What We’re Reading | Week of 4.10.2017

Healthcare is a rapidly evolving industry – it’s difficult to read up on everything that matters to you. But the success of your practice can depend on how knowledgeable you are about changes in the healthcare landscape. Privia has compiled a weekly list of important articles we are reading on healthcare industry trends, clinical best practices and legislative updates for your convenience. Here are some of the important articles and blogs on health care that stood out this week:

• County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute; support provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Interesting clip: “The annual Rankings provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities.”

• Population health picking up steam, IT maturing, but more innovation is needed, Healthcare IT News

Interesting clip: “Veterans Affairs director of value management Nathan Tierney, in fact, said that creating value for patients should be the primary focal point in healthcare. ‘If we focus more on outcomes and less on cost,” Tierney said, “we could actually improve the broken healthcare system in this country.’”

• New Approaches for Building Healthier Cities, BU Today

Interesting clip: “How can cities become a model for generating healthy populations? What kind of innovative leadership and data ecosystems are required? Those were among the questions considered during a daylong School of Public Health Dean’s Symposium titled Building Healthy Cities: Boston and Beyond, held at SPH last Wednesday.”

• Achieving ROI from Population Health Investments: How Realistic is it?, Healthcare Informatics

Interesting clip: “Both Weaver and James Green, managing partner for revenue cycle at Advisory Board, note that healthcare organizations are struggling with having their feet in two payment buckets—fee-for-service and value-based care.” communities decreased their number of unhealthy days by a “margin of 3%” from 2015 to 2016.”

• Move to Value-Based Payment to Continue: CMS Medical Director, Revcare

Interesting clip: “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) remains committed to shifting from fee-for-service payments to value-based payments, an agency leader reassured healthcare executives this week. Kate Goodrich, MD, chief medical officer for CMS, told the National Quality Forum’s annual conference that the ‘move to value is still a strong priority at CMS.’”