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HMA Insights: Your source for healthcare news, ideas and analysis.

HMA Insights – including our new podcast – puts the vast depth of HMA’s expertise at your fingertips, helping you stay informed about the latest healthcare trends and topics. Below, you can easily search based on your topic of interest to find useful information from our podcast, blogs, webinars, case studies, reports and more.

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Webinar

Webinar Replay: The Future of Community Behavioral Health

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On November 10, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “The Future of Community Behavioral Health: Leveraging the Transformation to Value-Based Health Care.”   

Community behavioral health has never been more relevant. Not only have the costs of caring for those with behavioral health needs become a focal point of delivery system reform, but the medical system has also come to value the type of person-centered health care and social supports that the community behavioral health sector provides.

Leading healthcare organizations are already taking advantage of the significant opportunities for advancing behavioral health within delivery system redesign. Their success is instructive in an array of areas, including managing organizational change, strategically building out the continuum of care, and pursuing the partnerships, mergers and acquisitions that provide scale, capacity and leverage. 

During this webinar, HMA Principals Heidi Arthur, Josh Rubin, and Meggan Schilkie highlight the opportunities available to community behavioral health providers and offer a roadmap for success. Listen to the replay and:

  • Take advantage of new and innovative payment mechanisms and successfully navigate the transition to value-based payments.
  • Learn how the behavioral health community is addressing the social determinants of health by providing supportive housing and using peer support to complement clinical care.
  • Recognize partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions as important potential vehicles for expanding service lines and building critical mass. 
  • Understand the organizational and clinical advantages to becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center.
  • Assess infrastructure readiness for important functions like data warehousing, continuous quality improvement, compliance, prospective financial modeling, cost-of-care reporting, value-based payments, and managed care.
  • Develop an approach to change management that accommodates rapid transition, promotes stability, and fosters buy-in during expansion and enhancement. 

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: The Age Wave in Social Programs

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On November 11, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Are You Ready for the Age Wave in Social Programs?”

America is aging. By 2030, approximately one in five Americans will be 65 or older. This age wave will have dramatic implications for the financing and delivery of government-sponsored social programs, including Medicaid and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles.

During this webinar, HMA Vice President Joan Henneberry and Senior Consultant Lisa Shugarman outline the challenges that an aging population poses for Medicaid health plans, state Medicaid programs, and dual eligibles initiatives. They also provide a roadmap to the type of innovative partnerships required among payers, providers and policy makers to better serve this population. Listen to the replay and:

  • Understand the importance of building relationships at the community level to best meet the needs of an aging population.
  • Obtain case studies of the types of partnerships and reimbursement models that have successfully incentivized payers and providers to serve members with complex needs.
  • Learn what health plans can expect as states begin to move Long-Term Services and Supports into a managed care environment.
  • Find out how to leverage home and community-based services to broaden the reach of preventive care and proactively assess an individual’s health needs.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: An IT Framework for Accountable Care

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On November 3, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “An IT Framework for Accountable Care: Building Information Technology Capabilities that Support All Necessary Functions in the Risk-Sharing Continuum.”

The importance of information technology continues to grow as healthcare providers venture into care coordination, accountable care, and risk sharing. A structured approach to IT planning is a critical step in any comprehensive effort to enable providers to move effectively along the risk-sharing continuum. This means developing a comprehensive IT capability assessment and planning framework specifically geared towards provider organizations engaging in accountable care. It also means identifying how IT can support each clinical and administrative function necessary to successfully manage risk and coordinate care for a population of patients.

During this webinar, HMA experts Lynn Dierker, Juan Montanez and Greg Vachon outline the steps provider organizations must take to develop a solid, actionable accountable care IT plan.  The webinar also features case studies of provider organizations that have made IT the backbone of a successful, comprehensive approach to accountable care. Listen to the replay and:

  • Understand the value and need for a structured assessment of your organization’s IT capabilities, with an emphasis on the importance of information technology in implementing a comprehensive approach to accountable care.
  • Develop an IT plan that supports each functional area impacting your organization’s ability to successfully share risk – including care management and coordination, risk profiling and stratification, population health management, data sharing, and reporting.
  • Assess various options for filling gaps in your organization’s IT capabilities, while avoiding pitfalls such as “jumping the gun” on particular technology solutions or unnecessarily adding complexity to an organization’s existing IT environment.
  • Ensure providers have access to all of the information – including social factors and determinants of health data – necessary to create and manage a comprehensive, individualized service plan for patients.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: New Models for FQHC Partnerships with Hospitals

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On November 4, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “New Models for FQHC Partnerships with Hospitals.”

