1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,850 This is Laura Dedo with the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. 2 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:05,570 I'm thrilled today to be joined by Tommy Ibrahim, 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,490 network President and Chief Executive Officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. 4 00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:11,810 Tommy, it's a pleasure to have you on the podcast today. 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:14,670 Thank you so much, Laura. Looking forward to it. 6 00:00:15,710 --> 00:00:17,480 Well, I know there's a lot happening, 7 00:00:17,540 --> 00:00:20,560 and we're gonna talk through some of the big challenges and trends and rural 8 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,760 healthcare today. But before we dive into the broader discussion, 9 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,600 I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit more about yourself and your 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:27,433 background? 11 00:00:28,690 --> 00:00:31,820 Yeah, no, happy to. Um, uh, my name is Dr. Tommy Ibrahim. 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,460 I'm an internist by background, uh, trained, uh, 13 00:00:34,460 --> 00:00:38,740 greater Baltimore Medical Center, uh, in b Baltimore, Maryland. And, uh, 14 00:00:39,060 --> 00:00:41,460 practice as a and internist for the first, you know, 15 00:00:41,460 --> 00:00:45,820 several years of my career before getting tugged into the leadership domain. 16 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:46,620 And, um, you know, 17 00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:50,820 I have been very fortunate and blessed over the past couple of decades, uh, to, 18 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,900 uh, advance into larger position executive roles, um, that have, uh, you know, 19 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:57,700 essentially prepared me for, um, the, uh, 20 00:00:57,700 --> 00:01:00,660 incredible opportunity that I have today, uh, leading, uh, 21 00:01:00,660 --> 00:01:03,260 Bassett Healthcare Network. So, delighted to, uh, 22 00:01:03,260 --> 00:01:04,300 spend some time with you today. 23 00:01:05,470 --> 00:01:09,480 Fantastic. Well, you know, I was wondering if we could start off with, um, 24 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,360 talking a little bit about some of the big challenges of rural healthcare today. 25 00:01:12,430 --> 00:01:14,040 What are you really seeing on the ground floor, 26 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:16,080 and how are you navigating these challenges? 27 00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:21,190 Well, thanks so much, Laura. I mean, I think the challenges are really copious. 28 00:01:21,450 --> 00:01:24,710 Um, you know, we're dealing with, uh, some of the other, uh, you know, major, 29 00:01:25,250 --> 00:01:25,830 um, uh, 30 00:01:25,830 --> 00:01:29,150 problems that the healthcare industry in its entirety is dealing with at this 31 00:01:29,150 --> 00:01:30,510 current time. Um, 32 00:01:30,510 --> 00:01:34,270 but I would also say that rural healthcare in general is exponentially, uh, 33 00:01:34,610 --> 00:01:38,470 you know, more affected. Uh, and that's for, uh, a variety of different reasons, 34 00:01:38,610 --> 00:01:42,830 you know, most are, uh, community related, um, or, uh, 35 00:01:42,830 --> 00:01:46,950 just geographically, uh, you know, uh, related. Uh, others might be, uh, 36 00:01:46,950 --> 00:01:50,830 staffing, uh, you know, related or op other facets of operations, you know, 37 00:01:50,830 --> 00:01:54,150 playing a key role. Um, and, and certainly, uh, 38 00:01:54,150 --> 00:01:57,310 as a rural healthcare organization, we feel the brunt, um, uh, 39 00:01:57,310 --> 00:02:00,790 of most of those areas. So, for example, it is, um, you know, 40 00:02:00,790 --> 00:02:05,070 significantly more challenging for us to recruit, uh, to our communities. Uh, 41 00:02:05,070 --> 00:02:05,590 there's a, 42 00:02:05,590 --> 00:02:09,390 a general shortage across the entire industry now for both physicians as well as 43 00:02:09,390 --> 00:02:10,310 nurses. Uh, 44 00:02:10,310 --> 00:02:14,390 and I believe the recent statistic was actually about 200,000 or so physicians 45 