This is Laura Doodel with the Becker's Healthcare
podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by
Malik Behar, AVP of the access center and
loyalty at Virtua Health, and Erica Carney, director
of virtual care transformation integration of strategic operations
at Virtua.
Malik, Erica, thank you so much for joining
us today. Thanks for having us. Thank you.
Thank you for having us. Absolutely. Now I'm
excited for our conversation because I know there's
so much happening around access to care as
well as looking at, virtual care, how we
can really,
expand the health care outside of the four
walls of the hospital. So I'm looking forward
to learning more about what you're doing at
virtual health. But before we dig in, I'm
wondering, could you both briefly introduce yourself and
tell us a bit about your background? And,
Malik, we'll start with you.
Okay. So my name is Malik Bahar.
As mentioned,
I'm the AVP of Access Center and Loyalty
for Virtual Health System,
coming up on my eleven year anniversary in
just five days from now with Virtual Health.
And really my journey is one
of that's really people and human centric.
In my previous stops, because health care was
not my first,
my first area as a profession,
whether it be hospitality
or whether it be wellness as a trainer
for many years, Ultimately, it was about connecting
with people and finding ways to improve outcomes
to to help their experience be a bit
better. And the best part about my virtual
experience is that we've really been leaning into
that and seeing,
seeing really good results as a byproduct. So,
that's a bit about me.
Fantastic. And, Erica, could you tell us a
bit about yourself as well?
Absolutely. So, again, my name is Erica Carney,
and
I oversee Virtua's virtual care strategy that leverages
some really neat advanced technologies such as optical
cameras and ambient sensors.
But before stepping into my current role as
director of virtual care transformation,
I spent nearly a decade leading our accountable
care organization's
provider relations team. So I had the opportunity
to work side by side with primary and
specialty care clinicians
to really transform the way that medicine was
being provided through a population health based approach.
And it was an eye opening and, quite
invigorating
experience. So when the opportunity presented itself to
lead Virtua's virtual care strategy,
I knew this was going to be the
way that I could contribute to the bigger
movement occurring in health care and really utilize
some of those same transformational
practices. So today, I have the privilege of
collaborating
with operational leaders around the system like Malik
to really bring innovative virtual care use cases
to life. So these can range from appointment
navigation
to discharge coordination
to overnight
clinical support within our ICUs.
But our aim here is really to
revolutionize care delivery
through seamlessly integrating some of those advanced technologies
that I had recently referenced
to really enhance both the patient and clinician
experience,
all while improving quality of care and driving
operational efficiencies along the way.
And that's amazing to hear. You know? And
what a great, journey you've been on in
terms of just being able to, both of
you, experience
how health care is touching so many different
folks in the community. And then through this
digital transformation we've had over the last several
years, it's just really incredible.
Now I am curious. What are some of
the opportunities and headwinds that you have your
eye on right now? And from this one,
let's start with you, Erica.
Thanks, Laura. So I think that there's a
really pivotal moment occurring in health care right
now. You know, there's the shortage of health
care professionals, and we're seeing a rise in
patients requiring care due to either aging populations
or the prevalence of chronic diseases.
So in order to deliver a really meaningful
experience to patients,
you know, it's important that we're identifying ways
to
prioritize face time with them and provide that
clear communication and dedicated attention to each individual
patient. That is so critical.
And I know some are going to ask,
you know, with what time, with what resources,
and I think those are good questions to
ask. But it's also important for us to
be mindful of
how we are attracting and retaining top talent
in such competitive markets.
So, you know, are we looking at how
we are thoughtfully developing a culture that embraces
work life harmony. So could alternative or hybrid
work arrangements help achieve this goal? So at
Virtua, through the use of these advanced technologies,
our teams now have the ability to reimagine
elements of care without sacrificing
traditional delivery of services. So as the needs
of our communities and our workforce evolves, so
must we.
That makes a lot of sense. You know,
it really hits on so much of what
we're hearing today from leaders across the board
in trying to figure out how to deliver
more care, expand capacity, and, create a better
experience for patients. Malik, would you have anything
to add? Absolutely. So I think Erica laid
it out perfectly in regards to how we
see things from a system approach.
When it comes to
opportunities,
a a bit of background about what my
day to day looks like. So I oversee
our contact center.
Our contact center is a 200 FTE team,
about 92%
remote,
and, ultimately,
we are a midsize contact center, 2,600,000
interactions. We have centralized primary care, centralized,
insurance referrals, centralized,
OB GYN radiology scheduling, GI, and many, many
others. And one of the things that we've
really focused on, as Erica mentioned, is that
work life harmony,
really creating an environment and a space where
we've been able to boast a ninety two
percent retention rate since 02/2018,
and that 8% churn year over year is
normally largely positive.
Now, how does this tie into opportunity?
It ties into opportunity because we're really at
a crossroads
with what is presented in front of us
with,
with really making sure that the experience that
people
have when they reach out to to when
they reach out to any of us in
health care is comprehensive,
that there's interoperability,
and really that it's simple and easy. One
of the key things we've been talking about
internally is that when you think about headwinds,
it's just kind of the evolving demands.
