As the holiday season is in full swing, value based care remains a hot topic. Many organizations -especially entities like CVS -are working to connect its importance to public health, as healthier individuals make healthier communities. Regardless of the confusion in federal healthcare regulation, the underlying principles are simple: provide good care and do it at as low a cost as possible.
Another key focus this month was around the future of our workforce. Students are graduating at a higher rate than ever, but by 2022, America will need 1 million more college grads with STEM training than we are on track to produce. Educators today are faced with the challenge of preparing young people for unceasing reinvention, to take on many roles in the workplace and for careers that do not yet exist. This sparks many conversations about how we prepare our students to succeed beyond the 3-5 year mark, with all of this riding on the shirttails of a rewrite of the federal law governing higher education in the U.S.
A Patient-Centered Approach to Thriving in MACRA
"Many organizations are scrambling to figure out how to meet requirements for CMS' new quality payment program under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). But while MACRA may be confusing, the underlying principles are simple: provide good care, do it at as low a cost as possible, use HIT as an underpinning for that care and continue to improve your practice."
Learn more about a patient-centered approach to MACRA >
Value-Based Care Explained Through Analogies
"For as long as most of us can remember, the more patients that landed in the ER, the more revenue that hospital generated. Many refer to it as a “heads in beds” mentality. Now, CMS and insurance companies (who own most of the the dollars) are pressuring hospitals to clean up their act. Basically, hospitals are taking on more risk than ever before. Check out these five overarching messages."
Could your pharmacy replace your doctor?
"If CVS Health (CVS) President and CEO Larry J. Merlo is to be believed, the proposed $69 billion merger with the country's third-largest health insurer, Aetna (AET), will 'create a new front door to health care in our country.' With more than 9,700 CVS stores and approximately 22 million people insured by Aetna, CVS is hoping the merger will help expand its growing health services business."
Bringing the “joy” back to healthcare this holiday season
The holiday season is a time to give thanks and share love with others. However, with a shortage of primary care physicians, uncertainty around value-based reimbursements, and more individuals than ever needing care, the idea of physician and universal healthcare provider burnout is real.
Analysis: By 2022, America Will Need 1 Million More College Grads With STEM Training Than we are on Track to Produce
"'There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.' The words of Teddy Roosevelt hold a timeless truth: The one constant in life is change — and today we live in a moment of great change and great opportunity. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the shifts in America’s workforce as automation and rapid technological advancement transform the global economy."
Read more from 74million.org >
Students Must Be Prepared to Reinvent Themselves
Students face "a future of multiple careers, not just jobs. The average lifespan of the next generation is projected to be 80-90 years, and most people will need to work past age 65 to have enough savings for retirement. When my students agonize about choosing career paths (designer, entrepreneur, policymaker, scholar), I point out that the real issue is not which path they want to take, but which one to take first as a foundation for the others. Educators today are faced with the challenge of preparing young people for unceasing reinvention to take on many roles in the workplace and for careers that do not yet exist."
Learn more about reinvention of roles within the workplace >