Listen Now!

Business Talk 24-7

Health Connect South

ACA

Transition To Value-Based Healthcare

Posted on

Podcast: Download

value-based

Sidney Welch, Tiff Wilson

Transition To Value-Based Healthcare

Recent changes in law have necessitated a transition to value-based healthcare delivery model, moving away from a volume-focused, treat-when-diagnosed approach to a pro-active, preventive “wellness” initiatives.

Sidney Welch works with clients to best position them in the explosion of heath care change. Focusing on operational, transactional, regulatory, administrative, and litigation matters nationally, Sidney works with clients to structure transactions and respond to compliance issues associated with federal and state health care laws and regulations. She is known for her work with specialty physician practices and health care technology companies across the country, and provides strategic counsel to clients regarding innovations in health care. See more.

Tiffany Wilson joined the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) in 2011 during its startup phase, directing business development activities, building strategic relationships and bringing together core members of the medical device ecosystem. She was quickly promoted to Executive Director, leading all strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the center. Her strong background in medical devices, commitment to fostering innovation and understanding of business strategies have propelled Wilson into a leadership role in the Southeast and brought her into the national spotlight. Full bio

We talked about the transition to value-based healthcare and its impacts on all parties involved, patient, payor, hospital, and physician, and how this transition affects some of the top disease states such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and others.

Tiff shared the news of GCMI’s recent merger with T3 Labs, bringing the lifecycle of tech innovation R&D/commercialization ecosystem and user training under one organization to capitalize on efficiencies, communication, and more.

Special Guests:

Sidney Welch, Healthcare Innovation Practice Lead, Polsinelli

 

Tiff Wilson, Executive Director, GCMI- the Global Center for Medical Innovation

Complying with MACRA

Posted on

Podcast: Download

MACRA

Dr. Vergena Clark

Complying with MACRA

MCCI (Medical Care Consortium, Inc.) is a physician owned Medical Group who partners with Humana to engage Primary Care Provider offices successfully transition to a quality or value based model of care by providing practice support around quality related activities such as appropriate documentation and coding, care coordination, Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), closing Preventive Health and Quality gaps, etc. and now MACRA.

More info soon!

ChronicCareIQ

Posted on

Podcast: Download

ChronicCareIQ

Matt Ethington

ChronicCareIQ

This week Jay and I sat down with Matt Ethington, CEO of ChronicCareIQ to learn how this technology company is providing physicians and hospitals with tools that empower them to better manage patients with chronic illnesses.  The Affordable Care Act has put in place measures around patient outcomes that can affect how much the provider is reimbursed for care they deliver.  Managing patients with chronic illnesses is time-consuming and requires much patient education and follow up to facilitate compliance with the recommended care plan.  The ChronicCareIQ platform not only provides the practice or hospital with an efficient tool for engaging patients, it also provides documentation of required patient contacts, along with current health status data such as glucose measurements, blood pressure, weight, and others.

Matt shared how he is a patient dealing with a chronic illness, Type I Diabetes.  His experiences along the way helped him see how care delivery can be somewhat disconnected at times and inspired him to think about ways to bridge gaps in communication and give providers a better way to know what is happening with their patient between visits.

ChronicCareIQ enables healthcare providers to keep tabs on fragile and chronic patients through their smart phones. Recognizing the impact on patient outcomes when effective chronic disease management measures are in place, Medicare has begun to reimburse for patient engagement performed through the platform, allowing providers to simultaneously automatically meet compliance requirements, and measurably reduce call volumes. Identified as a “Best Practice” by leading consulting groups and with patient engagement rates that exceed 80% on an average weekly basis, practices, hospitals, or health systems can identify decompensating patients in real time, manage risk to prevent unnecessary hospitalization or ED visits, and advance material steps with payment reforms.

Special Guest:

Matt Ethington, CEO, ChronicCareIQ  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small  facebook_logo_small3

ChronicCareIQ

Halyard Health Provides Alternative To Opioid Pain Meds

Posted on

Podcast: Download

opioid

Dr. Kevin Friedman of Halyard Health

Halyard Health Provides Alternative To Opioid Pain Meds

The current opioid abuse epidemic has been called the worst drug crisis in American history. Death rates now
rival those of AIDS during the 1990s, with overdoses from heroin and other opioids now killing more
than 27,000 people a year. People across the country are asking themselves: why? What are the forces
causing this issue, and what can lawmakers and the healthcare community do to curb it? At the heart of
the epidemic is the shift in opioid prescribing practices: in 1991, doctors wrote 76 million prescriptions
for painkillers.

