Driving Change in Healthcare: The Power of Collaborative Efforts

In healthcare, as in other industries, multi-stakeholder collaboratives working toward a shared vision and common goals are the best way to achieve meaningful strides in improving healthcare outcomes, expanding access to care, and addressing the complex issues of affordability and equity.

The Prerequisites for Success

Several key factors are required for these collaborations to succeed. First and foremost is the shared vision. Without a common purpose, efforts to drive change can become fragmented and ineffective. Equally important is the ability to engage in principled conversations. Stakeholders must be willing to share their perspectives openly and constructively without fear of dismissal or reflexive disagreement. Identifying barriers to success allows for targeted problem-solving and constructive solutions to anchor compromises and help move the group forward.

In healthcare, the players can vary, but generally, well-functioning groups with the broadest representation (e.g., Federal and State agencies, health systems, community health centers, health plans, professional and membership associations, population health and technology companies, and others) get results.

The Power of Collective Action

At the Federal level, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has leveraged collaboration among health plans, primary care organizations, states, and technology vendors to introduce and support many programs, including Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC), Primary Care First, Making Care Primary, GUIDE, Innovation in Behavioral Health model , and various ACO models and specialty-oriented programs. Common to these programs is the emphasis on coordinated care to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Health and Human Services (HHS) continues to leverage similar coalitions to launch and sustain programs, including the Million Hearts Initiative .

Professional associations also play a critical role in advancing healthcare change. The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) , initially championed by groups like the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association, has transformed primary care delivery by centering the healthcare experience around the patient. Consensus-building across health plans, employers, and multiple medical societies, including the American Medical Association, was critical to the model’s success, which now is the foundation for many federal and state programs.

Health plans, health systems, and accountable care organizations are often catalysts for coordinated community efforts focused on populations with gaps in quality, health disparities, and health-related social needs across Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial lines of business.

Collaboration: The Room Where It Happens

To facilitate the exchange of ideas and form new professional relationships, many organizations join multistakeholder conveners like the Population Health Alliance (PHA). PHA identifies key population health priorities and creates representative workgroups focused on important issues to generate actionable insights and recommendations. For 2024, PHA has four ongoing efforts, including:

• Improving Access to Integrated Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• The New Federal Medicaid Managed Care Rule: Impacts and Opportunities to Improve Access and Quality of Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries
• Leveraging Data to Meet Social Care Needs in Support of Achieving Equitable Outcomes
• Primary Care Medication Management:? Whole Person Focused, Value-Based Connected and Powered for the 21st Century

During the PHA Innovation & Adoption Summit on October 23 – 24, 2024, participants will provide updates on the workgroup activities above and discuss real-world examples of innovation in care transformation, employer healthcare purchasing, advancing senior health initiatives, whole-health population-based payments and improvement, and advancing value-based care. More importantly, leaders from across the healthcare industry will have time to engage and interact with each other to exchange insights and look for opportunities to join or expand collaborative activities around these and other highly relevant issues.

Conclusion

Driving change in healthcare is no easy task, but the power of principled, multistakeholder collaboration cannot be overstated. As the healthcare landscape rapidly evolves, these partnerships will remain critical in ensuring that care is equitable, affordable, and accessible to all.

Join us, other Board members, and thought leaders at a not-to-miss Summit as we celebrate our 25th anniversary and recognize our leading PHA members through our newly announced Award program. Register here?https://phainnovationsummit.com

If you are not a PHA member, join now and continue to share your expertise as a Population Health Improvement leader!?https://populationhealthalliance.org/pha-highlights/membership/categories-dues-member/

Michael S. Barr, MD, MBA, MACP, FRCP. Senior Director, Population Health Improvement Population Health Alliance