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:18,710 left healthcare just last year, and about a hundred thousand nurses, uh, 46 00:02:18,710 --> 00:02:20,390 decided to leave healthcare last year. 47 00:02:20,570 --> 00:02:24,310 So we're all fighting for the same constrained pool of resources, 48 00:02:24,410 --> 00:02:28,430 and it's exponentially harder for us in a rural environment to be able to 49 00:02:28,430 --> 00:02:32,910 recruit talent to really service the, the needs of the community. Um, you know, 50 00:02:32,990 --> 00:02:36,830 layering into that, the very unique social determinants of health, uh, 51 00:02:36,830 --> 00:02:41,670 of rural populations in general. Uh, our communities are largely elderly. Uh, 52 00:02:41,670 --> 00:02:45,750 you know, they're, uh, poorer, uh, less digitally inclined. Uh, 53 00:02:45,750 --> 00:02:50,190 we might have challenges with broadband access and transportation, uh, 54 00:02:50,210 --> 00:02:54,230 all of which get in the way of patients truly accessing the care that they need, 55 00:02:54,690 --> 00:02:57,270 uh, in the way that they need it. And, you know, 56 00:02:57,290 --> 00:02:59,660 as healthcare leaders and as a healthcare organization, 57 00:02:59,660 --> 00:03:03,500 we have to really solve for those problems, uh, as we, uh, 58 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:05,500 take into account the needs of our community. And, 59 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:09,460 and we're doing a number of different things to try to address that. And, uh, 60 00:03:09,460 --> 00:03:12,620 you know, as an organization, one of our, one of our major, uh, 61 00:03:12,620 --> 00:03:15,060 I think strategic priorities is, uh, 62 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:20,220 to align with other partners and other affiliations, uh, 63 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,540 who are aligned with our mission, aligned with our vision to ensure that we are, 64 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:25,140 um, you know, 65 00:03:25,140 --> 00:03:28,740 driving the strategies and the initiatives forward that really make sense for 66 00:03:28,740 --> 00:03:29,980 our community. So, as an example, 67 00:03:30,550 --> 00:03:34,220 we've just launched a major partnership not too long ago with Andreesen 68 00:03:34,220 --> 00:03:39,100 Horowitz, uh, which is a, uh, a major venture capital firm, a major, you know, 69 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:43,740 digital, uh, innovator, uh, in the Silicon Valley. Um, and that, you know, 70 00:03:43,740 --> 00:03:47,900 the premise of that partnership is to look at how we could begin to really 71 00:03:48,260 --> 00:03:52,700 redesign the care delivery system to meet the needs of rural geographies in 72 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:55,420 particular, and making sure that, you know, 73 00:03:55,420 --> 00:03:59,860 we're layering in solutions that make sense for our community. That's just one, 74 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,380 uh, you know, recent example. Uh, another is, uh, 75 00:04:03,420 --> 00:04:06,300 a broadening partnership and relationship that we've built with Columbia 76 00:04:06,350 --> 00:04:11,100 University, where we're bringing world class cardiovascular services, uh, 77 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,860 to our community through telehealth. Uh, and, uh, again, 78 00:04:14,860 --> 00:04:16,900 really optimizing on, uh, 79 00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:20,980 virtual and digital channels to serve the community in the best way possible. 80 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,660 And there's just a number of other partnerships and affiliations and other 81 00:04:24,660 --> 00:04:28,180 strategies that we've put into place to make sure that, uh, you know, 82 00:04:28,190 --> 00:04:32,260 we're addressing the very unique, uh, and subtle needs of overall patients. 83 00:04:33,990 --> 00:04:35,710 I love that. I think that makes a lot of sense. 84 00:04:35,710 --> 00:04:39,110 And it's so helpful to know how you've been redesigning that care delivery 85 00:04:39,170 --> 00:04:42,910 system to match your population and the patients that you serve. 86 00:04:43,070 --> 00:04:47,030 I can imagine it's so helpful within the community to have those services and 87 00:04:47,030 --> 00:04:51,510 access to facet in order to, uh, have care when it's needed. 