The ACO Show

Traci Spence, COO of Blue Ridge Community Health Center, talks about leading through the aftermath of a hurricane and the resilience required to serve her community.

Join Dr. Judy Zerzen-Thul as she explains how the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network (HCP LAN) brings together clinicians, health systems, and payers in a partnership aimed at transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based care models. Dr. Zerzen-Thul is the Chief Medical Officer at Washington State Health Care Authority, and Co-Chair of the LAN Executive Forum. She discusses how value-based care is progressing across different sectors, including common barriers like data exchange and aligning payment methodologies. She also discusses the upcoming HCP LAN summit on November 14th, where stakeholders including payers, purchasers, and patients will gather to address challenges in moving towards value-based care. Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network

Join us as we discuss Hurricane Helene’s impact on healthcare in Asheville, featuring insights from local providers on resilience and adaptation.

Join Sean and Farzad as they explore public health with Dr. Ayanna Bennett, uncovering how DC Health drives change.

Josh and Sean hit the road with Farzad Mostashari, visiting primary care practices across America. Hear their reflections on care diversity and a preview of this season’s health care topics.

Josh and Sean hit the road with Farzad Mostashari, visiting primary care practices across America. Hear their reflections on care diversity and a preview of this season’s health care topics.

From the Value Summit: Hear North Carolina physicians discuss their success in value-based care and using revenue to enhance patient care.

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, CEO of Aledade, is joined by Dr. Mark McClellan and Bob Kocher to reflect on the past decade of health care reform, and the early days of Aledade and accountable care organizations (ACOs). Dr. McClellan, director of the Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy at Duke University, discusses the evolution of legislative policy, sharing how bipartisan efforts led to the integration of shared savings models into health care policy and Bob Kocher, chairman of the board of Aledade, shares his thoughts on Aledade’s journey and future direction, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a patient-centered approach, and perseverance in navigating the evolving health care landscape. Submit your questions, comments, or episode ideas to acoshow@aledade.com

Sean and Josh discuss the ACO Flex Model with Travis Broome, exploring how it innovates healthcare payment and care delivery for primary care practices.

From understanding the fundamentals to exploring new innovations and challenges, join us as Dr. Efrem Castillo, Senior Vice President for Medicare Advantage at Aledade, shares his experience with Medicare Advantage. Dr. Castillo explains the nuances for both patients and providers, including benefits beyond traditional Medicare, network limitations, utilization management, and the STARS program. Dr. Castillo also explores the recent growth in MA and new innovations, while emphasizing that interventions should prioritize improved patient outcomes.   Submit your questions, comments, or episode ideas to acoshow@aledade.com

From navigating insurance barriers to addressing the stigma, this episode dives into timeless issues surrounding obesity treatment, as well as the promise and challenges of new medications like Ozempic. Josh and Sean are joined by Dr. Darrin Menard, a family practice physician in Scott, Louisiana, who shares insights from his personal experience with weight loss alongside his professional expertise. While new drugs offer significant weight loss potential, Dr. Menard underscores the crucial role of behavioral changes, long-term adherence, and nonjudgemental patient care in achieving lasting results.   Submit your questions, comments, or episode ideas to acoshow@aledade.com

Dr. Lonnie Robinson from Regional Family Medicine in Mountain Home, Arkansas explains the challenges surrounding prior authorization faced by both practices and insurance providers, and how this inspired him to become involved in state health policy advocacy. Hear how Dr. Robinson, drawing inspiration from Texas’ “gold card” approach, worked with Aledade’s policy committee and state legislators to pass similar legislation in Arkansas to reduce administrative workloads.   Submit your questions, comments, or episode ideas to acoshow@aledade.com

Join our hosts along with Dr. Farzad Mostashari on this episode as they dive into CMS's update on the Medicare value-based care strategy. From discussing alignment and growth to equity in healthcare, they provide insights and suggestions for the future of accountable care. Read the update here: Update On The Medicare Value-Based Care Strategy: Alignment, Growth, Equity   Submit your questions, comments, or episode ideas to acoshow@aledade.com

Explore the dynamic landscape of healthcare and technology with hosts Josh and Sean on the ACO Show. Guests Rosemary Weldon and Ritwik Tiwari, from Aledade, share their expertise as they discuss the challenges and innovations shaping the industry, including the advancements in technology that help improve patient care.

