Debra Fields

As global temperatures continue to increase, environmental health and climate change should be top of mind. Laura Myers MD, MPH, CPPS, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, offers a great breakdown of how Kaiser Permanente is preparing our patients for the future, including: • Integrating air quality prediction tools into our member database to alert members when air quality is projected to be poor • Preparing clinicians on how to play an active role in patient preparedness, like establishing an action plan in case of emergency https://ow.ly/IOrr50SNJpq

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The reality of mental health services is that we do not have enough supply to meet the ever-increasing demand, in CO or anywhere in the US. Proud of this investment to work to find long term solutions to add to the traditional and technology solutions we currently offer at KP. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthequalsphysicalhealth #kaiserpermanente

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DHCS’ Chief Quality & Medical Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management, Palav Babaria, contributed to a new report on primary care's role in advancing health equity in California. The report provides 10 actionable recommendations to strengthen primary care and advance health equity in California. The link between primary care access and improved health outcomes is undeniable. We have a roadmap for change, from involving communities in policymaking to expanding pipeline programs for underrepresented groups. Now’s the time for positive change. Read more: https://ow.ly/y5fB50TgL8a #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare #CaliforniaHealthCare

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Fabulous webinar and conversation yesterday about AI in Healthcare cross-country from Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group | Kaiser Permanente with my colleague from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERMANENTE MEDICAL GROUP Dr. John Rott, thank you Chris Corriveau and the entire team who helped organize. Sharing these apropos tips from our most recent Forbes Technology Council article on "19 Ways To Manage Different Stakeholders 😍" https://lnkd.in/eWymqdkg Top 19! 1. Strive For Collaboration 2. Prioritize Investments Based On Results 3. Communicate Openly 4. Embrace A Long-Term Portfolio Strategy 5. Prioritize With A Strategic Framework 6. Assess Dependencies 7. Develop A Transparent, Systematic Framework 8. Determine Needs And Wants 9. Use Outcome-Oriented Metrics 10. Consider The Value 11. Help Stakeholders Find Common Ground 12. Establish And Follow A Principle-Driven Approach 13. Let Data Drive Your Decision-Making 14. Implement Teams To Focus On Stakeholder Engagement 15. Prioritize Streamlining Workflows And Processes 16. Understand Your Customers’ Needs 17. Hold Stakeholder Meetings Regularly 18. Put A Governance Mechanism In Place 19. Encourage Empathy

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Showing our commitment to employee health and well-being is foundational to Kaiser Permanente. At a recent @San Francisco Business Times virtual event, designed for the employer audience, my colleagues Dr. John Boyd and Dr. Inder Dhillon highlighted the relationship between work and employee mental health, and the importance of engaging authentically to support employee resilience. Investing in workplace mental health can mean increased employee satisfaction and productivity, and improved retention. Because mental health is health care. #MentalHealthMonth https://bit.ly/4e5oamQ

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Keep our rurals open but if you really want to help get the foreign equity owned GPO that sets the pricing for our hospitals BANNED from our state. Economies of scale are used by Vizient against Oklahoma rural hospitals. If you have 13 tiers, hidden tiers, and tier maxes…that’s not a contract, that a free for all nightmare of a scam we all fell for. Their awful written tiered agreements force our rurals to pay more for the exact same items that our large hospitals pay less for. Example box of gloves a large hospital system in the state will pay 6-8 bucks for a box of 250 exam gloves. That same box for a rural EMT? 24 bucks. There is no price transparency and you are forcing patients who live in rural areas to pay more because of the lack of infrastructure by the corporations serving them to effectively and economically get goods and services to these hospitals. And distributors who whine about the cost of delivering to rural hospitals all while posting BILLIONS in profit every quarter are the first on my 💩 list. Let’s keep our rurals open but let’s make them more profitable so that they can continue to add much needed services and gainfully employ more community members.

