David B. Nash, MD, MBA

Find out what is driving a revolt among Mass General Brigham's primary care physicians, who are seeking to form a union. One of the PCPs who is organizing the unionization, Andrew Warren, MD, says working conditions are the primary driver of the effort. "We have gotten into a situation where the workload and the expectations are ever-expanding," Warren says. "The amount of support we are getting is never sufficient. This situation is hard on physicians and hard on the staff. We have gotten to a point where it is unsustainable." Jessica Pastore, senior director of public affairs at MGB, says the health system is opposed to doctors forming unions. "We generally oppose doctors forming unions," Pastore says. "We feel that it is important to work directly with our physicians and other clinicians without an external third party." The PCPs and the health system are at odds over whether MGB is putting profits over patients. "MGB is prioritizing profit over patient care. I don't think there is any argument to that fact," Warren says. "They have made it clear that they are going to put money into things where they get a return on investment, and primary care has never been one of those things." Pastore says MGB is not fixated on profits. "We are a nonprofit, so any so-called profit goes back into our mission," she says. "For example, we invest hundreds of millions of dollars to improve health in our communities. It is important for us to be able to sustain this mission." Read the full HealthLeaders story at https://lnkd.in/ekZDn-Ez

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“Nobody’s got more grit than a group of kids with rare diseases” Right now on NBCUniversal, this video is streaming nationally. Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have released a short holiday movie that tells a story of a city plunged into darkness, rescued by the ingenuity of a group of kids with rare diseases. What I witnessed as this idea took shape and came to fruition was the intent to portray something realistic among this fantasy — people with rare diseases and their families have to be the resilient ones in society, they work harder to get from A to B every day. This short movie doesn’t pity people with rare diseases, it celebrates them, saluting their grit. At Montefiore Health System, I keep hearing from colleagues in different specialities, adult and paediatric, that everything in the #Bronx is a rare disease. That may be why patients and families say they don’t feel like an unwanted burden on their care providers when they visit us for care. There is a practical component to this outreach — the page below links to our new New York Center for Rare Diseases (NYCRD) website, making it easy for patients, families and referring providers to find rare disease care. Montefiore Health System has over 40 rare disease clinics, with more in planning, a genuinely extraordinary focus for any health system. I’m also gratified that the web content is all available in Spanish as well as English, as rare diseases don’t care what language you speak. While I’ve seen this in development over the last several months, I am still stunned by the results. Working with colleagues like Loreen Babcock and David Bivins and their teams has exposed me to the calm and principled creativity that resulted in this exceptional celebration of rare diseases. Look out for all the #NYC Easter Eggs, how many can you find? Rare disease patients and families will see a couple of deliberate rare disease superpowers — when the spaceship needs more power, where do they get it? And when they need to brake, what do they use? Something that was hidden from me during the development process, my biggest personal jaw-dropper, there’s a RARE DISEASE VIDEO GAME! In English and Spanish. Crazy. Thanks to our #NYCRD partners GeneDx PacBio Google Health The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute And finally, a massive shout out to my patient Emmelina Torres, who is born for the big screen (Daniel Torres, please tell her she’s amazing). https://lnkd.in/eEZKaGHq

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🎧 ICYMI: Season 3, Episode 4 of The Simply Dynamic Podcast 🎧 In this episode, Chrissy Buteas, President & CEO of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey and accomplished leader in public policy and advocacy, shares her insights on building successful relationships and fostering collaboration: ✨ Surround yourself with people who bring different skills to the table. ✨ Seek synergy across industries—even those outside your field. ✨ Collaborate to create a balanced public policy that drives growth and benefits everyone. As Chrissy puts it, "When industries and businesses work together, we’re all able to rise together."  🎙️ Catch up on this powerful conversation and discover how collaboration can shape a stronger future for New Jersey.

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Can we achieve equitable health outcomes through funding? Senior editor Michael Gerber explores how payers in Massachusetts leverage value-based care and pay-for-performance models to reduce health disparity. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eRr8yVUT

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Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network are working together to expand access to world-class healthcare and bring innovative treatments closer to home for communities across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. https://bit.ly/4fnsBsK #JeffersonLVHNProud #TeamJefferson Becker's Healthcare

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If only more physician leaders were like my friend Michael Parmacek, who joined Raj Ramachandran and I on our latest podcast. Dr. Parmacek's passion for improving the lot of today's clinicians (I agree that "What we're doing isn't working.") and supporting the development of other physician leaders, is admirable. If you want to be inspired, I recommend this podcast, part of our Accelerating Physician Leader Impact Series! https://lnkd.in/eJkEMxQ4

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Are you ready to stay the course, even when the finish line keeps moving? I want to share a story about a journey that took nearly two decades to complete. I represented a group of New York hospitals facing a complex Medicare payment issue. Our strategy required us to pivot between regulatory and legislative avenues multiple times, highlighting the importance of adaptability in any long-term plan. It took: ✅Patience ✅Tenacity ✅And unwavering confidence In our evolving strategy to ultimately succeed after 20 years. Remember, real change takes time. But with a resilient mindset, you can navigate any challenge and achieve your objectives. Stay confident and adaptable in your pursuits! #PersistencePays #LeadershipLessons #StrategicPlanning #AdaptAndOvercome

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Learn from Inova Health's journey in establishing a scalable, sustainable #CardiogenicShock program. Alexander Truesdell, MD, FSCAI, shares actionable insights you can implement at your hospital. Watch this session recording and others on SCAI's conference library. 🎥 https://lnkd.in/gFvT6aWG

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Have you used the Population Health Information Tool (PHIT) tp explore up-to-date public health and racial equity data in Massachusetts? Learn more in the video below and visit PHIT at mass.gov/dph/phit to explore hundreds of data indicators on health outcomes and social determinants. [Image: Community Health Data headline and photo of person looking at tablet, with data visualizations and maps appearing beside them. ]

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Recently, I had the privilege to talk with Delaware Public Media's Macayla Cook about the innovation at Community Health Centers (CHCs) that go "beyond the exam room" at the children's book launch of "Captain Westside and the Health Heroes: Caring for Delaware's Families!" Please see excerpts from the article below: It tells the story of a girl named Carmen going to the doctor’s office and learning about the forms of care doctors provide, from routine check-ups to dental care to mental health maintenance. Westside Family Healthcare's CEO Chris Fraser, MBA, FACHE says improving childhood literacy through children’s books is another way Westside promotes the health of its clients. ... Westside plans to initially distribute 6,000 books through the National Reach Out and Read, which provides books to children as a part of their routine check-ups. ... Many characters in the book are based on real people associated with the clinic, including "Captain Westside" herself, who was inspired by retired Westside CEO Lolita Lopez. “I’ve had many accolades being retired, from my retirement, but this gift is just amazing,” Lopez said. “I never could have dreamed of such an opportunity for my legacy to carry on, plus to be able to teach children about good health, it’s just amazing. Today is what I call a glory day.” Lopez served as the CEO of Westside for 33 years before retiring in 2023. ... Kyu Rhee, President of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), also voiced his support for the book and the difference it will make, especially in low-income communities. “Many of these communities we’re talking about are underserved,” Rhee said. “They have children that are on Medicaid, or are uninsured, or have low socioeconomic status. To me, the importance of this is about emphasizing literacy in communities that need it the most.” Rhee also said that he thinks the book correctly emphasizes “the importance of healthcare heroes,” along with highlighting the impact of primary care and telling a story of “hope and community.” “It’s about not only what happens in an exam room between a provider or clinician, a pediatrician and a patient and a family, but what goes beyond the exam room,” Rhee said. “It’s almost like a literacy shot. So the investment we’re making, these literary vaccinations, to promote literacy and prevent illiteracy, the impact is so important.” NACHC believes that CHCs like Westside and our primary care heroes like "Captain Westside's" Lolita Lopez are the best, most innovative, most resilient, and most diverse part of our health system. We stand united with CHCs and our primary care heroes for and with the people we have served and will serve as “the best is yet to come.” Please learn more and support the CHC movement at: https://www.nachc.org. #HealthCenters #ValueCHCs #FundCHCs #WeAreNACHC https://lnkd.in/eruZW2V9

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Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, MSc, FACP, president of Jefferson Health and & EVP, Chief Transformation Officer, shares his vision with The Philadelphia Inquirer, on uniting Jefferson’s 32 hospitals and 65,000 employees, emphasizing the delicate balance of system-wide standardization while preserving the unique character of individual hospitals. https://bit.ly/3OzZkjz

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Boston Business Journal said it best: "Shields Health is using AI to revolutionize MRI wait times, patient experience". Our President, Peter Ferrari, discusses the benefits we've seen from the implementation of A.I. as well as the future of this technology across the Shields network. Not only are the reductions in scan times and improvements in quality impressive – we're also able see more patients and reduce their wait times. It's an incredibly important improvement given the current demands on the healthcare system. Give it a read! https://hubs.ly/Q02Pm-_j0 (If you don't have a BBJ subscription, check out a PDF of the article here: https://hubs.ly/Q02PmVHp0)

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Anyone else just swallow another healthcare cost increase in choosing benefits this month? This newly released NEJM Catalyst article is timely https://lnkd.in/exWdtwZq. Improving affordability is broadly seen in the U.S. as our #1 healthcare policy issue. Mark McClellan offers great insights here. Ultimately, without inappropriately stifling the juggernaut of tech innovation, we need to be laser focused on achieving the quintuple aim through new processes AND tech (and some appropriate gov regulation) that address this elephant in the room of massive expense. There are few studies that have shown such promise more than the hospital at home care model. Acute care alone constitutes over half of all Medicare costs. The opportunity is real. We at the Hospital at Home Tech Council are working diligently with partners to ensure that we build and enhance current/emerging tech (POC diagnostics, RPM, virtual visits, supply chain, etc) to leverage this opportunity to achieve the quintuple aim. Please join with us! And if you're heading to HLTH Inc. conference next week, ping me to connect on this topic. #patientsfirst #healthcareaffordability #healthcarepolicy #hospitalathome #healthcaretech #futureofheatlhcare #poc #diagnostics #remotepatientmonitoring #supplychain #nejm

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Twelve Maryland hospitals have earned the B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland designation, a statewide improvement project to help curb pregnancy-related complications and spread awareness about racial disparities in maternal outcomes. B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland stands for Breaking Inequality Reimagining Transformative Healthcare. and the Maryland Patient Safety Center, in partnership with MHA, developed the program for non-obstetric care providers in emergency departments, clinics, and outpatient settings to improve recognition of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, identify potential bias in care delivery, and improve teamwork and communication. 💫🎉Congratulations to the hospitals that earned this designation: Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Carroll Hospital Center (part of LifeBridge Health) Grace Medical Center (part of LifeBridge Health) Greater Baltimore Medical Center Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC HealthCare) Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Anne Arundel Medical Center Doctors Community Medical Center Mercy Medical Center Meritus Health Sinai Hospital Hospital (part of LifeBridge Health) University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center Additionally, Baltimore Healthy Start, Inc., and three primary care clinics in the Baltimore Washington Medical Group (Pasadena, Hanover, and North) also earned the B.I.R.T.H. Equity designation. #HealthCareInnovation #BIRTHEquity #TransformativeHealthCare

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"The Commonwealth’s primary care system is in crisis and urgently requires transformative changes to prioritize and invest in access to #PrimaryCare services," said MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor. "The MMS is therefore pleased that the legislature has taken a critical step in the health care market oversight bill by creating a new state task force to recommend improvements to primary care access, delivery of care, and financial stability." https://ow.ly/lgk450UAojU

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Drug deaths decline sharply in NJ Far fewer people are dying from #drug use in #NewJersey this year when compared to the recent past, preliminary state figures show, with fatalities down significantly in three counties – Essex, Camden and Atlantic – that have long led the state in overdose deaths. This marks the third straight year in which drug-related deaths have declined in New Jersey, a development experts attribute to a mix of public education about addiction, reduced sigma around treatment services and better access to life-saving interventions like clean needles to reduce infection, testing kits to determine drug potency and the overdose reversal-agent naloxone, or Narcan. Drug deaths also dropped nationwide in 2023 for the first time in years. https://lnkd.in/eE9AP7RT

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Who's going to buy Steward's remaining Massachusetts hospitals? Physicians can't own hospitals. Legislators have turned up the heat and regulatory scrutiny of PE and VC-backed healthcare (in large part because of Steward's bad apples). Smaller independent community hospitals (of which there are now few) are already struggling financially. Enter large, market dominant health systems? The state has made it clear it's not thrilled about Mass General Brigham owning more hospitals. (Instead, they've spun up outpatient centers in HNW areas and turned their attention to neighboring states). As a condition of approving its merger, Beth Israel Lahey Health agreed to a 7-year moratorium on cost increases among other concessions. That's set to expire in the next year or so. Do we really want more health system consolidation? (Studies would suggest the answer is "no" if you want lower prices, demonstrably better care and access, and fewer employed physicians). So, who's left? Are we willing to think a bit differently? Explore alternative options? Allow physicians or physician groups with business partners to make a go of it? (The horror, the horror). Can we admit that regulatory grandstanding has created as many, if not more, problems than it has solved? This is an opportunity to be a little bold. We shouldn't abide conflicts of interest or allow free reign for fraud and abuse. Oversight and transparency are paramount. But we can use a deft touch instead of a heavy hand. We can support innovation, not stifle it. This goes not just for Steward, but for efforts across the country to tackle hard problems by taking a different angle. Otherwise, get ready for more of the same. Same wolf, different clothing. #health #healthcare #medicine

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