In 2012, that number tripled, with healthcare providers writing 259 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers – enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.1 Most addicts aren’t introduced to opioids through the black market; they are far too often prescribed by their doctors as part of standard treatment protocols for treating postoperative and chronic pain.

On this episode we were joined in studio by Kevin Friedman, medical director at Alpharetta, Georgia-based Halyard Health.  The company manufactures two non-narcotic alternatives – COOLIEF Cooled Radiofrequency and the ON-Q* Pain Relief System – for chronic and post-operative pain, respectively.  Kevin shared actionable steps to address the opioid crisis and how patient/provider education, coupled with non-opioid therapies such as these for pain management, play a critical role in reducing the rate of occurrence of opioid addiction due to prescription use.

Halyard Health is a global medical technology company focused on preventing infection, eliminating pain and speeding
recovery.   Just as a halyard fuels forward movement, Halyard Health’s clinically-superior products and remarkable
service help to advance health and healthcare worldwide. Halyard sells its recognized brands and products in more
than 100 countries, and holds leading market positions in multiple categories across the portfolio. Formerly part of
Kimberly-Clark, Halyard became an independent company on November 1, 2014.

For more information, visit
www.halyardhealth.com.

Special Guest:

Dr. Kevin Friedman, DO, Medical Director, Halyard Health  twitter_logo_small  facebook_logo_small3  linkedin_small1

opioid

  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Nova Southeastern University
  • MBA, IU Kelley School of Business
  • Former Flight Surgeon, US Navy

Moving Analytics

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Moving Analytics

This week I spoke with the co-founder, Harsh Vathsangam, of a technology company, Moving Analytics, that is working to significantly increase participation rates in cardiac rehabilitation. Over 900,000 Americans experience heart attacks each year.  Still more will experience heart failure, valvular disease, and other cardiovascular problems that create a diminished tolerance of activity.

We know very well that regular activity and selective behavior choices around such things as diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking, among others, play a large role in stopping or even reversing effects of these conditions.  Currently, roughly a third or less of these patients are engaging in a supervised cardiac rehab program.  Clearly, there is much room for improvement in this regard.

As a computer scientist, Harsh has long-known the power of computing and analytics data for creating efficiencies and making well-educated strategic decisions.  He and some colleagues began to look for opportunities to leverage this power in the healthcare arena, one which we know is actively seeking to reduce cost while at the same time improve patient outcomes.

The Moving Analytics app allows patients to receive frequent feedback regarding their prescribed activities and behavioral choices.  Additionally, it provides data regarding the patient’s compliance with their regimen along with some basic health data to the health professional overseeing their cardiac rehab progress.  In this way, the patient is able to engage in healthful activities that will improve their condition in the convenience of their home.  Additionally it will allow the cardiac rehab professionals to scale their services to a wider patient population, reducing cost of providing care (based on a per-provider cost).

Moving Analytics is looking to partner with hospitals and health systems who are working to improve patient engagement with these important cardiac rehab programs for the post-cardiovascular event patients.

Special Guest:

Harsh Vathsangam, Co-founder, Moving Analytics  linkedin_small1

cardiac rehab

  • PhD, Computer Science, University of Southern California
  • MS, Computer Science, University of Southern California
  • Recipient, PhD Award, University of Southern California
  • Awarded USC Annenberg Fellowship 2008-2012

Radix Health

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Radix

CW Hall and Arun Mohan of Radix

 

Radix Health

Dr. Arun Mohan talks Radix Healths physician scheduling optimization solution.

Radix Health

Jay Shaffer and I sat down with co-founder of Radix Health, Dr. Arun Mohan.  Radix Health uses technology to improve patient access.  Radix’s flagship product, DASH, is a patent-pending, cloud-based software platform that optimizes ambulatory capacity utilization and reduces scheduling cost. DASH automates and optimizes much of the work currently done by schedulers.

DASH intelligently balances patient characteristics, patient and provider preferences, and appointment availability to match patients with the right provider at the right location for the right duration. The system supports all forms of scheduling including through an agent, provider-provider scheduling and patient self-scheduling.  DASH easily integrates with existing practice management systems.

By leveraging predictive analytics, rules-based scheduling, automation, and user experience, DASH improves access, reduces scheduling costs, eliminates scheduling errors and ensures happier patients and providers.

Arun shared how his experience as a physician, coupled with many conversations over time with colleagues, revealed there is an opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and engagement, while at the same time optimizing the physicians’ utilization of their schedule time.