88 00:04:51,890 --> 00:04:52,630 Now, you know, 89 00:04:52,630 --> 00:04:57,510 as you were talking through a lot around the staffing and labor issues, um, 90 00:04:57,510 --> 00:05:00,590 obviously all healthcare organizations are experiencing them to some degree, 91 00:05:00,650 --> 00:05:01,750 but in rural healthcare, 92 00:05:01,780 --> 00:05:05,830 that recruiting people into spaces that are non-urban into spaces that, 93 00:05:06,170 --> 00:05:10,830 you know, might not be as typical is an extra challenge. So, you know, 94 00:05:10,830 --> 00:05:14,430 what is your strategy for recruiting and retaining great talent over the last 95 00:05:14,430 --> 00:05:14,830 couple of years, 96 00:05:14,830 --> 00:05:18,350 especially what's worked really well and where are you looking ahead in the 97 00:05:18,350 --> 00:05:19,183 future? 98 00:05:20,660 --> 00:05:23,750 Yeah, it's such an important question. And, um, you know, at Bassett, 99 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:26,350 we're really trying to take a very, um, you know, uh, 100 00:05:26,350 --> 00:05:31,150 thoughtful a and comprehensive approach, um, to, uh, to this really, 101 00:05:31,170 --> 00:05:35,870 uh, significant need, um, focusing predominantly on retention. Um, you know, 102 00:05:35,870 --> 00:05:37,870 we found, obviously, uh, that, uh, 103 00:05:38,030 --> 00:05:40,670 becoming an employer of choice and investing in our people, 104 00:05:40,670 --> 00:05:44,270 investing in our culture is the single most important thing that we can do. Um, 105 00:05:44,650 --> 00:05:45,410 you know, we, 106 00:05:45,410 --> 00:05:49,550 we have great people already and it's really important for us to make sure that 107 00:05:49,550 --> 00:05:52,750 we're putting in place processes and initiatives to, 108 00:05:52,770 --> 00:05:56,030 to ensure that they're feeling valued and appreciated for the work that they do, 109 00:05:56,770 --> 00:06:00,540 um, and, uh, that they're, you know, interested in staying with Bassett for the, 110 00:06:00,540 --> 00:06:04,780 for the entirety of their careers. And that's, that's largely where we have, uh, 111 00:06:04,820 --> 00:06:07,900 a tremendous amount of, uh, of focus right now. Um, 112 00:06:07,950 --> 00:06:11,260 we've been investing into our people over the course of the past couple of 113 00:06:11,260 --> 00:06:14,020 years, certainly since the pandemic has started, uh, 114 00:06:14,020 --> 00:06:18,420 we've layered in about $50 million worth of investments into our workforce. And, 115 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,940 you know, we, we, uh, uh, very, um, 116 00:06:20,940 --> 00:06:25,460 happily employ over 4,500 people across the health system. Uh, and, you know, 117 00:06:25,460 --> 00:06:28,620 those, uh, investments, uh, come in the form of, you know, 118 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:31,980 salary and wage adjustments, other bonus payments that we've put into place, 119 00:06:32,530 --> 00:06:35,580 tuition reimbursement programs. We've also, uh, 120 00:06:35,580 --> 00:06:39,700 looked at leadership development opportunities, uh, to, to ensure, uh, 121 00:06:39,700 --> 00:06:44,660 that there's a, a long-term pipeline of leaders, uh, into the organization. And, 122 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,340 um, have, have really, uh, just tried to again, 123 00:06:47,340 --> 00:06:50,780 connect with our frontline and our leadership teams to ensure that they're 124 00:06:50,780 --> 00:06:54,620 feeling appreciated for the tremendous work that they do. That's, that's, 125 00:06:54,620 --> 00:06:57,980 I think our first and single most important strategy is to really hold on to the 126 00:06:57,980 --> 00:07:01,980 people that we already have. Um, you know, on the recruitment side, uh, it, 127 00:07:02,010 --> 00:07:05,540 it's so challenging because every single healthcare organization is dealing with 128 00:07:05,540 --> 00:07:09,140 this right now, and we're all vying and sort of going after the, 129 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,340 the same pool of resources. And, uh, it's really about, um, you know, 130 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,020 who is gonna be, uh, that employer of choice. And, and, you know, I, I think, 131 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,420 uh, that the landscape has really shifted in, in, in workforce, 132 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,340 