Join us for a story tracing the origins and evolution of Community Health Center, Inc. Mark Masselli, president and CEO of Community Health Center, Inc. in Middletown, CT, alongside Charles Barber, Writer-in-Residence at Wesleyan University, guide listeners through the enthralling narrative depicted in  Barber's book, "Peace & Health." Explore the beginnings of the Health Center amidst the backdrop of social upheaval, legislative reforms, and grassroots advocacy, illuminating the transformative power of community-driven health care initiatives. Uncover the pivotal moments and visionary leadership that propelled the center from modest beginnings to a beacon of excellence in health care provision. And learn about the recent partnership with Aledade, exemplifying a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and equitable care delivery. To learn more about the story behind Community Health Center, Inc. and Barber's book "Peace & Health," visit peaceandhealth.com.

We sit down with Aaron McKethan, the CEO of Aledade Plus, a subsidiary of Aledade dedicated to enhancing healthcare practices through innovative services and technology. Starting from an academic obsession with federal budget policy and healthcare spending, Aaron shares his unique journey into healthcare, highlighting the pivotal moments and inspirations that led him to become a healthcare entrepreneur. He delves into the challenges of medication adherence, the genesis of his company RxAnte, and how Aledade Plus is redefining patient care by aligning closely with healthcare practices. Discover the secrets behind Aledade Plus’s success in improving outcomes and reducing costs, from leveraging local community wisdom to utilizing technology for more effective patient engagement.

Dive into the impacts of the Change Healthcare cyber attack with analysis from Farzad Mostashri, CEO of Aledade, and a firsthand account by Dr. Christine Meyer. From the initial system shocks to the unforeseen challenges faced by healthcare practitioners, discover the resilience amidst adversity and innovative solutions bringing relief to medical practices

In Virginia, our partners Tracy Causey & Kevin Van Dyke excel in value-based care with more accessible data and dynamic support.

Sean and Josh are joined by Dr. Maureen Padden, a family and obesity medicine doctor from Pensacola, Florida, and Dr. Christopher Nunes from Spyglass Primary Care in Melbourne, Florida to discuss how value-based contracts have improved their relationships with Florida Blue, their patients, and their staff. They delve into the benefits and challenges of being independent physicians, the crucial role the Aledade app plays in providing accessible data, and the importance of staff retention on quality patient care.

Rachel Lively discusses substance use treatments in West Virginia and the critical role that CHCs can play in providing individualized care.

join us for a conversation with Nick Phillis, an ACO participant from Florida. Nick shares his firsthand experiences and explores how being part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has improved his approach to healthcare delivery. Discover the positive impacts on both his professional work and the well-being of his patients as Nick delves into the transformative power of collaborative, accountable care models.

Join Josh and new host Sean Cavanaugh in a compelling episode featuring Tamara Thomas, Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at Aledade. Dive into the world of health equity as Tamara breaks down the concept from a lofty idea to tangible initiatives. Discover how she addresses the important issue of racial disparities in treatment of blood pressure and enhanced equity in kidney care.

Josh and Brian are joined by Wes Edwards to discuss his success with value-based care and the financial sustainability of these models.

In this episode we sit down with Leigh Efird, Director of Pharmacy at Aledade, to dive into the world of value-based care from the pharmacy perspective. She shares the ways she interacts with patients to help them better understand their health and how managing medications can impact that.

Josh and Brian are joined by Dr. Christine Meyer of Exton, PA and Casey Korba from Aledade’s Policy Team to discuss (Capitol) Hill Day - Aledade’s annual day bringing together legislators, their staff and Aledade practices. They delve into the importance of the day, and how busy doctors and their staff can learn how to advocate for their practices, patients and value-based care to legislators.

Josh and Brian are joined by Aledade’s Chief Financial Officer, John Doyle. They discuss the economic incentives associated with delivering primary care on the front lines and why health care professionals need to be able to talk openly about the financial forces in the system.

Josh and Brian are joined by Blake Madden, writer, editor and founder of the newsletter Hospitalogy, focused on analyzing health care’s financing, policy changes and more. They discussed some of the positive shifts he sees in the health care system and how he’s making sense of those changes for his subscribers.