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Every 10% increase in the number of black primary care physicians actually translates into a 30.6-day average increase in the life of minority patients. The numbers don't lie - increasing racial diversity among primary care physicians yields tangible, life-extending benefits for minority patient populations. Research reveals a striking correlation: for every 10% increase in the number of minority primary care providers, minority patients experience an average 30.6-day increase in life expectancy. This statistic is more than just data on a page; it represents real human lives improved and extended through greater healthcare equity and inclusivity. When patients can receive care from doctors who intimately understand their cultural backgrounds, belief systems, and lived experiences, vital barriers are broken down. Trust, communication, and adherence to treatment plans improve, allowing for more effective prevention, diagnosis, and disease management. The life-saving impacts are quantifiable and the moral imperative is clear. #HealthcareEquity #DiversityInMedicine #LongevityForAll

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#CMS, Do Better! Take a look at today’s update by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on its #Medicare #Prescription Payment Plan materials. Though CMS often talks up its commitment to #health #equity and ensuring equitable #access to agency programs, regardless of national origin, #race, and #ethnicity, the agency is failing here. The #M3P program, or coinsurance “smoothing”, is one of the best parts of the Inflation Reducrion Act. It offers patients the chance to spread otherwise unaffordable Medicare #PartD #coinsurance obligations over a period as long as 12 months. If implemented and communicated effectively to patients, it could be a real help to Medicare patients that are struggling financially. But #CMS’ implementation of the program and its messaging around it have been so anemic that critics, like me, wonder if the agency really supports the Congressional policy. CMS was late in getting education materials out, has watered down the expectations for #insurance plans to engage in patient education, and, in a shocking failure from an anti-discrimination and equal access perspective, only produced patient materials in 5 languages. So, of course, stung by this criticism, CMS has reacted, gotten its act together, and dramatically increased the number of materials available in additional languages? Er, no. This November 1 update indicates that NO additional materials in ANY other language have been prepared and made available. Zippo. Zilch. Not. A. One. Whither the commitment to #healthequity and equitable #access? Not here. Not yet, at least. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, do better!

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@CMSGov has posted the Q3 & Q4 2023 Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) reports in summary w/ the public use file data. Good news—the #NoSurprisesAct and level playing field that Congress intended—that the Depts. attempted to dismantle while reaching for the mythical $18-22B the CBO said would be garnered by a benchmarking bill w/ no IDR—is working better. The IDR Operations rule that was proposed last fall, comment period ended in Jan., and is due out any day, will level the playing field even more if the major proposals are adopted. @ACEP @EDPMA and the clinician stakeholder community have been asking for these changes for 2-3 yrs. Highlights from the Q3 & Q4 2023 CMS reports: 1. 125, 478 IDR disputes were resolved. 2. Emergency medicine retained its crown with 59% of the payment determinations; radiology and anesthesia are climbing in the latest reports. 3. Clinicians, hospitals and air ambulance initiating parties were the prevailing party in 82% of the IDR determinations, up from 71% in Q1 & Q2 2023. This win percentage and the next stat prove how important it was for the clinician community to fight for and win the IDR process in the statute. This group also won a > % of the non-default determinations. 4. The prevailing parties’ offer was > than the “qualifying payment amount” (QPA or almost always the initial payment for out of network services) in 88% of payment determinations. This fact is highlighted by the @EDPMA survey (posted here the other day) showing with the ‘23 QPA are -39% lower than those in 2022. https://lnkd.in/eex5eXfS

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This month, Kaiser Permanente hosted a Health Action Summit which proved to be a testament to the power of collaboration in transforming healthcare. With leaders including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Dr. Mandy Cohen, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra driving the conversation, we delved into the critical need for a stronger emphasis on preventive and primary care within our health systems. Despite the fact that only a small fraction of US healthcare spending is allocated to prevention, the consensus was clear: there must be a shift from an exclusive focus on treating illness to also focus on preventing disease. This approach not only promises better health outcomes for individuals but also represents a more sustainable model for our nation's healthcare system. The passion and alignment was palpable. When we come together, united by a common goal, we can pave the way for a healthier future for all. #KaiserPermanente #PreventiveCare #HealthcareLeadership #PublicHealth

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In the journey of aging gracefully, it’s crucial for seniors to take proactive steps to secure their future and provide clarity for their loved ones. Here are 7 key legal documents to have in place. #AgingGracefully #LegalDocuments #SeniorCitizens

