As you have just read, the Alliance Board of Managers’ “baton”
has been passed from Dr. Janus to Dr. McManus. We have all benefitted
from Dr. Janus’ valuable leadership which began way back when a
clinically integrated network (CIN) in Fredericksburg was only a glint
in the eyes of some forward-thinking physicians and administrators. Dr.
McManus was also part of the group that ultimately formed the Alliance
and we look forward to his continued leadership. Dr. Janus led us through
a time when it was uncertain whether or not such a CIN could succeed in
Fredericksburg. At this point, that question has been answered in the
affirmative with documented success in government contracts, commercial
contracts, bundled payment programs, QuE programs and population health
management (Million Hearts). Dr. McManus (and the Alliance) face new challenges
as we will continue to accept risk in the setting of tougher benchmarks
and tighter margins. But, regardless of the changing nature of the healthcare
landscape, the need for effective physician leadership is a constant.
Regardless of the programs we choose to participate in, the Alliance leadership
will continue to focus on the following:
1) Teamwork – the success of a clinically integrated network depends
on all the components (providers, practices, administrators, facilities)
working together and supporting each other
2) Technology – effective population health management relies on
processing large amounts of data and identifying the most appropriate
targets for enhanced care and then assessing the outcomes of our interventions
3) Purpose – to effectively and efficiently provide superior healthcare
through integrated partnerships with our patients, our providers and our
community resources.
3) Feedback – in order to continually improve, we need to recognize
and reward good performance and identify opportunities and provide resources
to constructively address underperformance.
We look forward to all the Alliance providers actively supporting their
leaders and working in their day-to-day practices to achieve the “Quadruple
Aim”: Better care, better health, smarter spending and enhanced
professional well-being.
Rick Lewis, MD