Season 5 of The ACO Show kicks off with Josh and Brian joined by Travis Broome, Aledade’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Economics to discuss the 2022 Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) results. As the largest and most successful value-based care program in American history, the results of this program tell us a lot about the progress of value-based care, and what that means for patients and primary care professionals around the country.

Josh and Brian are joined by Lightspeed Venture Partners investor, Galym Imanbayev, MD, to discuss Aledade’s Series F funding round. They delve into what led to this latest round of funding, the transparency throughout the process and how these funds are going to ensure that primary care practices and health centers are receiving the resources they need to thrive in value-based care.

Josh and Brian are joined by Kevin O’Leary and Ryan Russell, co-founders of Health Tech Nerds, a trusted resource in health care helping their members learn, network, build, and grow to maximize our collective impact on the health care system. They drill down on the various value-based care models, how they work, and what they mean for patients, doctors and clinicians.

Josh and Brian are joined by Al Kushner, author of “Virtual Medicare: 10 Costly Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make.” They delve into the active role patients play in enrolling in Medicare, and the high - and often unknown - costs of delay.

In this episode, Josh and Brian hand over the mic to Aledade’s Chief Policy Officer, Sean Cavanaugh, a former Director of Medicare and senior leader at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) as he talks with the two current leaders of his former offices. Sean is joined by Meena Seshamani, M.D., Ph.D., Deputy Administrator and Director for the Center for Medicare, and Elizabeth Fowler, Ph.D., J.D., Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Directors Seshamani and Fowler discuss how they view their centers and how they’re united by one common strategic vision.

Josh and Brian are joined by Sachin Gangupantula FACHE, MBA, MS, Director of Operations at Valley Diabetes & Obesity, an Aledade member practice in Modesto, California. They discussed the benefits of value-based care and joining an ACO despite challenges in the health care marketplace, including new tools and data so they can provide even better care for their patients.

Josh and Brian are joined by Allison Sesso, the President and CEO of RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit established to reduce medical debt for low-income individuals across the country. They discussed the dark truths behind why medical debt leads so many people to forgo medical care, how RIP Medical Debt uses an innovative approach to fight these trends and how Aledade’s recent donation helped abolish nearly $95 million in medical debt for more than 100,000 patients.

Josh and Brian are joined by Lee Fleisher, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality. They discuss a recent publication, “Aligning Quality Measures at CMS” in the New England Journal of Medicine which Dr. Fleisher co-authored, and the art and science behind the selection of health care quality measures.

Josh and Brian are joined by Doug Jacobs, MD, MPH, Chief Transformation Officer in the Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Michelle Schreiber, Deputy Director for the Centers for Clinical Standards and Quality at CMS, and Director of the Quality Measurement & Value-Based Incentives Group at CMS. In the first part of this quality-focused series, they discuss the work they are doing to align quality measures across CMS and improve the system to benefit both clinicians and patients.

Josh and Brian are joined by Phuong Phillips, Chief Legal Officer at Aledade, where they discuss her personal journey, what drew her to Aledade and how corporate legal teams and leadership interact.

For this episode, Josh and Brian hand the helm to Aledade CEO and Co-Founder, Farzad Mostashari, MD, and Bryan Roberts, partner at Venrock and lead of Venrock’s investment in Aledade. They give a behind-the-scenes look into the conversations that go on between CEOs, board members and investors regarding the challenges of running companies and how to create long-term solutions.Learn more about Bryan's "Roberts' Rules of Life (& Venture Capital)" here: bit.ly/3KXxT2G

Josh and Brian talk with Dr. Mitch Edmondson, the lead physician for the Aledade FIRST program, and Dr. Caleena Longworth, a 2nd-year resident at St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City who’s participating in Aledade FIRST about this new program introducing medical residents to the benefits of physician-led value-based care.

Josh and Brian are joined by Aledade’s Chief Financial Officer, John Doyle. John provides a brief recap on the recent J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, how Aledade’s alignment as a company drew him in, and the many factors companies take into consideration before going public.

Josh and Brian are joined by Aledade’s CEO and co-founder, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, and Amy Simmerman, a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, to discuss the idea of a public benefit corporation - what it is and what it means, why Aledade has decided to become one, and what this means for the health care industry as a whole.