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Over the past five years, Blue Shield has developed new payment models in collaboration with provider and hospital partners to bring better value into the health care market and bend the cost of health care trend. With 56% of our healthcare spend now in a pay-for-value model, we're empowering health through value, not volume. This shift is crucial as we continue to address the unsustainable rise in healthcare costs.    Our innovative payment models, such as Primary Care Reimagined and the Accountable Care Alliance, are designed to support providers in delivering quality care at lower costs while improving both member and provider experiences. This year alone, we've seen a 7.4% reduction in overall healthcare costs from our prevention-focused model.    Read more about our journey and the impact we're making. #ValueBasedCare #WellAhead

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🚨 NEW EEOC GUIDANCE ON WORKPLACE HARASSMENT 🚨 The EEOC has just released final guidance on harassment in the workplace, titled "Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace." Key takeaways: - Employers liable for supervisor and coworker harassment. - Harassment includes verbal and nonverbal unwelcome conduct. - Virtual or online harassment, including comments made in work group chats or video conferences. - Harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy. - Employers must take prompt action to prevent and correct harassment The guidance updates, consolidates, and replaces the agency’s five guidance documents issued between 1987 and 1999, serving as a single, unified resource on EEOC-enforced workplace harassment law. Let's create a harassment-free workplace! #EEOC #WorkplaceHarassment #EqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission #EmploymentLaw #LegalUpdate #Compliance #HR #NewGuidance #Laws #Enforcement https://lnkd.in/dUQMz_qz

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I’m proud to congratulate Richard Grant and the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research on receiving $4 million from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to fund a critical study aimed at improving health equity in the United States. Approximately one third of U.S. adults have multiple chronic conditions, yet many hospitals and physicians lack the necessary data to address their social needs, making this an important issue. The study will focus on adults with multiple chronic conditions who have documented care gaps and social needs such as food, transportation, or housing. The researchers will compare different methods of connecting patients to social services to close gaps and improve health outcomes. Kaiser Permanente’s value-based health care delivery system, focused on addressing social determinants of health, prevention, and achieving quality outcomes for patients, is an ideal environment for this kind of research in hospitals and outpatient clinics. Thank you, Richard, for dedicating yourself to this important research! Read the full announcement here: https://ow.ly/Z7pB50SZOSy #HealthEquity #SDOH #HealthResearch

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Listen Here: https://lnkd.in/g3Pg2EAj In this episode, Molly Gamble, Vice President of Editorial at Becker's Healthcare highlights points from 3 articles on Becker’s Hospital Review “17 quick notes on healthcare”, “GLP-1s: 8 things hospital leaders should know” Paige Twenter, and “Leaders leave patients in PE hospital shell game”. For more information about Becker's Healthcare, please contact Jessica Cole or Scott Becker. #podcast #healthcarenews #womensleadership

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How Ethics and Compliance Partners with Pharmacy to Help Patients Afford Vital Medicine Across Sutter Health, we observe October as Ethics & Compliance Awareness Month to highlight the importance of “doing the right thing in the right way” through ethical and compliant behavior. We are featuring a series of articles that highlight the partnership of our Ethics & Compliance and Privacy team members to help ensure that our patients receive the safe, ethical and high-quality care they can trust. #sutterproud

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Arizona advocates are sharing stories to show the need for expanding adult Medicaid dental benefits. These stories are personal and powerful. Watch this brief video: https://lnkd.in/e-bGZVe5 #Medicaid #dental #healthcoverage #insurance #oralhealth #wellness #accesstocare #storytelling #advocacy #healthadvocacy

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Listen Here: https://lnkd.in/gHbZdDzj In this episode, Mary Beth Lang, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Kaiser Permanente shares insights into her career journey, Kaiser Permanente’s focus on expanding their value-based care model, what the most effective healthcare leaders will need to be effective in the next few years, and more. For more information about Becker's Healthcare, please contact Jessica Cole or Scott Becker. #podcast #healthcare #womensleadership #valuebasedcare

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