National Healthcare Leaders Gather at MDS Consulting’s Annual Conference to Share Strategies for Success as Affordable Care Act Takes Hold
LOS ANGELES--At a time when the Affordable Care Act, accountable care and population health are dominating the healthcare landscape, prominent industry leaders from around the country gathered at MDS Consulting’s 9th annual Healthcare Leadership and Executive Conference in Las Vegas to share strategies for how to successfully make the transition to the new era of healthcare and truly deliver value to the customers they serve.
Widely recognized as one of the industry’s premier annual gatherings, the faculty of 25 thought leaders joined with more than 170 executives from hospitals, health plans, physician groups, ACOs and other organizations to discuss population health management, clinical integration, and evolving new models of care delivery. With the theme of “Transforming Healthcare: Partnerships, Innovations and Population Health,” the conference assembled a unique faculty of individuals who brought with them road-tested experience in tackling many of the challenges and opportunities that confront healthcare leaders today.
“There can be little doubt that healthcare reform has shaken the traditional model of delivery to its roots,” said Phil Dalton, MDS president and conference sponsor. “The move to value-based reimbursement and population health management is causing radical organizational turmoil and change. But it is also opening the doors to new opportunities, new ways to serve the community, and new pathways to success. These are things that every hospital, health system and physician organization should desire as they position themselves for a future that is close at hand.”
In looking at this new era of healthcare, Welltok Chairman and CEO Jeff Margolis told the gathering that “Population health starts with consumers, not patients, and truly understanding the factors that impact an individual’s health.” Margolis said that the industry is going through a three-stage transformational wave from patient-centered care to consumer engagement to ultimately the science of prevention. “Historically the healthcare industry has focused on the 15 percent of the population who need sick care. It is now time to also think more about optimizing the health of the other 85 percent of the consumers. That is how we really drive the value in healthcare.”
Sharing these views on the changing world of healthcare was Catherine Anderson, national vice president of healthcare policy for United Healthcare Community and State. Anderson said that the industry has entered a period of “healthcare like we’ve never seen it before” driven by “consumer demands, purchaser demands, expanded provider roles, increased transparency, blurred lines between payers, and new incentives for all involved.” Anderson shared with conference attendees the four emerging policy trends that she believes will drive the market to its new destination: “value over volume, consumer centric, population focused and progressive provider engagement.”
Other topics discussed at the two-day conference included the practical realities of ACA implementation, advances in telemedicine, proven strategies for managing seniors and chronic disease, managing acute and post-acute care, clinical integration and narrow networks, and transforming the retail pharmacy to a healthcare provider. A pre-conference workshop focused on developing and managing bundled payments, capitation, and tailored networks.
Dalton said that plans are already underway for MDS’ 10th Anniversary leadership conference, to be held Oct 4-6, 2015, in Las Vegas.
MDS Consulting is a national healthcare consulting firm that helps hospitals, medical groups, health systems and other healthcare organizations achieve their goals for development, growth and profitability. The MDS team of executive-level professionals provides individualized solutions and creative insights in such areas as physician/hospital alignment, medical group management, health reform/accountable care, financial assessments, hospital/healthcare strategic planning and implementation, and regulatory compliance. Further information may be obtained at www.mdsconsulting.com.