The Collective Voice of Health IT, A WEDI Podcast

Guest host Michael Pattwell, WEDI Board Members, Co-Chair of its Payment Models Workgroup, and Principal Business Advisor with Edifecs, chats all things value based care with Lynn Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of HSBlox.  The two offer a fascinating look at the progression from fee for service to value based care, recent models launched by CMS, and the importance of data interoperability and standards in improving value based care delivery and contract administration.

Michael chats with RJ Kedziora, Co-Founder of software company Estenda about the evolution of digital health and digital therapeutics. The two discuss the advances in emerging tech, privacy and security challenges, the role of regulations and the hopes that digital health can break down those data silos that still plague us.  Estenda is holding a webinar; Driving Quality in Digital Health: The Role of Generative AI in Testing, on June 14th from 12pm- 1pm eastern. Find out more below.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/driving-quality-in-digital-health-the-role-of-generative-ai-in-testing-tickets-902441475747

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services National Standards Group, within the Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics, focuses on reducing administrative burden and advancing interoperability and national standards. CMS engages beneficiaries and the health care community to understand their experiences, inform solutions, and infuse a customer-focused mindset throughout the agency. Michael welcomes CMS NSG Director Michael Cimmino to the podcast to discuss the who, what, where, when and why of administrative simplification and burden and how a standard becomes a standard.  This is part 2 of a 2 part podcast conversation with CMS NSG on Administrative Simplification. Coming soon, an episode on enforcement. Learn more about CMS' work on admin simp at go.cms.gov/adminsimp

In April 2024, WEDI held a member position advisory (MPA) event on the critical topic of maintaining business continuity within healthcare organizations in the wake of cyber-attacks. The event, entitled, From Crisis to Continuity: Maintaining Health Care Data Exchange Following a Cyber Attack, offered best practices, suggestions, and key steps that stakeholders from HHS and the private sector can consider when exchanging data, processing information, and maintaining lines of communication. From WEDI’s recently concluded Spring conference, a debrief of the MPA event presented by WEDI’s privacy & security workgroup co-chairs, Lesley Berkeyheiser with DirectTrust and Thanh Thien Nguyen from Kaiser Permanente.

Michael chats with returning guest Denis O'Shea, Founder and Chairman of Mobile Mentor, about their 2024 Endpoint Ecosystem Study, which explored the intricate dynamics of hybrid work in high-risk and highly regulated industries. Conducted across the United States, Great Britain, and Australia, the study involved 2,400 knowledge workers in healthcare, finance, government, and education to understand employee attitudes and their actions related to company security and their experience, and their productivity as remote workers. Review the study at https://endpointecosystem.com/

A continuation from last week's episode on health equity data efforts from the federal perspective.   Our moderator is Nancy Spector, Coding and HIT Advocacy Director at the AMA and former WEDI Board Chair. Our panel: Kristie Clarke, CDR, US Public Health Service, Senior Advisor on Data for Health Equity, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Kelly Cronin, Director, Center for Innovation & Partnership, Deputy Administrator, Administration for Community Living, HHS Jawanna Henry, Interoperability Systems Branch Chief, Office of Policy, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Meagan Khau, Director of Data Analytics& Research Group, CMS Office of Minority Health

From WEDI's February 2024 Health Equity Forum, we welcome federal representatives to discuss how they are using data, tech and standards to address health disparities and the importance of community relationships. Our moderator is Nancy Spector, Coding and HIT Advocacy Director at the AMA and former WEDI Board Chair. Our panel: Kristie Clarke, CDR, US Public Health Service, Senior Advisor on Data for Health Equity, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Kelly Cronin, Director, Center for Innovation & Partnership, Deputy Administrator, Administration for Community Living, HHS Jawanna Henry, Interoperability Systems Branch Chief, Office of Policy, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Meagan Khau, Director of Data Analytics& Research Group, CMS Office of Minority Health

Michael chats with Chris Darland, President and CEO of Peerbridge Health about how artificial intelligence is helping diagnose heart failure quicker and more efficiently than traditional methods, which could assist all patients, but especially those in rural communities. 

In January of this year, to coincide with the release of CMS' Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule, WEDI launched an ambitious 7-part education series examining the rule for the healthcare industry.  Michael sits down with 3 of the moderators of the series, Ferris Taylor, Executive Director of the Healthcare Executive Group, Denny Brennan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, and Robert Tennant, Vice President of Federal Affairs for WEDI to get their thoughts on the program and what it means for the industry moving forward.    The entire Road to Interoperability and Prior Authorization series can be found on WEDI's Youtube Page, https://www.youtube.com/@wedionline

From WEDI’s Feb 2024 Health Equity Forum, Part 2 (Part 1 was episode 144) of a session moderated by Dr. Marc Rabner, Chief Medical Officer with CRISP Shared Services discussing the work CBOs perform to support Health Equity. The panelists: Leigh Ann Eagle, Director of Health & Wellness Program, MAC, Chief Operating Officer of the Living Well Center of Excellence Stephanie Archer-Smith, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland June Simmons, President and CEO, Partners in Care Foundation Monique Powell-Davis, MD. Executive Vice President of Medical Services, Mary’s Center