CommonSpirit

Growing up, Lloyd Dean saw the impact of health disparities in his own community. His experiences motivated him to use his formidable leadership abilities to change things for the better. He will retire this summer after a long and impactful career. “Imagine 11 people in a house of three bedrooms and being on welfare when Read More

A Champion for the Common Good

Lloyd Dean, president and CEO, CommonSpirit Health

View from the C-Suite, with Lloyd Dean, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Growing up, Lloyd Dean saw the impact of health disparities in his own community. His experiences motivated him to use his formidable leadership abilities to change things for the better. He will retire this summer after Read More

Family Caregivers Are Vital, But Often Underappreciated

Dan Ansel, CEO, Active Daily Living

Family caregiving is an emotionally charged issue that creates an opportunity for providers to create highly engaged and valued relationships. As the shift to value-based care gains momentum and more health systems participate in accountable care organizations and hospital-sponsored Medicare Advantage plans, management of services related to seniors and their caregivers has great potential to Read More

Family Caregivers: An Untapped Resource in Value-Based Care

Julia Evans Starr, president, Connecticut Community Care

// By Marlene Kurban // More than 50 million Americans — one in five — provide unpaid care for their loved ones valued at $950 billion annually. But their contributions to reducing the total cost of care are often overlooked and undervalued by health systems. As the shift to value-based care gains momentum and more Read More

The Crucial Intersection of Public Health and Clinical Care

Lara Sim, director of Community Health and External Affairs, Seattle Children's Hospital

COVID testing. Vaccines. Health equity. Do they fall under public health or clinical care? In most cases, it’s both, or should be. The gap between hospital-based clinical care and public health is shrinking, as community health initiatives increasingly focus on wellness and prevention. Health systems typically function as separate entities. Nationwide, the drive for revenues and Read More

When Public Health Meets Collaborative Clinical Care, Good Things Happen

Joie McCracken, MPH, program manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County

// By Marcia Simon, APR // “Medicine and public health share a common mission … however, important differences have prevented their integration and effective working collaboration,” says the author of a 2020 NIH publication: Covid-19: An Imperative to Bridge the Gap Between Medicine and Public Health. The work of the King County Hospitals for a Read More

Remote Monitoring Enables High-Level Care at Home

The current pandemic is pushing the boundaries for parity when it comes to telemedicine reimbursement. How long will it be before the entire health care system repositions itself to provide hospital-level care for patients at home through ongoing remote monitoring? That’s what Tony Slonim has been working toward since he took the helm seven years Read More

The Case for Hospital-Level Home Care

Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, president and CEO, Renown Health

View from the C-Suite: Anthony Slonim, MD, DrPH, President and CEO at Renown Health // By Marcia Simon, APR // Leading the charge toward home care reimbursement parity and population health involves huge challenges. “You have to have a vision, you have to execute the vision, and you have to tell your story,” says Renown Read More

Telemedicine Can Solve Access Issues and Boost Market Share

Are your providers losing patients because of access issues? A robust telemedicine program that offers convenient care for patients is one way to protect market share. Our new article by Marcia Simon, APR, explores how telemedicine brings subspecialties to outlying communities. Here’s an excerpt: Most of Gundersen Health System’s patients live at least 25 miles Read More