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are an important part of the nation’s healthcare safety net, receiving a large share of community benefit funds from hospitals to provide primary, preventive and charity care to the poor and underserved. But the truth is FQHCs have the potential to do much more. Through a variety of new and innovative partnerships with hospitals, FQHCs are playing an expanded role in care coordination, behavioral health, team-based care, residency programs and risk-sharing arrangements.

During this webinar, HMA Principals Margaret Kirkegaard, MD, and Margarita Pereyda, MD, outline the ways in which FQHCs can bring additional value to hospitals, improving care and reducing costs. The webinar features guest presenter, Santina Wheat, MD, from Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency at Humboldt Park, a Teaching Health Center, and a partnership between Northwestern University, Erie Family Health FQHC, and Norwegian American Hospital. Listen to the replay and:

  • Learn the value of including FQHCs in a team-based approach to care, allowing for improved clinical integration and care coordination with hospitals, health systems and Accountable Care Organizations.
  • Find out how FQHCs can play an expanded role in treating people struggling with depression or substance abuse immediately following a hospital discharge.
  • Understand key contracting considerations between hospitals and FQHCs, including the potential for risk-sharing arrangements.
  • Understand the role FQHCs can play in residency programs, including pediatrics, OB/GYN and family practices.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: The Residency Program of the Future

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On November 9, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “The Residency Program of the Future: How Healthcare Reform is Impacting Medical Training and Graduate Medical Education.”

Residency programs are about to change dramatically, driven by healthcare reform, Medicaid expansion, the pressing need for more primary care physicians, and the implementation of Patient-Centered Medical Homes and other population health management initiatives. The future impact of these initiatives on residency training remains unclear, but there is no shortage of ideas and proposals.

During this webinar, HMA medical education experts Margaret Kirkegaard, MD, Maurice Lemon, MD, and Jeffrey Ring, PhD, provide a status report on Graduate Medical Education (GME), outline various proposals and policy initiatives, and discuss mandated imperatives for residency training programs to directly address health disparities. Listen to the replay and:

  • Deepen your understanding of new academic and clinical pressures facing residency training, including the shifting balance between specialty training and primary care.
  • Consider strategies for residency training programs to develop in an era of Patient-Centered Medical Homes and population health management.
  • Recognize the impact of GME changes on hospitals, including the ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Standards, and explore how hospitals must be more involved in medical training programs, in light of operational changes driven by Medicaid expansion and the continued shift to Medicaid managed care from fee-for-service Medicaid.
  • Learn how Medicaid innovations and reforms – driven in part by 1115 waivers and DSRIP – impact residency programs.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Capitalizing on the Fast-Moving World of Digital Health Innovation

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On October 22, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Capitalizing on the Fast-Moving World of Digital Health Innovation.”

The digital health market is quickly growing and innovating, and payers and providers have much to gain from getting on board. Emerging tools and technology for consumer engagement, population health management, telemedicine and data analytics can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges facing payers, providers and patients. For example, these technologies can be used to engage hard-to-reach populations and expand the capacity to manage disease in a cost-effective manner.

During this webinar, members of Health Management Associates’ Health Care IT Advisory Services Team outline the trends in digital health technology – providing a roadmap for organizations interested in evaluating the strategic opportunities for growth and meeting the challenges of accountable care. Listen to the recording and:

  • Assess the emerging array of digital health products and understand what role they can play in revolutionizing the delivery of healthcare services.
  • Learn to anticipate where digital health innovations will drive change in health care delivery, such as responding to patient-driven technologies.
  • Understand how to adapt your current IT evaluation process to assess whether emerging digital health technologies are right for you and when to purchase, build, co-brand, etc.
  • Develop a sustainable approach to investing in and implementing digital health applications for payers, providers and patients.

