At Northwestern with the Green Mountain Care Board
The Green Mountain Care Board last week held its Board meeting at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans. Board members spent the day with hospital leadership, staff and community partners before the public meeting, which focused on the Franklin / Grand Isle Accountable Community for Health.
Presenters from the hospital explained how thoughtful attention to the social determinants of health, primary prevention and care coordination helps Northwestern and its local partner organizations to strengthen care and the community itself.
This work also intersects with the All Payer Model, Vermont’s value-based reform effort to keep people healthy and manage chronic illness effectively when it does occur. Promoting healthy behavior and helping prevent diseases like diabetes and heart disease is a core component of the APM.
Repeating a theme that surfaces at each of the traveling Board meetings on accountable health communities, presenters and Board members alike agreed that value-based care will only succeed when we engage partners and bring together all the organizations and expertise that can help people stay healthy and contribute to the vitality of their community.
Accountable Communities for Health are strong throughout Vermont, representing the opportunity to view health and wellness through a larger lens that includes all the dimensions that contribute to our health. Hospitals are typically the hub of these community collaboratives, which often include goals like addressing economic development and improving community safety – work that can make our neighborhoods and health care system stronger and more well-rounded.
As I said at last week’s GMCB meeting, I appreciate the Board visiting Vermont’s communiteis and seeing up close how hospitals make a difference every day—as well as the challenges they face from financial to cultural in transforming our health care system to one that serves everyone even more effectively and affordably.
Northwestern’s presentation can be found here.
Jeff Tieman, VAHHS President and CEO
