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Wellington Regional How to Capture the ‘Value’ in Value-Based Care
Medical Center This March, HHS Secretary Alex Azar pledged at the demographic shifts, rising drug costs, medical innova-

Federation of American Hospitals' conference that the tion, changing reimbursement, and the growth of com-
to Construct department is committed to transitioning to a value- plex, chronic diseases offer robust challenges to the
based care system, saying the government may need to attainment of value. These pressures suggest the need for
Freestanding intervene to an "uncomfortable degree" to incentivize aligning, implementing and sustaining healthcare deliv-
change. He laid out four areas of emphasis for HHS: giv- ery that is both clinically and financially efficient.
Emergency ing consumers greater control over their health data by Leading policymakers, researchers and experts have
improving interoperability; encouraging price trans- identified a promising evidence-driven approach that
Department parency from both payers and providers; utilizing exper- focuses on patient outcomes to facilitate healthcare
imental models in Medicare and Medicaid; and removing provider attempts to cut costs and enhance the overall
in Westlake "government burdens that impede this value-based trans- well-being of their patient populations.
formation." This reiterates the movement towards value-
The key principles of value-based healthcare - a focus
based care. on quality, cost and efficiency - across the entire care con-
Wellington Regional Medical Center tinuum are more important than ever. Aligning all stake-
(WRMC) announced its plans to expand “There is no turning back to an unsustainable system that holders so they can transition successfully to the value in
access to emergency care in Central Palm pays for procedures rather than value. In fact, the only the value-based healthcare environment requires reform-
Beach County with the construction of a option is to charge forward — for HHS to take bolder ing an entrenched system. Instead of separate payments
freestanding emergency department in for each consultation or treatment, healthcare organiza-
Westlake. action, and for providers and payers to join with us. This tions, med tech, life science and biotech companies, must
Located on the east side of Seminole Pratt administration and this President are not interested in incre- adopt a new approach to payments, tied to value through
Whitney Road and the south side of mental steps. We are unafraid of disrupting existing episodes of care in systems such as bundled payments or
Persimmon Boulevard East, the full-service arrangements simply because they’re backed by powerful on risk adjusted models of care similar to Medicare
emergency room will provide emergency care Advantage, PACE programs or under Medicaid Waiver
24-hours a day, seven days a week. The new special interests.” programs of note.
facility is expected to open in late 2018. -Alex M. Azar II, United States
“We are honored and excited to be the first Secretary of Health and Human Services Read more about how providers
non-residential development in the Westlake can truly define – and capture – value at
community,” said Robbin Lee, CEO of As the move toward value-based outcomes intensifies, https://www.bdo.com/blogs/healthcare/july-2017/
WRMC. “By expanding our emergency serv- the focus on efficiency, eliminating waste and profitable how-to-enable-implement-measure-and-reward
ices, we can better meet the needs of our margins will too. Hospital executives agree there is a
growing community and provide access to mandate to deliver high quality care at lower costs. Can
emergency care where it is needed. It has providers add value in how healthcare is delivered overall Our South Florida healthcare leaders are ready to
been our goal to create a true emergency and increase their “razor-thin margins”? The answer? address your complex and unique needs:
department by including a full complement The push to make care more affordable – and more effi- Alfredo Cepero, Managing Partner
of services, staff and technology. We will be cient – is to push forward on value-based care across the 305-420-8006/ acepero@bdo.com
equipped to handle everything from scrapes care continuum. Angelo Pirozzi, Partner
and sprains, to patients who are experiencing BDO’s quick take: Industry pressures associated with 646-520-2870 / apirozzi@bdo.com
chest pain and the symptoms of a stroke.”

AT
REGISTRA TION IS NO W OOPEN!

8 April 2018 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News