BACON from the MaineHealth ACO

In this special farewell episode of BACON, Heather and Mike welcome Dr. Asaf Bitton, keynote speaker for the upcoming MaineHealth ACO Value-Based Care Symposium on May 14. As Executive Director of Ariadne Labs and a leader in primary care innovation, Dr. Bitton shares insights from healthcare systems worldwide and discusses the evolving roles of primary care and specialists in risk-based models. Be on the lookout for our new podcast, Curbside Consult, in May!

Endocrinologist Stephen Babirak, MD, joins Mike and Heather to discuss how statins can lower cardiovascular disease risk in patients with diabetes, vastly improving their outcomes and extending their lives.

Learn how care managers from the MaineHealth ACO and St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston are collaborating to increase communication between the hospital and primary care practices to reduce 30-day readmission rates.

MaineHealth Associate Chief Quality Officer Mark Parker, MD, joins Heather and Mike to discuss a promising care variation reduction project that uses the delivery of timely lab results as a lever to improve diagnosis accuracy.

Evidence suggests that older adults age more successfully when they're able to stay in their homes or in their home communities. In this episode of BACON, we talk to gerontologist Dr. Heidi Wierman and healthy aging advocate Jess Maurer to learn how primary care providers can help their patients age in place safely and comfortably. They discuss strategies for working with individual patients and look at ways to engage with, and support, community-based efforts to support healthy aging. 

The HPV vaccine has been proven effective in preventing cancer but our vaccination rates could be higher. MaineHealth's Dr. Melissa Keeport and Caroline Zimmerman discuss new guidelines and the role primary care can play in improving rates.

On May 22, the MaineHealth ACO will host the Working Together to Advance Value-Based Care symposium in Freeport, with health policy superstar Dr. Don Berwick headlining as keynote speaker. In this BACON episode, we take a deep dive into one of the symposium's afternoon workshops. Focused on payment bundles for specialty care, the workshop will be led by our two podcast guests, Dr. James Powers and Sue Seekins.

In less than a year, Southern Maine Health Care reduced length of stay by thirteen percent and saved the health system nearly four million dollars. MaineHealth Southern Region Associate Chief Medical Officer Michael Albaum, MD, led the effort and shares his “recipe” for success.

Dr. Kendra Emery, the ACO's Chief Medical Officer, providers her insights and plans for the organization and shares how her vision aligns with ACO priorities.

MaineHealth Medical Group Senior Director for Palliative Care Becca Hutchinson, MD, provides her unique and inspiring perspective on the role of palliative care in medicine today. Dr. Hutchinson recently helped to establish a stand-alone palliative care outpatient practice in Scarborough and is a leading advocate for increasing access to palliative care in northern New England.

Unwarranted care variation is often discussed in terms of its impact on cost. But there's another dimension to care variation that is perhaps more important: its impact on patient safety. In this episode, MaineHealth Medical Group's VP for Quality and Safety, Natisa Dill, discusses variation's profound impact on safety and steps to mitigate it.

One of our most popular episodes of the last year featured an interview with Memorial's Matt Dunn, DO, discussing his primary care team's success in increasing patient access. We replay that interview this month, as access remains both a challenge and a priority.

The reduction of unwarranted care variation has the potential to improve quality while reducing cost of care, which aligns perfectly with the principles of value-based care championed by the ACO. Join us as we explore MHACO's dedicated focus on end-of-life care and transitions of care in our conversation with Carl DeMars, MD, chair of the MHACO board and VP for physician and APP services for MaineHealth's Coastal Region.

The ACO's Emily Levi reports MIPS and MSSP results for our participants and the financial implications.

MHACO's President Jen Moore introduces ours recently released 2022 Annual Report, highightig how ACO participants improved quality, reduced over-utilization, and generated substantial value-based care revenue through collaborative efforts among providers, care teams, administrators, and payer partners.

Pediatric sports medicine physicians Michele LaBotz, MD, and Sarah Hoffman, DO, join us to introduce the concept of physical literacy and share resources that primary care providers can use to assess and improve the physical literacy of their pediatric patients.

In the world of value-based care, there's one set of diagnosis codes that carry much greater weight than all the rest: HCCs. What are HCCs and why are they so important? Scott Williams, MD, joins Heather and Mike with the answers.