Patients are no longer comparing us to necessarily
our regional or national competitors. They are ultimately
comparing their experience with virtual health to their
less less last greatest experience
in general. So whether it be the experience
they felt sitting in the line at Chick
fil A or their experience with Southwest Airlines
or Disney,
We really are looking to make sure that
we provide the best experience possible.
And how do we do that? The the
opportunities to leverage the technology,
many of the things that Erica oversees, but
also things such as agentic AI to really
simplify the overall experience is is really key,
because the consumer base in our patient populations
are only go only going to continue to
improve
and heighten their level of expectation about what
is the standard.
You know, we were talking
recently about how gen x at the top
end of their scale are now 28 years
old. And with that,
they are just two years from becoming 30
and in many cases, beginning families becoming the
caretakers of tomorrow and really prioritizing
their sense of wellness and well-being.
So with that, there's also an understanding
that regardless of labels, that the upcoming generations
have had immediate,
answers and solutions at their fingertips, and that's
the expectation that they make that they carry
with them. So how do we as health
care providers and practitioners
really make sure that we meet that expectation
by simplifying
the road map to access, by simplifying
the,
the access to care, and by simplifying the
communications that happen throughout the process to keep
them up to speed, abreast of what's going
on, and really make sure that the experience
overall is a favorable one.
That's such a fascinating point. And, you know,
really to think about generationally that gen z
coming into the space where they're becoming parents
and really expecting different things than previous generations
from their health care experience comparing it to
other industries, and, it is just really fascinating
to think about. Wanted to stay there for
just one minute. When you look ahead, how
are you thinking about growth and adding value
to your organization? And what does that look
like for you, Molly?
So for me, it's, really playing a key
role, along with other colleagues system wide to
make sure that we identify
the best way to align our agentic journey
to really do all the things that I've
mentioned previously regarding the experience that is provided.
So that way, when a patient, whether they're
leveraging their MyChart,
their portal, regardless of the modality with which
they choose to connect to virtual health, that
when they are speaking to the front desk,
that conversation
is that conversation is made available so that
same way the outreach from the marketing department
or a conversation with a provider is a
single source of truth so that our care
teams and our and our clinical colleagues have
the opportunity to really take a look at
what the patient is experiencing and provide that
personalized care that they're going to expect.
Where the rubber meets the meets the road
is really our ability to provide that, And
I am part of a team that is
working,
diligently to make sure that we are positioned
to deliver that through 2025 and beyond.
That's fascinating to hear. That makes a lot
of sense. You know, really is critical,
in order to keep the health care organization
modernized and and moving forward. Erica, from your
perspective, what are you seeing with virtual care
and some of the transformational efforts you're working
on?
Yeah. So the value proposition for the use
of virtual and smart care technologies
really continues to to grow each day to
Malik's point. You know, we've only uncovered, I
think, the tip of the iceberg size impact
that's really occurring around our system through the
hard work of so many dedicated teams.
So since much of our, you know, virtual
care work here at Virtua is additive in
nature, you know, we have clinicians who are
reporting
burnout reduction and greater bandwidth at the bedside
and just an overall, you know, enhanced feeling
of teamwork.
We are proactively
detecting potential safety risks earlier. We've seen expedited
consults and cross campus travel elimination.
You know, many of these virtual care use
cases have a direct impact on patient throughput
efficiencies and readmission reduction efforts, you know, which
are large focuses for so many organizations right
now across the the country.
You know, one of my personal favorite value
adds that I have observed since we have
gone live on some of these advanced technologies
is the ability to virtually include family members
and loved ones in the patient's care journey
here at Virtua.
So how often do loved ones wish they
could be by the patient's side, but they're
stuck at work or they're caring for small
children or they live multiple states away?
That is bear that's a barrier that has
now been lifted, and patients now have the
comfort of that familiar face during potentially some
of their most vulnerable moments. And I think
that's a testament to the virtual care impact.
Absolutely. I think that's spot on and and
certainly
a huge impact that's been having and will
continue to have for years to come. I
think, you know, there's so many opportunities, so
many cool things are happening in health care.
It's just amazing to think about the future,
but I know there's also risks involved. So
what could you tell me, Erica, first,
from your perspective, what is one risk or
investment that's still worth taking this year even
given some of the challenges,
you know, with with
financially and otherwise for many hospitals and health
systems are facing?
So, I'll I'll take a different spin on
this. I think
one investment
that I believe to be quite fruitful is
the power of storytelling.
So that might not be a groundbreaking revelation,
but I think it can be a game
changer, especially when navigating,
some of the challenges of change management around
a new venture.
So there is, you know, no shortage of
books or podcast on the subject, but a
quote that has really stuck with me that
Robert McKee once shared is that storytelling is
the most powerful way to put ideas
into the world today. So there is, a
place for pie charts. Don't get me wrong.