Value-based care is often more focused on adults, especially the elderly who have the most burden of illness and, on average, the highest health care costs. Josh is joined by Dr. Karin McLelland, a pediatrician in North Carolina, and Carissa Praytor, Manager of Medicaid Performance at Aledade, to discuss how Aledade’s pediatric ACO in North Carolina was able to enable more primary care and reduce costs for this often-overlooked population of our nation’s youngest patients.

Josh and Brian are joined by Dr. Sarah Mullins, co-owner of Stoney Batter Family Medicine in Wilmington, Delaware, and Senior Regional Medical Director at Aledade, to discuss the role of care management programs in value-based care, how to build and sustain them, and the value they provide to patients and practices.

Josh and Brian are joined by Mike Stanzione, Aledade’s Director of Medicare Advantage Network Performance, to discuss the state of Medicare Advantage (MA), its rapid growth, regulatory evolution, and how the Aledade model of care applies to MA.

Josh and Brian are joined by Dr. Asaf Bitton, executive director of Ariadne Labs, and Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They discuss the need to move to value-based care and change the payment structure. They also reflect on the historical underfunding and undervaluing of primary care.

Josh and Brian are joined by Dan Bowles, Aledade’s Chief Growth Officer, to discuss the state of the value-based care landscape and how to distinguish the various models fellow travelers are implementing in the space.

Josh and Brian are joined by Dr. Mandy Cohen, CEO of Aledade Care Solutions, to discuss the importance of the trust she and her team built with communities in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that parallels building trust with physicians and management organizations in the value-based care movement. They also talk about how Aledade Care Solutions has evolved as a direct-to-patient arm of Aledade’s portfolio with the goal of adding additional resources to improve patient outcomes.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Bijan Salhizadeh (@bijans), Managing Director at NaviMed Capital, to discuss the current state of healthcare stocks and factors that affect IPO valuation for companies hoping to go public.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Chelsea Graves, Aledade’s Director of Medicaid Performance, to discuss factors that affect healthcare access and outcomes for vulnerable populations. Chelsea also shares the secrets behind the success of Aledade’s recent collaboration with the Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (CHCAMS) to serve the Medicaid population and improve their access to primary care.

Season 4 of the ACO show kicks off with the return of Travis Broome @Travis_Broome and Ahmed Haque @aehaque on 2021 results in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, why more primary care lowers the total cost of taking care of patients, and some changes coming to the MSSP program for 2023.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Miranda Morris, Aledade’s Market President for Arkansas and Dr. Shawn Purifoy, Regional Medical Director at Aledade and independent physician, to discuss how value-based care networks like ACOs grow.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Dr. Andy Ryan - Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan, Director of the University’s Center for Evaluating Health Reform who takes us through a recent paper looking at the evidence on value-based care among commercial health insurance contracts.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Dr. Jonathan Lilly, physician, and Nancee Barnett, practice manager, from Dunbar Medical Associates (www.dmawv.com) in West Virginia, to discuss their approach to team-based care and why it’s important for the success of a practice.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Dan Bowles, Aledade’s Chief Growth Officer, to discuss his career at Aledade, the changes that the value-based care movement has seen through the years, and why signing up for an ACO today can help set primary care organizations up for success for the upcoming performance year.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Mat Kendall (@matkendall), President of Aledade, and Kristy McGlothin (@kristymcglothin), Program Manager, to learn about Project Solo, Aledade’s initiative to support the unique needs of small private practices. They also speak with Dr. Pedro Ylisastigui (www.primarycareim.com), an internal medicine primary care provider in Lehigh Acres, Florida, about being independent and what it’s like to switch ACOs.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Nick Kinkaid, Aledade’s Chief Product Officer who takes us through his career path from Tesla to Google to his current role, and he explains what is “Product” and how it applies at a company like Aledade.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Dr. Alok Gupta, a solo practitioner at Arjun Medical Center in Virginia alokguptamd.com, who shares the trials and triumphs of being a physician throughout the pandemic, how Delegate Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) advocated for vaccines at local physician offices, how Dr. Gupta's practice stepped up for the community and how they are preparing for what comes next.

Brian (@chiglinsky) is joined by Aledade’s Policy Dream Team: Sean Cavanaugh (@dc_cavanaugh), Chief Policy and Chief Commercial Officer, Travis Broome (@Travis_Broome), Senior Vice President for Policy and Economics, and Casey Korba (@casey_korba), Director of Policy, as they share an overview of Healthcare Value Week and CMS’ changes to Direct Contracting, now known as ACO Reach.