The Radix Health solution integrates and enhances the basic scheduling feature of existing EMR’s, bringing valuable analytics and algorithms designed to insure a patient is scheduled with the correct specialist, avoiding the need for rescheduling and loss of productivity.

Special Guest:

Dr. Arun Mohan, Co-founder, Radix Health  linkedin_small1

radix health

AirWatch by VM Ware

Posted on

Podcast: Download

AirWatch by VM Ware

AirWatch by VM Ware’s Aamir Siddiqi

AirWatch by VM Ware

On this week’s episode we sat down with Aamir Siddiqi, the Executive Director for Enterprise Sales, Healthcare, for AirWatch by VM Ware.  AirWatch is known as an industry leader and innovator in the mobile enterprise security and services space.

The rise and evolution of mobile devices as business tools has been both a boon and a bane for enterprises.  While on one hand, they serve as efficient tools that facilitate work flow, collaboration, and productivity, they also create significant security risks for the business.

When you add the additional layer of sensitivity and compliance requirements for handling patient health information, this risk is of high importance to address in the healthcare arena.

With their well-known expertise in mobile security coupled with their recent acquisition by VM Ware, AirWatch plays a large role in helping healthcare organizations, both acute and sub-acute, take advantage of mobile tech’s efficiencies while protecting data across all devices on the network.

Special Guest:

Aamir Siddiqi, Executive Director of Enterprise Sales, Healthcare at AirWatch by VM Ware  twitter_logo_small  linkedin_small1  facebook_logo_small3  youtube-logo1  google-plus-logo-red-265px

AirWatch by VM Ware

  • BA, Management and Economics, University of Toronto at Scarborough
  • Previous National Sales Manager, Ultrasound IT Americas, GE Healthcare
  • Former Senior Business Consultant, CDC Software
  • Previous Director, Sales Engineering, Raindance

Telehealth

Posted on

Podcast: Download

MyIdealDoctor

Adrian Davis of MyIdealDoctor talks telehealth

Telehealth

This week we sat down with Adrian Davis, CEO of MyIdealDoctor, a telehealth company.  Adrian shared how he had spent the early years of his career in health technology and equipment sales and distribution.  With the passage of the ACA he and several of his associates saw an opportunity to help meet a need for access to medical care, taking advantage of technology.

They launched the company to begin to help patients to be able to speak directly with a physician from wherever they are using phone, smart phone/mobile device, or via a computer connection.  Their initial focus has been upon episodic patient needs centered around non-emergent complaints such as respiratory infections, minor cuts, sore throats, etc.

In many cases the physician is able to use the camera on the device, along with interview, to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication to treat the problem.  Additionally, if the patient’s complaint is too severe or worrisome to be able to handle the problem remotely, they make recommendations to seek care in a nearby urgent care center or emergency department.

In this way MyIdealDoctor is able to have an impact on the volume of patients being seen in the urgent care and more importantly, in the emergency rooms, allowing them to focus on more acutely-ill patients.

The company has focused their initial service model on corporate health, providing their care model to businesses offering the service as a component of their employee health plans.  MyIdealDoctor will be providing their service to the general population soon.

Special Guest:

Adrian Davis, CEO/ Co-founder of MyIdealDoctor  twitter_logo_small  linkedin_small1  facebook_logo_small3

MyIdealDoctor

  • BS, Microbiology, University of Georgia
  • Co-founder/Partner, United Medical Enterprises
  • Previous GI/Ultrasound Territory Manager, Philips
  • Former IV Therapy Territory Manager, Baxter Healthcare

Pharmacogenomics

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Harmonyx

Pharmacogenomics

This week on Health Connect South Radio we featured Bob Bean, CEO of Harmonyx, a technology company specializing in pharmacogenomics.  Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs. This relatively new field combines pharmacology (the science of drugs) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to develop effective, safe medications and doses that will be tailored to a person’s genetic makeup.

As we have learned on previous episodes of the show, taking medications correctly is vital to achieving a positive outcome.  In fact, incorrectly taking a medication or taking certain combinations of medications can actually make you very sick or even kill you.

Add to that this fact–our genetic code can affect how our body responds to a given medication we’re taking.  For example, 30% of people who take Plavix, the popular anti-platelet medication to prevent stroke, get no effect from taking the drug due to a particular genetic mutation.  Consider the money spent by 1/3 of patients taking this medicine and it’s literally doing nothing in their body.

Harmonyx employs a non-invasive cheek swab which collects a DNA sample which is then tested for that individual’s genetically-driven response to a prescribed medication.  Depending on the results, it may be possible for the pharmacist and physician to identify another medication from that particular medicine family that will have the desired effect and/or avoid possible negative responses to the original med.