Conversations related to ROI and length of state
figures, but stories will stick. Stories speak to
people. It's what connects us all as humans.
So,
my recommendation would be invest in the storytellers
of your organization
as they are really going to help craft
the narrative of the future.
I love that. It's such a important aspect
of health care and how organizations are moving
forward is to have those folks who are
really strongly sharing the message and have an
understanding of where you're trying to go. Malik,
what are your thoughts? What do you see
as being still important aspects of the organization
to really double down on for the next
year?
No. I think Erica laid it out perfectly.
I'll kind of expound on her point and
then bring up what I was thinking about
as she was answering.
So the power of storytelling is absolutely integral,
to change management. I'm really kind of providing
the overarching why behind
so that colleagues and all who are impacted
have that narrative.
One thing that really stands out to me
is that within our world of customer service,
and one of the things that we always
focus on is that, you know, it's the
Chick fil A model with an inside out
approach focusing on people and growing and evolving
great teams with the understanding
that
the patients or the community at at large
will never be as big as a fan
of your brand as your own as your
own employees are. And because of that, the
storytelling aspect of it and really connecting people
to each other to provide a deeper understanding
is is okay. But when it comes to,
investment,
from my perspective, it was really about the
agentic AI journey, really
finding ways to implement it to simplify,
workflows and really provide additional efficiency that pay
off in regards to patient experience.
You know, when patients have the understanding, you
know, and this is happening across industries, across
service industries,
you know, whether it be banking
or different financial institutions, credit card companies, or
so on and so forth. When you're contacting
through one modality, right away, the AI is
being leveraged to simplify
and make sure that you are not only
connecting with it that information in a safe
and consistent manner, but also that it's taking
the burden off of you and becomes ultimately
one less thing in your day. So for
us,
through my lens, the investment into the AI
space,
and really finding ways to enhance the experience
that all patients will have because people are
gonna go
to any institution,
through any through any industry where the process
is simple,
favorable, and repeatable.
So because of that, AI is something that
plays a huge role in making that happen.
And in in in conjunction with Erica's point
about storytelling and investing in the people so
that the community understands that it's not simply
leveraging AI as a to supplant the human
interaction, but to enhance and to complement it.
And at its best, we are now enabled,
just like we all do with our smartphones,
to do more, to provide greater simplicity
because of that partnership, because of that synergy
between the two.
I love that. One important
impact that you're having on the organization when
you're using technology and and using,
all the different tools that you have to
really care for patients to become smarter about
it and then,
truly, you know, extend that out to the
community as well.
Before we wrap up here, I wanted to
ask you both, where do you see some
of the best opportunities for growth in the
future? And, Malik, we'd love to start with
you on this one.
Absolutely. So I'm gonna stay on on on
narrative for me, and that being the technology
aspect of it, really, because
it's taking the workflow of today across all
aspects of what health systems offer and simplifying
it. So I'll use an example or, for
instance, in our world of contact center operations,
we are an epic shop for those who
are listening and familiar.
We utilize Cheer CRM and then Acdium Health
CRM, Calabrio
for workforce management
and quality management, Harland's IVR, LUMA for SMS,
and LOYO for online chatbot.
So ultimately, we have a great deal of
technology at our fingerprint at our fingertips, and
that was the point of me sharing that.
But really, it's how do we pull all
those together to provide that comprehensive
view of the patient
That organizations that do that the best are
going to be the ones that are chosen
consistently,
and to me, that's really the growth that
we all wanna see. We want our organization,
we want virtual health to be that preferred
premier choice in in our in our region,
and then ultimately to grow from a brand
recognition perspective
nationally,
as a place that cares for people, that
helps you get well, be well, and stay
well. And because of that, that's the growth
that we wanna see, and AI and leveraging
the technology is really key.
That makes a lot of sense. You know?
What a a cool future that will be
when everything comes together and and you're seeing
so much of that work together.
Erica,
what would you add?
Yeah. Building off of some of Malik's comments
regarding technology, I believe we're gonna see continuous
growth through the smart care facility lens. So
organizations
will be faced with identifying real time solutions
for many of those challenges that we previously
discussed, and tapping into smart technology
is an approach to overcoming some of those
hurdles.
So if I was a betting woman, new
technologies with promises of added efficiencies and cost
benefits
will continue to come to the market, and
systems
will really need to prioritize the opportunities that
are most befitting
further organization.
So do you prioritize
digital interfaces,
or is it use of artificial intelligence, EMR
integrations?
I don't think it's a one size fits
all answer. And I also see this as
an evolution and not something that can necessarily
be turned on overnight.
So the same way that, you know, every
new construction project starts with a solid foundation
before
moving on to building floors and installing windows
and adding paint. That's the same way Vertu
is really approaching our smart care journey because
without that solid foundation,
that's where the potential for risk really creeps
in.
Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense. Erica,
Molly, thank you so much for joining us
on the podcast today. This has been such
a fascinating conversation, and I look forward to
connecting with you both again soon. Absolutely. Thank
you.