TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 6 33 together in order to build new pro- grams. Methodist had made a decision to build a premier primary care network as part of the vision of Dr. Marc Boom. I was fortunate to work with excellent teams that include Stephen Spielman and Dr. Chris Robben to recruit primary care physicians and Dale Clark and the Quality Integration Specialists to align independent primary care physicians in this network. It was an opportunity to build on my experience and les- sons learned in Massachusetts and New York. Our guiding principles are patient-centric, and the timing was per- fect because primary care was becom- ing the cornerstone of Population Health. As a leader and advocate for primary care, I thought: We can really make a difference and do this right for large populations in the greater Houston area. Q | Let's talk about population health. I often refer to it as facility-based medicine. People show up at ERs or at their primary care physician, often at a time when their disease or an event has taken place, and they receive treatment and then return home, becoming somewhat disconnected from their care. I know population health has a different view on how we manage patients at a distance. Can you elaborate on that? A | Population health management is a data-driven integrated health care delivery model that provides individu- alized care plans to populations based on health risks and conditions. We have different plans of care to accommodate the challenges of different populations and individuals. We are developing partnerships with community services to assist with food insecurity, transpor- tation, and behavioral health needs. We are creating a congregational health network to connect patients to interfaith community partners so we can care for the whole person includ- ing their spiritual needs. If you don't address the social determinants of health, your health outcomes can be limited. Pomona is the first LiveSmart master-planned community in the Houston area by Hillwood Communities, a Perot company. Featuring a relaxed, coastal atmosphere, this 1,000-acre community in the heart of the rapidly growing Highway 288 corridor makes it easy to live a happier, healthier lifestyle with a resort-style amenity center, miles of walking trails, sports fields, Fish Camp, Exploration Zone Park and an on-site Alvin ISD elementary school. And with 300 acres left untouched or as dedicated green space, Pomona is setting the standard for what it means to LiveSmart. Coventry Homes • David Weekley Homes Highland Homes • Plantation Homes • Trendmaker Homes New Homes From The $280s PomonaLiveSmart.com Sam Houston Parkway CR 101 6 288 ✪ 6 MODELS NOW OPEN! P er fect l y 8 Q | I would imagine the move now from fee-for-service to value-based health care is actually supporting population health more and more. Is that a good groundswell of support for programs that you're heading up? A | Yes, the transition from volume to value focuses on health outcomes and the coordination of individual- ized care. With the IT infrastructure to support predictive analytics and identification of gaps in care, we have the tools needed to direct resources to high risk populations. In addition, our Primary Care physician network has grown significantly to support the Greater Houston area. We have also been fortunate to build on the talents and successes of our Care Navigator program led by Janice Finder. People are complex, with specific health needs and motivations. One size does not fit all. A key component of population health is patient engagement to sustain outcomes. Patient portals and home health wearable devices educate and engage patients to better understand their condition. It takes high function- ing teams to implement population health programs where the patient is at the center of the team. I am grateful for the work of many teams at Houston Methodist who provide the expertise, wisdom, and dedication to patients that improve the health of our populations. Q | I almost forgot to ask: what's your perspective of the Texas Medical Center? A | There's absolutely nothing like it. I tell people it's a medical city of its own, with every entity side by side. When I first arrived, I thought this was downtown Houston! The number of people who come to work every day in health care in this one location—that is very Texas. If we could harness all of that energy, what a brain trust we would create! Julia Andrieni, M.D., was interviewed by William F. McKeon, executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer of the Texas Medical Center.

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