HMA Speakers

Alana Ketchel, Senior Consultant, Denver
Donna Laverdiere, Senior Consultant, San Francisco
Don Novo, Principal, San Francisco
Margarita Pereyda, M.D., Principal, Southern California
Heidi Robbins-Brown, Principal, Pacific Northwest

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Rethinking SBIRT

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On October 29, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Rethinking SBIRT: Lessons from the Past 10 Years, Strategies for the Next.”

It’s been 10 years since the first grants for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs for addiction were implemented. Although underutilized and in many ways misunderstood, SBIRT still possesses tremendous potential to positively reshape and help coordinate care for people struggling with addiction.

During this webinar, HMA experts discuss the evolution of SBIRT and outline how the program is poised for a resurgence as providers, public health policy experts and funding organizations leverage SBIRT’s potential in an increasingly integrated healthcare environment. Listen to the recording and:

  • Learn why SBIRT is a far more flexible protocol than typically understood, allowing for choice of screening tools, brief interventions, and tight integration into existing care delivery systems.
  • Understand the key barriers to the implementation of SBIRT, including the tendency to silo SBIRT as a behavioral health service, provider resistance to addiction services, inadequate referral, and lack of adequate focus on the brief intervention component of the protocol.
  • Find out how to leverage the support of states, foundations and others willing to fund SBIRT as an effective protocol for addiction.
  • Learn how to overcome the myths about substance use and shift provider culture and attitudes – resulting in a rich adoption of SBIRT.
  • Understand the potential for expanding SBIRT’s reach, with the next wave likely to focus on non-traditional settings like schools, county jails, and possibly even organizations that provide housing, meals and other human services.

HMA Speakers

Margarita Pereyda, MD, Principal, Southern California
Gina Lasky, HMA Community Strategies Project Manager, Denver

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Making the Business Case for Team Coaching

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On October 22, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Making the Business Case for Team Coaching: Behavior-Based Training for Leaders of Highly Effective Healthcare Organizations.”  

Healthcare organizations are being asked to evolve rapidly – reflecting new business models that rely on team-based organizational structures for success. Getting there will require leaders who can break down barriers and coach employees to thrive in a team-oriented environment. 

During this webinar, HMA experts Jeffrey Ring and Sandra Sperry discuss the importance of behavior-based leadership training for healthcare organizations and demonstrate how effective leaders can positively influence employee commitment, engagement, productivity, and results in a team-oriented environment. Listen to the recording and:

  • Understanding the business case for team coaching, with an emphasis on the role training can play as your organization adjusts to emerging economic models in healthcare.
  • Assess the most important behaviors and attributes of effective leaders in the context of team-based healthcare.
  • Learn how to effectively navigate conflicts and create an environment in which healthcare teams can work through problems and reach consensus. 
  • Assist individuals who aren’t effective in a team environment and help them identify ways to maximize their potential.
  • Understand how consistent behavior-based leadership training exercises can act as a valuable support mechanism for team leaders and managers.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Risk-Ready Primary Care

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On October 21, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Risk-Ready Primary Care: The Next Wave in Practice Transformation for a Value-Based Future.”

To successfully share risk in a value-based healthcare system, primary care practices need to develop a core set of capabilities that include clinical integration, data analytics, and targeted interventions. We call this type of practice transformation Risk-Ready Primary Care, and it is the next paradigm in primary healthcare delivery and risk-based payments.

During this webinar, HMA Principals Greg Vachon, MD and Lori Weiselberg offered a framework for Risk-Ready Primary Care, with an emphasis on the infrastructure and skill-sets needed to successfully manage patient populations while taking on various degrees of financial risk. More broadly, they provided an update on the evolution of value-based payments and the importance of coupling financial models with high value, population health management. Listen to the recording and:

  • Understand the risk continuum, including an assessment of the various financial models and levels of risk-sharing available to primary care providers.
  • Learn what’s needed for primary care providers to successfully take on risk, including the importance of a practice transformation framework that prioritizes key functions like identifying high-impact patients, improving access, and high-yield interventions.
  • Obtain case studies of successful primary care practice transformations and risk-sharing arrangements.
  • Learn why Risk-Ready Primary Care is poised for growth, driven by a national focus on shifting from fee-for-service to value-based payments.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Emerging Tools and Technology for Consumer Engagement

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On October 15, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Emerging Tools and Technology for Consumer Engagement in Health Care.”  