Welcome to the ACO Show. Today, Josh is joined by Chrissy Farr, a former tech journalist and now Principal Investor at OMERS Ventures, and Dr. Jonathan Slotkin, Chief Medical Officer at Contigo Health. Our guests share their skepticism of value-based care and  how to engage high-cost medical specialists in outcomes-based arrangements.

Josh (@DrJIsrael), Emily Maxon, and Dr. Stephen Bekanich and Steve Wardle from @iris_healthcare discuss advance care planning and why it is such an important part of healthcare.

Josh (@DrJIsrael), Brian (@chiglinsky) and Bijan (@bijans) discuss healthcare investing, including the difference between venture capital and private equity, some of the challenges of company mergers and when a venture-backed company should try to become a publicly traded stock.

Co-host Brian (@chiglinsky) is joined by Dr. Farzad Mostashari (@Farzad_MD), CEO and co-founder of Aledade, and Dr. Richard Gilfillan, former Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation from 2010 to 2013, for a special episode of The ACO Show. They discuss the future of Medicare and Dr. Gilfillan’s recent co-authored, two-part piece in Health Affairs, “Medicare Advantage, Direct Contracting, And The Medicare ‘Money Machine’.”

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) discuss the value of Medicaid now and in the future with Chelsea Graves Aledade’s Director of Medicaid Network, and Mohamed Arif, Aledade’s Director of Medicaid Strategy.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Kisha (@kdavis) discuss the Medicare Innovation Center’s white paper on their vision for health equity over the next 10 years.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Travis Broome (@Travis_Broome) Sean Cavanaugh (@dc_cavanaugh), and Farzad Mostashari (@Farzad_MD). Together, they delve into the five strategic objectives (available below) released in CMMI’s recent white paper on their vision for the next 10 years.1. Drive Accountable Care2. Advance Health Equity3. Support Care Innovations4. Improve access by addressing affordability5. Partner to achieve systemic transformation

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Jennifer Heffernan, Director of Commercial Payer Performance at Aledade (@AledadeACO). They discuss the difference between Medicare, Medicaid and commercial payers and how Aledade works with commercial payers. They also talk about the benefits both patients and commercial payers experience when joining an ACO.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Mike Stanzione, Director of Medicare Advantage @AledadeACO. They discuss the differences between “Traditional” Medicare and Medicare Advantage (including additional benefits offered through Medicare Advantage), some controversies about Medicare Advantage and how Aledade is bringing valued based care to patients in the Medicare Advantage program.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Mandy Cohen (@SecMandyCohen), Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. They discuss the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, ongoing Medicaid pilots to improve healthcare in the state, and how and why North Carolina continues to be a leader in healthcare innovation.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Samantha Rosenthal, Manager in New Ventures at Aledade, and Jessica Edwards, Senior Market Manager at Aledade. Together, they discuss “Healthy For The Holidays”, an Aledade initiative to remind patients about their practice’s hours during the holiday season and alternative ways to contact them should they need to speak to their provider.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Ahmed Haque (@aehaque), Chief Performance Officer at Aledade, Nadine Robin, Market President of Aledade Louisiana, and Dr. Gregory Riggs of Lafayette Internal Medicine Clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana. Together, they discuss the incredible savings achieved by Aledade and practices, despite a year of turmoil.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Rahul Rajkumar (@RahulRajkumar11), Chief Operating Officer at Optum Care Solutions. Dr. Rajkumar shared insights on the difference between designing healthcare models and implementing them at different payers and more about his work at Optum Care Solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by by Dr. Farzad Mostashari (@Farzad_MD), CEO and co-founder of Aledade, Dr. Kisha Davis (@kishadavismd), Aledade’s Vice President of Health Equity, and Dr. Keith Winfrey, the Chief Medical Officer at Noela Community Health in New Orleans. They discuss the importance of controlling hypertension and Aledade's plan to improve blood pressure control and reduce disparities in hypertension control. For more information about hypertension, check out this article: https://www.ajpmonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0749-3797%2810%2900207-2

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Travis Broome (@Travis_Broome), the Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics at Aledade. They discuss the challenges in measuring success in the Medicare Shared Savings Program and what it takes to turn a bill on capitol hill into law