Ryan Polly, MaineHealth's VP for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, joins Heather to explore aspects of health equity and the results of a cross-cultural competency assessment completed by hundreds of MaineHealth providers.

Reducing care variation is a strategic goal for both the MaineHealth ACO and the MaineHealth system during FY24 and beyond. The ACO's chief operating officer, Shannon Banks, joins us to introduce initiatives that the ACO board has approved for addressing unwarranted variation in end-of-life care and transitions of care.

Although the healthcare workforce is overwhelmingly female, women are underrepresented in leadership roles. This month, Mike and Heather discuss this phenomenon with Gayle Capozzalo of the Equity Collaborative. A former executive at Yale New Haven Health, Gayle provides insights into the cause of the disparity and offers a leadership pathway for women.

MaineHealth Regional CMO for the Western Region Matt Dunn, DO, shares how Memorial Hospital dramatically increased access to primary care over the last several years, improving both patient and provider satisfaction in the process.

Recent news coverage has revealed abuses of the Medicare Advantage program and caused some providers to express concerns about participating in it. In this extended episode, LincolnHealth's Tim Goltz, MD, joins us to discuss the ethics of the ACO's and MaineHealth's approach to the program and the sometimes difficult path toward realizing the promise of value-based care.   

The ACO's Laura Larssen joins Heather and Mike to discuss measures that have just been added to the MHACO Quality Heat Map, including a first-ever health disparity measure.

MaineHealth ACO President Jennifer Moore shares the latest quality and financial results from the ACO's participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Plus, the MaineHealth Medical Group's new chief wellness officer, Christine Hein, MD, on current and future efforts to address provider wellness and burnout.

MHACO Chief Medical Officer Rob Chamberlin, MD, announces the innovation projects that the ACO is funding this year through a special allocation of shared savings. Also, we meet Heather Ward, MD, BACON's new co-host!

Marin Johnson, Dr. Katie Sharp and Dr. Renee Wolf join us to discuss the role community health workers are playing in preventive medicine. Also, co-host Julie Grosvenor, MD, reflects on the role of the ACO and the podcast as she prepares to leave the show.

Rob Chamberlin, MD, the CMO of the MaineHealth ACO, introduces new tools available to MaineHealth providers and practices to help plan and complete Medicare annual wellness visits. Plus, Carrie Gordon, MD, updates us on the Let's Go childhood obesity prevention program.

As the ACO prepares to enter into two-sided risk contracts with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, we bring you two relevant interviews from previous episodes. The first features the ACO's Lauren Purcell on the intricacies of MA plan star ratings; the second features Brett Loffredo, MD on improving the precision of clinical documentation.

MMP's Caitlin Costigan on using annual synchronized prescribing to improve med adherence; Toni Eimicke and Erin Belfort from the BBCH Gender Clinic discuss care for transgender youth and LGBTQ+ patients.

MaineHealth ACO President Jen Moore provides highlights from the organization's recently released annual report, showing strong performance in 2021. Plus, Carol Zechman, Kimberly Beaudoin and Kate Herrick join Julie and Mike to celebrate 20 years of MaineHealth Access to Care's service to Maine's most vulnerable populations.

Primary care provider Samuel Ferguson, DO, discusses the importance of accurate HCC coding and shares some tips for making improvements. Robert Bing You, MD, and Leah Mallory, MD, introduce Maine Medical Center's Department of Medical Education, which offers innovative training to providers inside and outside the MaineHealth system.

MaineHealth ACO Chief Medical Officer Rob Chamberlin, MD, discusses the experiences of Maine practices taking part in the inaugural year of Medicare's Primary Care First value-based reimbursement model.

MaineHealth ACO Chief Operating Officer Shannon Banks shares new performance results and introduces a sophisticated new data analysis report. Also, Ansar Hassan, MD, on MMC's Mitral Center of Excellence. 

Physicians from across Maine report how they're dealing with the ongoing and intensifying pandemic, both professionally and personally. Listen for diverse insights from Franklin's Ross Isacke, DO; MaineHealth Medical Group's Donald Medd, MD; self-employed provider Kathryn Galbraith, MD; and Waldo's Heather Ward, MD.

Over the past six months, Aileen Mickey, MD, MHA, has been leading the development of the MaineHealth Medical Group, Northern New England's largest multi-specialty medical group. Aileen joins us to discuss her vision for the group and priorities for the year to come.

