Kelly Emrick MBA, PhD

  Why Hospitals Need a Population Health Strategy Kelly Emrick MBA, Ph.D. September 30, 2023 The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has set a goal of having every Medicare beneficiary and the majority of Medicaid beneficiaries covered by some type of alternative payment model (APM) by 2030. CMMI considers APMs to be any arrangements whereby providers are held accountable for the quality and costs of care, not just paid based on the volume of services they deliver. The agency also pledged to promote health equity by making it easier for providers serving racial and ethnic minorities to participate in APMs. Government and private payers emphasizing accountability and value-based purchasing are rapidly replacing the traditional fee-for-service model. What does this mean? This means that delivering services will no longer guarantee payment. Every provider must track patient outcomes for provider-specific population cohorts, and healthcare providers face new financial risks.

In the vast and intricate tapestry of healthcare, the concept of population health has emerged as a pivotal thread, weaving together diverse disciplines, methodologies, and objectives. At its core, population health seeks to understand and address the health outcomes of a group of individuals, encompassing the distribution of these outcomes within the group. This holistic approach transcends the boundaries of individual patient care, focusing instead on the health of populations as cohesive units. Kelly Emrick.  Defining Population Health Population health, as a discipline, delves into the health outcomes of specific populations, analyzing the determinants that influence these outcomes. These determinants range from social, economic, and environmental factors to individual behaviors, genetics, and healthcare access. By examining the intricate interplay of these factors, population health provides insights into patterns, disparities, and determinants of health within specific commun