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@bchiglinsky) are joined by Daniel Dawes (@DanielEDawes), the Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He is a professor of health law, policy and management and author. They discuss the long and challenging history of efforts in America to promote equity in health care and why it’s so important to have good data to make meaningful improvements to health inequity

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by Shawn Martin (@rshawnm), the Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians (@aafp). Representing over 137,000 family physicians and medical residents, the AAFP is the largest physician organization dedicated to primary care. They discuss the need for a new payment model that better rewards longitudinal care and the growing interest in family medicine among medical residents.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) is joined by Dr. Wanda Filer (@Drwandafiler), the Chief Medical Officer of Vaxcare (@VaxCare) and a practicing family physician. Vaxcare is a vaccine management solution that helps practices manage vaccine inventory and distribute vaccines. Dr. Filer and Josh discuss some of the challenges that primary care practices experience with vaccine administration, and how Vaxcare can help.

This is the 100th ACO Show episode. Brian (@chiglinsky) and Josh (@DrJIsrael) commemorate the milestone with a discussion of their own backgrounds and  journeys to Aledade, and the experience of hosting a podcast. There is also a surprise guest some of you may recognize from previous episodes!

Josh is joined by Dr. Daniel Doyle, a family physician in Scarbro, West Virginia. Josh and Dr. Doyle discuss the health impacts of coal mining, the history of black lung disease and the struggle to get it recognized by the medical community.

Brian (@chiglinsky) is joined by Dr. Todd Sack (@toddsack) the editor for MyGreenDoctor.org and a gastroenterologist in Jacksonville, FL. My Green Doctor helps practices gain environmental sustainability and help their patients improve their environmental impact. Dr. Sack and Brian discuss the benefits of creating a sustainability program, the importance of getting buy-in from different stakeholders in the practice, and why providers in total cost of care models should care about environmental health

Brian (@chiglinsky) and Josh (@DrJIsrael) are joined by Farzad Mostashari (@Farzad_MD), CEO and co-founder of Aledade, and Will Palmisano (@will_palmisano), a product analyst on Aledade's BI team and head of the Climate Change Committee. They talk about Aledade's plans for becoming carbon neutral, why it matters, and how others can make a difference. They also discuss the impacts that climate change has on healthcare and why the US health industry is so carbon intensive.

Josh and Brian are joined by Ron Holder (@ron_holder), COO of the Medical Group Management Association, more commonly known as @MGMA. They discuss the different challenges practices face and how MGMA helps provide solutions and support

Brian and Josh are joined by Dr. Derek Lewis, the CEO, owner and primary care physician at Arkansas Primary Care Clinic located in Little Rock, Arkansas. They discuss the COVID-19 vaccination efforts and success in Dr. Lewis’ community. Dr. Lewis describes the initial skepticism of vaccines in the black and brown community and how he was able to build trust with his patients.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) are joined by 5 guests to discuss Maryland Primary Care Program or MDPCP. They describe the MDPCP program and how it aims to improve patients’ health by investing up-front in specific enhancements to primary practices, including care management, pharmacy services and behavioral health treatment.

Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Brian (@chiglinsky) speak with four different practices- SAMA Healthcare in El Dorado, AR, Coastal Family Health in Biloxi, MS,  The Bacani/McKenney Clinic in Fredonia, KS, and Crouch Family Medicine in Chandler, OK.  They talk about different marketing strategies, how these have evolved over the years, and the importance of community involvement for primary care physicians.

Josh is joined by two Aledade Medical Directors: Dr. Kim Yu and Dr. Richard Lyn-Cook. They talk about some ways they have been able to cope with difficult times and specifically what medical providers can do to manage during the pandemic.

We welcome Travis Broome (@travis_broome) back on the ACO show, as well as our new co-host, Brian Chiglinsky (@bchiglinsky). They discuss the newest Medicare total cost of care model- Direct Contracting and what practices thinking about venturing into value-based care should consider.

Two primary care doctors, Dr. Joanne Fruth and Dr. Michael Cascarina, join the ACO Show to discuss how they have been able to adapt and innovate during the pandemic. They each talk about what they have been doing to restructure their practices in order to continue caring for their patients throughout this public health emergency such as how they have handled staffing challenges, transitioned to telehealth and set up parking lot Covid testing sites.