and people are looking for, uh, you know, a, 133 00:07:23,540 --> 00:07:27,980 a place that they can connect to from a mission and values perspective, uh, 134 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:30,100 where they can feel fulfilled, uh, 135 00:07:30,100 --> 00:07:33,380 both personally and professionally with their new employer. Um, 136 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,860 and I think it all goes back to, you know, creating a wonderful, uh, uh, 137 00:07:37,860 --> 00:07:40,740 experience for our employees and, um, creating a, 138 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,380 an incredible culture that people are proud to be a part of. And, and again, 139 00:07:44,380 --> 00:07:48,860 we're investing a lot of time and effort, um, you know, in that regard as well. 140 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,020 You know, I think on a, on a broader strategic scale, um, you know, 141 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,060 we have to also continue to, 142 00:07:55,520 --> 00:08:00,460 to reinvent and re-engineer the care delivery model so that we could also reach 143 00:08:00,460 --> 00:08:05,380 broader, uh, pools of, of people resources. And, you know, it it, 144 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,860 it goes back to my original thought about, uh, you know, 145 00:08:08,860 --> 00:08:12,660 digital and virtual playing a key role into the future. Uh, you know, 146 00:08:12,660 --> 00:08:17,020 we very much believe that we're gonna have to evolve, uh, towards a, 147 00:08:17,060 --> 00:08:20,100 a virtual first model and, and key specialties and, 148 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:25,340 and really allow patients to access, uh, their care delivery, uh, uh, 149 00:08:25,420 --> 00:08:30,060 system, uh, through a virtual means. And that means looking at, yeah. And, uh, 150 00:08:30,530 --> 00:08:32,780 APCs and more nurse practitioners, uh, 151 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:37,220 to support virtual care delivery services, uh, looking at, uh, 152 00:08:37,220 --> 00:08:41,660 virtual primary care, virtual I c U care, virtual nursing care, uh, 153 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,260 and other, uh, digital means, uh, 154 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,260 to really create a support structure that's needed for our people, 155 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:49,340 but most importantly for our communities. 156 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,480 Absolutely. I love that. And, and definitely that, 157 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:58,060 those two pillars of being able to have the great culture and taking care of the 158 00:08:58,060 --> 00:09:00,860 workforce, really investing in them, and then at the same time, 159 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,700 making sure you've got those tools, the digital virtual care available. 160 00:09:05,180 --> 00:09:07,300 I think that's really, um, so crucial, 161 00:09:07,430 --> 00:09:11,460 especially in the rural healthcare setting. Um, from your perspective, 162 00:09:11,610 --> 00:09:15,060 when you're looking at the virtual care areas, um, 163 00:09:15,060 --> 00:09:18,500 what does it take to stand up a program like that? And, and are there any, 164 00:09:18,780 --> 00:09:19,360 I guess, 165 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,020 unique considerations for the rural field as you're trying to connect more 166 00:09:23,020 --> 00:09:26,660 virtually and really, um, you know, reach out to a, 167 00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:29,780 a rural population with the, the virtual care? 168 00:09:31,590 --> 00:09:35,600 Yeah. You know, we actually, um, uh, at Bassett we have a, a very solid, uh, 169 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,280 information technology, uh, backbone and infrastructure. 