Consumer engagement in health care through the use of electronic tools and technology is more than just a trend. Payers are funding the rollout of consumer engagement tools in hopes of increasing the quality of care, improving outcomes and reducing costs. It’s also imperative for providers who wish to receive incentive payments for meeting federal meaningful use guidelines. 

During this webinar, Matt McGeorge and Jean Glossa of HMA’s Health Care IT Advisory Services team outline the current trends in consumer engagement tools and technology, including the key drivers of adoption, the latest innovations, and the impact on quality and cost of care delivery. Listen to the recording and:

  • Recognize the importance of information technology in driving consumer engagement in health care.
  • Understand the meaningful use guidelines related to consumer engagement.
  • Learn about some of the tools and technology helping consumers navigate the healthcare system, manage their health and wellness, and evaluate care options.
  • Discern the role patients play in helping keep electronic health records and information up-to-date and accurate.
  • Gain insight into the implications for clinicians as consumers more actively utilize electronic tools and technology

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Battling Opioid Addiction

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On September 29, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Battling Opioid Addiction: Public Policy and Healthcare Strategies for an Epidemic.”

Opioid addiction, including inappropriate use of prescription painkillers, has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. Battling this crisis will require a close partnership between healthcare providers, public health officials, state and federal policymakers, and community-based organizations.

During this webinar, HMA Principal Margarita Pereyda, MD, outlines various public policy and healthcare strategies that have successfully reduced the risk of opioid addiction, including case studies of collaborative initiatives and protocols for identifying and treating people struggling with opioid addiction. Listen to the recording and:

  • Understand the importance of provider education efforts at the national and community level to drive awareness, prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.
  • Get the facts behind harm-reduction and patient-safety programs, which can mitigate the possibility of adverse healthcare consequences including drug overdoses.
  • Anticipate the potential unintended consequences of laws and policies designed to crack down on the availability of prescription opioids, including an uptick in other forms of drug abuse.
  • Learn how to craft policies and protocols that emphasize a coordinated approach to the diagnosis and treatment of opioid addiction, including the integration of primary, behavioral and community-based care.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: 21st Century LTSS – A Roadmap

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On September 23, 2015, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “21st Century LTSS – A Roadmap to Improved Outcomes, Lower Costs and Better Lives for Individuals with Complex Healthcare Needs.”

There is an urgent need for health plans, accountable care organizations, and providers to integrate LTSS into their overall concept of person-centered care for individuals with complex needs. Being responsive to the needs of consumers in an effective manner requires a fresh conceptualization of LTSS, one that will provide the flexibility needed to deliver person-centered care in a manner that improves overall quality of life while bending the cost curve through reduction of unnecessary hospital use. This means leveraging LTSS touch points at the community level, proactively identifying member needs, and linking individuals to appropriate community-based care before an emergency room visit or hospitalization is necessary.

During this webinar, HMA Senior Consultant Ellen Breslin, and Dennis Heaphy, policy expert with Disability Policy Consortium and chairman of the Massachusetts One Care Implementation Council, explore how payers and providers can work together to create financial incentives and protocols that drive 21st Century LTSS.

Listen to the recording and:

  • Understand how to leverage LTSS to build a robust primary care prevention strategy by relying on community health workers to help identify the healthcare needs of individuals with complex conditions.
  • Learn how to align provider incentives with patient needs by pursuing a value-based purchasing strategy that creates a direct link between payments and consumer-defined outcomes.
  • Find out how risk adjustment models for LTSS can help fine-tune provider reimbursements and improve payment accuracy.
  • Identify strategies to improve the overall integration of LTSS into the delivery of person-centered care, including granting providers greater authority to streamline the authorization process.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.