Health systems explore population health territory, from within their markets
By Dennis Archambault
The term “population health” is being defined somewhat differently in health industry circles, than among public health professionals: similar purpose, perhaps, but a more exclusive connotation.
On May 7, Modern Healthcare magazine is hosting a panel discussion on population health for health care industry executives, “Population Healthcare Management: Strategies That Work.” The twist is in “population healthcare management.” The program features Joe Mullany, CEO of the Detroit Medical Center; Dr. Bruce Muma, chief medical officer of the Henry Ford Health System; and Dr. Thomas L. Simmer, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
According to event publicity, the program will “discuss how population health management is being addressed within the local healthcare market.” While here they say “population health,” they most likely mean managing the health status of patients within the service population of health systems. The program topics include:
- Engaging patients in their care
- Leveraging new technological tools and analytics to pinpoint issues and improve care
- Participating in ACOs and other emerging delivery models
- Managing the health of complex patients
- Collaborating with insurers
- Using population health management strategies to prevent re-admissions.
The program apparently will not discuss the role of health systems in “population health,” as interpreted by public health professionals. However, they are playing a role, which is emerging as an opportunity area within the community health needs assessment.
The Detroit Wayne County Health Collaborative is an initiative that has grown out of the data and community health needs assessment workgroups of the Health Authority’s Population Health Council. Led by David Goldbaum, the Health Authority’s executive in residence, the initiative brings representatives of health systems who are implementing their institutions community health needs assessments and related action plans and public health officials together to talk about creating a common approach to the assessment process and a collaboration around action plans.
This process is historic in that health systems, despite their community benefit programs and charity care, have tended to focus on their markets, not on vulnerable populations in the regions where they are located — which is one of the reasons why the health status of Wayne County is so low on the County Health Rankings scale, where some of the region’s top health systems are located.
Although some health systems may view the community health needs assessment in the context of the requirements of the law, enforced by the Internal Revenue Service, it should be seen as the historic opportunity that it is — where public and private interests can truly collaborate around the common goal of improving health status.
Dennis Archambault is director of Public Affairs for the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority.