2021

Dr. Brian Hasselfeld 

Rebecca Canino accepted the award on Dr. Hasselfeld's behalf 

2022

Larry Smith

2021

Senate President Pro Tem
Melony Griffith

2022

Delegate Ariana Kelly

2020

Adventist Healthcare Rehabilitation

2021

Frederick Health

2020

Howard County General Hospital

2021

Ascension Saint Agnes

A Conversation with CMS Leaders

Dr. Purva Rawal, Chief Strategy Officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Innovation Center, and Dr. Kate Sapra, director of the division of All-Payer Models for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joined us to share a federal perspective on the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model. They told Nicole Stallings, MHA Chief External Affairs Officer, that they are pleased with the efforts the state is making related to equity and driving accountable care, and they believe there is room to improve, like bringing in additional stakeholders—from primary care providers to Medicaid and private payers.

Dr. Rawal described the Maryland Model as “the North Star” of innovation in the country.

Dr. Rawal said CMMI is focused on strengthening health equity data as we work to achieve ambitious goals on that front, saying Maryland is “ahead of the curve” on health equity but said there is more to be done.

“We can’t take our foot off the pedal in addressing population health outcomes,” said Dr. Sapra. “We are really excited to see where you are going to go from here.”

Drs. Rawal and Sapra also expressed interest in hearing from hospital leaders about the future of the Model, as well as timelines for key metrics, such as health equity.

“We know we can’t do more without accurate data,” Dr. Rawal said. However, she acknowledged that CMMI wants to balance the need for more data against the potential burden on hospitals.

“A lot of good has been done and can be done under the Total Cost of Care Model,” Dr. Sapra said. “We’re really excited to see where you go from here

“It is a lot of work to provide this level of flexibility to Maryland, so make the most of it,” she challenged hospital leaders. “Your fate is in your hands.”

View their presentation here. 

Batteries Not Included: Powering Health Equity

Dr. Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, Core Investigator and Health Scientist, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and Lecturer, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania, talked about ways to infuse equity into our work. He spoke about doing things that excite and empower yourself, while taking down barriers that impose unequal chances for good outcomes. He encouraged us to go beyond equality and equity to justice.

“How do we power health equity within health care,” Dr. Jenkins asked, using an analogy of receiving Hot Wheels as a child that did not come with batteries.

He warned it will take more than buzzwords, a single statement, and hiring a chief diversity officer.

Dr. Jenkins shared the seven A’s of racism focused trauma informed care: awareness, affordability, acceptability, accessibility, availability, accommodation, accountability.

He said at this time, misinformation is the new barrier to access for people and advised that hospital leaders question how they can expand access to information.

“We have to think every day: How can I expand access for people?” Dr. Jenkins said. “Achieving equality in outcomes requires equity in our process.”

He also said there are metrics that hospital leaders can use to measure effectiveness and hold themselves accountable.

“It doesn’t matter what we do if we aren’t going to hold ourselves, our organizations, and our partners accountable,” he said. 

View Dr. Jenkins' presentation here. 

Just One Percent In: Preparing for the “First Productivity Revolution”

Nancy Giordano, a futurist, guides business leaders to reimagine and reshape to keep up with shifting culture and emerging technology. Her main point was that technology and digital innovation have only been tapped in the slightest degree—about 1%—and that the businesses and leadership styles we use are from the industrial era. In the past, the goal was to just get better. Today, much is unknown, and leaders are required to support teams, dampen angst, and reinvent their organizations. There is much room for change and the opportunity to clear a new path forward.

“We have to transform to stay relevant,” Ms. Giordano said.

Part of that transformation is a changing workforce that is using more technology, more focused on how their consumptive behavior affects planetary health, and more committed to addressing systemic biases and growing inequities, she said.

Half of the world’s population is under 30 years old, she said—ushering in what has been called a “youthquake,” with workers who feel differently about the world around them.

Ms. Giordano said this will lead to new business models and offered an example of 3-D printed homes, built in one day and at a small fraction of the cost of a typical home.

Ms. Giordano shared select slides from her presentation with MHA members here.