MMP orthopedic surgeons George Babikian, MD, and Adam Rana, MD, discuss the remarkable success they've had whittling down joint replacement recovery times. Plus, how to help patients enroll in the ACA marketplace health insurance plans.

Accurate and precise clinical documentation matters now more than ever. Brett Loffredo, MD, tells us why. Plus, Amy Mayhew, MD and Melissa Keeport, MD on a training and consultation project to help PCPs better address pediatric behavioral health.

Participants in the ACO will receive millions of dollars in shared savings this year. That's thanks to excellent performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The ACO's chief operating officer, Shannon Banks, provides the details. Also, Ross Feller, MD, is generating savings of his own by moving hand surgery out of the operating room. We learn how.

Our summer vacation episode features two popular stories from the past. First, we offer a reminder of what accountable care organizations do and why they do it. Second, we explore the advantages of telescribes with PenBay's Brad Samojla, DPM.

New MaineHealth CEO Andy Mueller, MD, shares his first impressions of the organization and his priorities going forward. Plus, Peggy Pennoyer, MD, and Don Endrizzi, MD, reflect on their experiences as volunteer COVID vaccinators.

MaineHealth ACO President Jen Moore talks to federal policy expert Blair Childs about the Biden Administration’s healthcare policy priorities, including telehealth and value-based care. Also, Memorial Hospital CMO Matt Dunn, MD, reports on a successful effort to increase primary care access in the North Conway area.

MaineHealth ACO Chief Medical Officer Rob Chamberlin, MD, joins us to reveal some of the fresh data readers will find in the ACO’s newly released annual report. Also, we talk to Andy Russ, MD, LincolnHealth’s VP for Medical Affairs, about his success keeping his regional medical community informed and connected during the pandemic.

On the surface, Medicare Advantage Star Ratings simply allow consumers to compare the quality of Medicare Advantage insurance plans. But deeper down, Star Ratings also drive a complex financial system that includes incentives for providers. The ACO’s Lauren Purcell explains. Also, Maine Behavioral Healthcare’s Ted Logan, MD, on adapting substance use treatment to the new pandemic-driven reality.

MaineHealth ACO President Jennifer Moore reports on final cost, quality and utilization results from value-based contracts that settled in 2020. Also, LincolnHealth’s Timothy Goltz, MD, on the power of poetry to improve meetings.

Dora Anne Mills, MD, MaineHealth’s chief health improvement officer and former director of the Maine CDC, answers providers’ questions about vaccine availability and distribution in Maine (interview recorded on 1/25/21). Also, we explore a successful effort to establish “age-friendly care” at Maine Medical Center.

The ACO has released Basics and Beyond, a series of clinical documentation guides that provide condition-specific advice on precision coding. In this episode, the ACO’s Eiren Menhennitt introduces the guides. Also, Dr. Scot Remick discusses new opportunities for Maine patients to participate in clinical trials.

Next month, more than two dozen primary care practices participating in the ACO will join Primary Care First, a new Medicare program that uses a population-based payment model. Amol Navathe, MD, PhD, a health policy researcher and expert in the model, joins us to discuss. Also, MMC’s Gary Hocheiser, MD, introduces the MATRIx program, an effort to streamline the evaluation and care of patients with lung imaging findings.

MaineHealth ACO Chief Medical Officer Rob Chamberlin, MD, joins Julie and Mike to explore financial and quality results just in from the 2019 performance year of the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Plus, Maine Behavioral Healthcare’s Mary Jean Mork discusses an innovative partnership between psychiatry and primary care. 

With MaineHealth ACO President Jen Moore, Julie and Mike discuss the link between ACO participants’ performance in the Medicare Incentive-based Payment System (MIPS) and a bump in Medicare reimbursement. Also, Julie talks with Rob Doiron, MD, a Sanford native who has returned to his hometown to begin his general surgery career.

We announce the projects that won innovation grants from the MaineHealth ACO this year and take a close look at one of them, an effort led by Maine Medical Partners dermatologist Elizabeth Seiverling, MD, to train and engage primary care providers in early detection of skin cancers.

MaineHealth introduces a new searchable database of local socio-economic assistance programs and a LincolnHealth pediatric practice quickly stands up a curbside vaccination program during the pandemic.