170 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:42,360 And we also have the electronic medical record and, um, you know, 171 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,800 virtual capabilities already built into, uh, the system. So we are, uh, 172 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,520 you know, we're an epic shop and we've been, uh, with Epic for a very long time. 173 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,160 There are a number of, of wonderful resources that are readily available to us. 174 00:09:54,740 --> 00:09:58,520 Uh, we recently launched a partnership also with, uh, Optum, um, 175 00:09:58,540 --> 00:10:02,720 who handles a lot of our information technology systems and has really helped 176 00:10:02,750 --> 00:10:05,800 advance us, um, from a cybersecurity perspective and, 177 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:10,600 and other technology means to ensure that we're delivering, uh, the care, uh, 178 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,200 in, in a seamless and, and safe fashion for our community. Um, 179 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,200 and we've had wonderful clinicians who, over the course of the past, uh, 180 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,120 couple of years, particularly throughout the pandemic, have, uh, really, um, 181 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,840 gotten accustomed and have adopted, uh, you know, 182 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:28,800 a a virtual platform as part of our care delivery infrastructure as a whole. So, 183 00:10:29,060 --> 00:10:32,040 you know, from that vein, we've been very, very pleased and, 184 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,240 and very happy with our progress. And, um, you know, 185 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,920 we're spending a lot of time right now really trying to understand what, uh, 186 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,760 barriers might exist, um, to, to broadband that, that, uh, you know, 187 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,560 potentially would get in the way of enabling our patients to access care 188 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,000 delivery through a virtual means. 189 00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:53,960 So going back to social determinants around broadband access, um, and other, 190 00:10:54,180 --> 00:10:54,520 you know, 191 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:59,280 connectivity issues that might exist that we would have to address holistically 192 00:10:59,620 --> 00:11:03,280 to ensure that this is a, a valuable, successful strategy. And, you know, I, 193 00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:07,280 I'm feeling more and more confident that as we look across the region, um, 194 00:11:07,340 --> 00:11:12,040 and as, as new technologies emerge, like cellular and 5G and, and, 195 00:11:12,060 --> 00:11:15,440 and satellite and other capabilities like that, that, uh, 196 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:20,120 broadband access will become inevitably, uh, much improved, um, and, 197 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,400 and will allow our patients to really be served in, 198 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,920 in the way that they need to be served. So I'm very optimistic, um, 199 00:11:26,940 --> 00:11:30,480 as we continue to invest in infrastructure and, and, um, 200 00:11:30,550 --> 00:11:34,920 partner with other regional and national players to ensure that connectivity, 201 00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:39,880 uh, uh, exists for our people, um, that, uh, we will, uh, 202 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:41,480 ultimately be very successful here. 203 00:11:42,250 --> 00:11:44,470 That's fantastic to hear. And you know, 204 00:11:44,490 --> 00:11:47,750 one of the other things I wanted to ask you about too is value-based care. 205 00:11:47,870 --> 00:11:52,230 I know that is something that has been a slow crawl in the healthcare space, um, 206 00:11:52,230 --> 00:11:56,300 for the past several years, but really is becoming more crucial as resources, 207 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,580 um, in healthcare are diminishing to some degree of both financial challenges as 208 00:12:01,580 --> 00:12:05,380 well as, uh, staffing time and, and energy. So from your perspective, 209 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,100 what's different about value-based care for rural facilities, 210 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,740 and where can rural healthcare providers start, um, 211 00:12:10,740 --> 00:12:13,700 when they're thinking about moving more in that direction? 