The test is available at participating pharmacies and can provide useful information for patients taking statin medication, ADHD meds, pain medication, and anti-platelet medication.  The test will reveal if the patient’s body will respond as expected or if they may experience adverse effects due to the way their body processes the prescribed medication.

In this way the patient is able to get medical treatment that is likely to have the desired outcome while avoiding probable negative effects and/or spending money and taking a medicine that literally does nothing for them.

On this episode I also shared the conversation I had with Ebola survivor, Dr. Ian Crozier, who was a keynote speaker at the 2015 Health Connect South event.  Ian was providing care to Ebola patients in Sierra Leone when he contracted the disease.  He had the good fortune of being flown to Emory Hospital in Atlanta for intense specialized care.  In spite of significant damage to numerous organs including kidneys, eyes, and even his brain, Ian survived and shared his poignant story with the attendees of this year’s event.

I was very pleased to get to meet him and speak with him for a few minutes.

Special Guests:

Bob Bean, CEO of Harmonyx

Harmonyx

Dr. Ian Crozier, Ebola Survivor

Ebola

Improving Patient Outcomes

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Health Connect South Radio

Sara Bright, Gary Austin, and Jay Shaffer

Improving Patient Outcomes

On this episode we featured three organizations who are working on improving patient outcomes in several ways.  We hosted Dr. Kim Dennis, CEO/Director for Timberline Knolls and her colleague, Sara Bright, Gary Austin, CEO of One Care, and Marc O’Connor of Curant Health came by to talk about their solutions.

Timberline Knolls  is a residential  treatment center for young and adult women (ages 12 to 65+) with eating disorders, substance abuse, trauma, mood and co-occurring disorders.  Dr. Dennis joined us by phone and the center’s Atlanta-based outreach representative, Sara Bright joined us in studio to talk about how they help improve the outcomes for the women they treat.

Located in suburban Chicago, residents receive excellent clinical care from a highly trained professional staff on a picturesque 43-acre wooded campus.  Women and families seeking Christian treatment can opt for specialized Christian-based therapy. For more information on Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, call them at 877.257.9611. They are also on Facebook – Timberline Knolls, LinkedIn – Timberline Knolls and Twitter – @TimberlineToday.

One Care is a form of social platform that is designed to help families who are trying to support loved ones who are dealing with a variety of health issues, particularly when there are a number of activities the patient needs to accomplish to optimize their outcomes by adhering closely to the care plan prescribed for them.  This may include nutritional recommendations, exercise regimens, medication schedules, etc.  The platform employs philosophies learned through Aubrey Daniels’ management and behavioral training philosophies.

Improving Patient Outcomes

Aubrey Daniels

The application interfaces with a variety of wearable technology such as the Fitbit, glucometers, and others.  In this way, family members have the ability to coach and reward their loved ones when they complete the recommended actions, as well as check in when it’s seen they have missed a med or other action.

One Care has partnered with technology company, Curant Health.  Marc O’Connor is Chief Operating Officer for Curant Health.  Curant Health treats patients nationwide through its medication management protocols, including medication reconciliation and establishment of personalized medication regimens, and supports its provider partners and care coordination with its award-winning EHR, MedPlan™.

Improving Patient Outcomes

Curant’s healthcare professionals provide individualized care proven to improve the lives and reduce the overall healthcare costs of chronically ill patients.curanthealth.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurantHealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/curant-health

Special Guests:

Dr. Kim Dennis, MD, CEO and Medical Director of Timberline Knolls  twitter_logo_small  facebook_logo_small3  linkedin_small1

Timberline Knolls

  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
  • American Society for Addiction Medicine
  • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders

Sara Bright, MS, Professional Outreach Representative, Timberline Knolls  linkedin_small1

Timberline Knolls

  • MS, Human Resources Counseling, Northeastern University
  • Integrative Health Coaching, Integrative Medicine, Duke University
  • Board Member and Founding Member, Friends of Camp Celo

Gary Austin, CEO of OneCare  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small  facebook_logo_small3

One Care

  • Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business
  • Completed Advanced Performance Management Training Course, Aubrey Daniels International
  • Co-founder and past CEO, Clearwave

Marc O’Connor, COO of Curant Health  twitter_logo_small  linkedin_small1  facebook_logo_small3

Curant Health

  • MBA, Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business
  • Member,  Board of Directors, Atlanta Heart Ball, American Heart Association
  • Editorial Board Member, Specialty Pharmacy Times