Josh is joined by three guests: Gavin White, the Executive Director of Aledade’s California Accountable Care Organizations, and two physicians, Dr. Verma and Dr. O'Grady, who practice in California ACOs. They talk about ACO growth in California and why many California physicians were ready for Value Based Care. They share some of the ways that Aledade has been helpful to them as they reorient towards this new  model of health care.

Emma Sandoe (@emma_sandoe), Associate Director of Strategy and Planning for North Carolina Medicaid, and the creator of health policy valentines, joins Josh to talk about all things Medicaid. They discuss Medicaid's role in Substance Use Disorder treatment, impacts of a Biden administration, 1115 waivers, and how Medicaid fits into a system of Value-Based Care.

Dr. Chintan Maru is the founder and executive director of Leapfrog to Value, a health initiative to advance value based care in lower- and middle-income countries. Dr. Maru joins Josh and Joe for a conversation about value-based care in these countries and how Leapfrog to Value works as a technical and strategic partner. He discusses his career in health systems design and how more developed health systems can learn from this work.

Dr. Kraft and Dr. Ward Jones are the CEOs of Salinas Family Health Care Center and East Arkansas Family Health Center, respectively. They join Josh and Joe for the second part of our Community Health Center series. They talk about funding and budgeting for FQHCs, loan forgiveness programs, and the positive involvement these centers have with their communities

Sara Koziel leads Aledade's efforts to partner with Community Health Centers. Sara joins Josh and Joe for a conversation about Community Health Centers, the important role that they play in America’s health care system, and who they serve. She discusses their focus on a complete and integrated approach to health and well-being and explains how they fit in with Aledade’s core mission to offer the benefits of value-based care to as many patients as possible.

Three guests join Josh to discuss attribution: Emily Maxson, Aledade’s Chief Medical Officer; Andrew Chang, Executive Director of the Florida Central ACO; and Purva Hari, the practice administrator of Physicians Medical group in Florida. They discuss how the pandemic has affected ACO attribution, how attribution loss impacts Aledade’s ability to provide coordinated care and strategies to improve attribution in 2020.

Dr. David Harrison is the Vice President of Clinical Care at Virta Health, a health care start-up that helps patients reverse Type 2 diabetes without medication. Dr. Harrison joins Josh and Joe for a conversation about the evidence supporting Virta’s treatment model, and how he views the relationship between telehealth and value-based care during the pandemic and beyond.

Dr. Gordon Chen (@DrGordonChen) is the chief medical officer at ChenMed, a family-owned, health care company organization working to bring superior health care to seniors with a full risk model. Dr. Chen joins Josh (@DRJIsrael) and Joe (@JoeShonkwiler) for a conversation about the history and evolution of ChenMed and how they strive to bring to provide seniors with coordinated and patient-centered care. He describes his role as Chief Medical Officer and explains why being both financially and clinically responsible for their patients made it easier for them to provide all necessary care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sophia Tripoli (@SophiaTripoli) is the Director of Healthcare Innovations at Families USA a national non-partisan, non-profit voice for healthcare consumers (@FamiliesUSA). Sophia joins Josh to share how Families USA is working to realign incentives to make healthcare more consumer-centered. They discuss different healthcare payment models and levers of change to lower costs and improve health outcomes.

Essence Revels, Aledade’s Training Manager, and Patric Holly (@healthITmrholly), Aledade’s Electronic Health Record Optimization Coordinator, are guest hosts for this special episode of The ACO Show. They have a conversation about recent events in the news from their perspective as Black professionals. They also discuss the challenges that Black Americans experience in the health care system and the formation of Aledade's social injustice working group.

Megan Slaga, Director of Pharmacy at Aledade, returns to the pod this week to talk with Joe (@JoeShonkwiler) about staying on top of patients' prescriptions during COVID-19. They discuss new and existing barriers to access, and how Aledade uses different data sources to alert providers about potential non-adherence. She emphasizes the importance of being proactive, particularly now during the pandemic.

Jessica Gladden, Aledade’s Vice President of People, Strategies and Operations, joins Josh (@DrJIsrael) and Joe (@JoeShonkwiler) to talk about how Aledade builds a culture where employees feel supported and appreciated. She shares her thoughts on the importance of maintaining company connectivity and community, promoting mission-driven work, and meaningfully promoting diversity and inclusion.