Waymark

Rising-risk patients receiving Medicaid experience worsening medical and behavioral health conditions and increased acute care utilization, while typically being disconnected from primary care. Randomized controlled studies show that community-based early interventions improve outcomes for these patients before they become high utilizers of acute care services. Yet limited data and infrastructure support, inconsistent grant-based funding, and high administrative burdens have limited the accessibility and reproducibility of successful early community-based interventions for patients receiving Medicaid. The authors report on the launch of operational infrastructure and enabling technology from Waymark, across two health plans and multiple providers in the states of Washington and Virginia, to introduce community-based teams providing early intervention services to rising-risk patients receiving Medicaid. The teams of community health workers, care coordinators, social workers, and pharmacists provided 1,652 patients receiving Medicaid with interventions including: closing care gaps, assistance with care provider instructions, cognitive behavioral therapy, prescription medication access, arranging and accompanying patients to social service and health care appointments. Using data synthesis efforts and generative AI to assist teams with streamlined outreach and communications reduced administrative intake time for intervention teams by 34.2%, facilitated improvement of HEDIS quality metrics by an 11.8 absolute percentage point average, and enabled patients to achieve 63.3% of their health care and social goals. Using novel rising-risk machine learning models to optimize patient selection and outreach timing, the teams achieved a 22.9% reduction in all-cause acute events, including a 48.3% reduction in ambulatory care–sensitive hospitalizations among patients receiving the intervention, versus a matched control group of nonintervened patients. Addressing clinical and social service gaps between primary care practices and health plans provided critical but narrow windows of opportunity to improve patient outcomes: https://nej.md/482n9cC Aaron Baum, Rajaie Batniji, Hannah Ratcliffe, Margalit?DeGosztonyi, Sanjay Basu

Today, we published a peer-reviewed study in NEJM Catalyst evaluating the impact of our early intervention model for over 64,000 patients covered by two Medicaid health plans and almost 2,300 providers in Virginia and Washington state. The study found that Waymark significantly improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving our services over the course of 2023—including a 22.9% reduction in all-cause emergency department (ED) and hospital visits. As a public benefit company, Waymark is chartered to improve access, quality of care and health equity for people enrolled in Medicaid. This study demonstrates that our approach is working—we are delivering on our charter. We’re excited to share more about how we’re scaling this impact for more communities in the months ahead. Full study here: https://wymrk.co/3BNtg8V Press release here: https://wymrk.co/4f2RrhO #medicaid #research #communitybasedcare

In the second edition of Pathways – a newsletter from Waymark sharing our latest insights on technology and community-based care in Medicaid – we highlight a very exciting release. Our co-founder and Head of Clinical Sanjay Basu just published a book outlining the history of Medicaid and offering suggestions to push one of the largest healthcare safety net programs in the U.S. toward more equitable, high-value care. ? Also in this edition of Pathways: ? ?? A peer-reviewed study in Health Affairs that examines the pitfalls of cost-effective analyses. ?? Patient stories and care team spotlights that underscore the impact of Waymark’s approach to multidisciplinary, whole-patient care. ?? Recent accolades from Business Insider and f7 Ventures celebrating Waymark’s approach to AI to improve health equity. ? Want more updates? Be sure to subscribe below!

Thank you Deena Shakir and Bloomberg Television for highlighting how our care teams are using AI to predict avoidable hospitalizations and ED visits — ultimately delivering more precise and equitable care for patients receiving Medicaid ??

As a public benefit company, Waymark is chartered to improve access, quality of care and health equity for patients receiving Medicaid. We believe that defining the future of Medicaid starts with an understanding of the program’s past and the root causes of the many challenges it’s facing today. In service to this charter, our co-founder and Head of Clinical Sanjay Basu developed a free resource examining these challenges and offering potential solutions. “Transforming Medicaid: A Blueprint for Equitable Care” explores how everyone in the Medicaid space—including public health workers on the frontlines of our communities—can work together to build a more equitable healthcare system for the millions of patients receiving Medicaid. Read the new book here ?? https://wymrk.co/book

?? Exciting News! The AI in Healthcare & Pharma Summit is just around the corner! Join us on November 13-14, 2024, at The Colonnade Hotel in Boston, MA. ?? One of the standout sessions will be the Panel Discussion: Key Practices for AI Integration Excellence for Existing Healthcare and Pharma Systems. This discussion will delve into critical questions like: You won’t want to miss insights from these expert speakers: 1?? Matt Lewis, Global Chief Artificial and Augmented Intelligence Officer, Inizio Medical 2?? Emily Iacolo, Senior Director, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 3?? Sadiq Y. Patel, VP of Data Science & AI, Waymark Don’t miss your chance to be part of the AI revolution in healthcare and pharma. Register today and shape the future of AI innovation! ??https://hubs.ly/Q02RvXZv0 #reworkAI

“I didn’t want to use a needle to manage the diabetes, so we worked out another way to do it,” she said. “I used to be depressed, but I’m not anymore. That’s because I have Charlie and Jeffrey in my life to help me figure out how to get what I needed.” When Richmond, VA resident Edna first connected with Waymark, she knew exactly what she wanted out of life – but she felt her shyness and difficulty advocating for herself with her doctors was standing in the way. But Senior Community Health Worker Charles, Licensed Therapist Mironda, and Clinical Pharmacist Lead Jeffrey were all able to give her the education, tools and encouragement she needed to meet her goals – and now she’s studying, speaking publicly, and confidently managing her own healthcare. “There was a lot of growth, and there has been even more growth,” said Charlie. “When we met, there were a lot of specialists in the mix, and Edna’s got really great at managing all of them.” Read Edna’s story here: https://wymrk.co/4exxY8C

Excited to share that our very own Afia Asamoah has been selected as a winner for the inaugural group of f7 Catalysts! This recognition from f7 Ventures celebrates exceptional leaders and operators at high-growth companies that are driving real change in their communities. As co-founder and Head of Legal & People at Waymark, Afia has been instrumental in defining the cultural principles and values that inform everything from product development to how we serve patients in our communities. We're honored to work with and learn from her as we create more equitable pathways to better health for people enrolled in Medicaid. Congrats to Afia and all of this year's winners!

Excited to discuss new opportunities to improve access and outcomes with our partners across the state Virginia Community Healthcare Association!