BLOGS & EDUCATION

You’ve probably noticed the incredible investment in the healthcare technology space over the last couple of years. Value-based care (VBC), or value-based reimbursement, is a common buzzword in healthcare. But not everyone is clear on what it means exactly. As the U.S. healthcare industry evolves toward VBC, many health providers and new technology solutions may feel like they’re falling behind. This introduction to VBC will give you the basics and help you catch up. First, let’s define what VBC is replacing: fee-for-service (FFS) care. What is fee-for-service (FFS) care? VBC is intended to replace the FFS model, which has been predominant in healthcare for many years. Under this model, payers are billed for individual services. For example, a person who [...]

“Wow, what? This cannot be correct!?” This is what I was thinking while I was writing up my bio for my new business endeavor and realized I’ve been working for thirty years. Interestingly enough, I’ve worked in the rehabilitation services and the behavioral health “space” for all of it. I worked in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation service through college and until I was thirty, and have spent the last twenty years working in healthcare technology. I’m absolutely in no way a person who writes code, but am a conduit between clinical staff and programmers. Some of us remember a time when you would be asked, “So what do you do? Software for mental health? What is that?” Prior to the [...]

One of the biggest barriers that prevent many people from going to the doctor for adequate medical care is transportation -- actually getting to your medical appointment can be a huge challenge. Whether it’s a lack of transportation, a significant distance to drive, a behavioral health issue or other disability that prevents them from traveling, transportation is a barrier that needs to be considered when discussing medical care that works for everyone. The introduction of telehealth, or virtual health, will be a game-changer for vulnerable populations receiving care, as well as for coordinating treatment with other providers. Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic and telecommunication technologies. Most common is the act of talking to [...]

If you go to your doctor for a healthcare issue or an annual checkup, and they treat you for a physical healthcare issue - one part of the process should be related to your mental health also. This is becoming more commonplace but we have more work to do. The same is true for the reverse. When you seek treatment for a mental health condition, you may have a physical medical issue related to that condition that may not be diagnosed in the behavioral health facility. There has been extensive research showing that there should be focus on treating and diagnosing mental health problems in primary care facilities. When primary and behavioral care are integrated, a gap in treatment [...]

As the idea of Certified Community Healthcare Clinics (CCBHC’s) matures, we will begin to see leading organizations moving toward this new structure. This type of client-focused attention will improve the overall health of the Medicaid population by integrating primary care, establishing evidence-based practices, and actively coordinating services outside of their four walls. The criteria for certification falls into six areas of focus:1) StaffingSince a high percentage of Medicaid recipients have a number of health issues, it’s important to move towards the next level of multidisciplinary teams. At the base, these teams will need to work together and coordinate service plans for better connections, and thus better outcomes. With the inclusion of family members, peer specialists, and staff at all levels [...]