212 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,050 Yeah, it's absolutely, it's the right thing to do. 213 00:12:17,190 --> 00:12:20,730 I'm a big proponent of value-based care. Um, I, I believe, you know, 214 00:12:20,730 --> 00:12:23,530 beyond just the traditional, um, you know, 215 00:12:23,530 --> 00:12:27,290 premise of improving quality and safety, uh, and reducing cost, that it's, 216 00:12:27,290 --> 00:12:29,850 it's just absolutely the right thing to do for the community and for the 217 00:12:29,850 --> 00:12:34,450 patient. You know, really taking a very holistic approach. Uh, you know, uh, uh, 218 00:12:34,690 --> 00:12:37,130 creating a focus more on prevention and wellness and, 219 00:12:37,150 --> 00:12:40,810 and really driving a long-term, uh, health agenda that's, uh, 220 00:12:40,810 --> 00:12:44,010 consistent with our mission is, is the way that, that we want to go. 221 00:12:44,010 --> 00:12:48,210 And I think is the way that the entire industry must, uh, really advance, uh, 222 00:12:48,210 --> 00:12:51,970 in the very near future. Um, you know, for rural, uh, it's, uh, 223 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:56,210 exponentially more challenging to really get on that pathway. And it's because, 224 00:12:56,710 --> 00:13:00,170 uh, you know, we operate on razor thin margins as it is. There's a, 225 00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:04,290 a very low risk, uh, appetite across the board, uh, 226 00:13:04,290 --> 00:13:05,690 when you're operating on, 227 00:13:05,750 --> 00:13:09,810 on such thin margins if you're operating on any margins at all. And, you know, 228 00:13:09,810 --> 00:13:14,050 I think the latest statistic is that 600 or so rural hospitals across the 229 00:13:14,050 --> 00:13:16,650 country are at risk of closure. So, uh, it's, 230 00:13:16,650 --> 00:13:20,650 it's very hard for rural organizations to be dealing with the various different 231 00:13:20,650 --> 00:13:25,490 environmental and economic challenges that we're dealing with today. And, 232 00:13:25,590 --> 00:13:29,170 um, you know, uh, ponder a value-based agenda, uh, whatsoever. 233 00:13:29,550 --> 00:13:32,410 And that's something that I think is gonna require, uh, 234 00:13:32,410 --> 00:13:34,650 some governmental intervention and, 235 00:13:34,750 --> 00:13:37,890 and really close partnerships and alignments with, uh, 236 00:13:37,890 --> 00:13:40,770 other payers across the country to really support, uh, 237 00:13:40,790 --> 00:13:43,490 the move in this direction. Um, you know, 238 00:13:43,670 --> 00:13:47,690 we are very fortunate in the fact that we have been on the value-based, uh, uh, 239 00:13:47,690 --> 00:13:50,610 journey over the course of the past many years. Uh, 240 00:13:50,670 --> 00:13:54,530 we operate an accountable care organization here at Bassett, um, you know, 241 00:13:54,530 --> 00:13:59,130 with 18,000 lines and growing, uh, we also have partnered with regional payers, 242 00:13:59,230 --> 00:14:03,010 uh, to look at, uh, Medicare Advantage and, and other, uh, uh, 243 00:14:03,210 --> 00:14:06,250 value-based contracting, uh, opportunities, um, 244 00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:09,570 and have performed rather well in, in those areas. Um, 245 00:14:09,570 --> 00:14:13,530 and we continue to make investments in infrastructure, um, to ensure that, 246 00:14:13,530 --> 00:14:17,610 you know, once we're really ready to turn on, um, you know, risk, uh, 247 00:14:17,610 --> 00:14:18,450 on a large scale, 248 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:23,490 that we are resourced and we have the appropriate capabilities, uh, 249 00:14:23,510 --> 00:14:27,490 in place to ensure that we can be successful. And that comes in, in, 250 00:14:27,490 --> 00:14:32,050 in many forms, whether it's layering in, um, uh, digital, uh, 251 00:14:32,050 --> 00:14:35,890 analytics, uh, and population health-based analytics capabilities, uh, 252 00:14:35,890 --> 00:14:38,970 making sure that we have the appropriate, uh, case management, 253 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,090 care management and patient navigation, uh, opportunities, uh, 254 00:14:43,090 --> 00:14:45,530 and infrastructure. We've recently just partnered with a, 255 00:14:45,770 --> 00:14:49,610 a company that specializes in integrated continuous monitoring. 256 00:14:49,610 --> 00:14:52,820 And essentially what that is, is, is remote patient monitoring, 257 00:14:52,820 --> 00:14:56,820 where we're able to, uh, track in real time, uh, patients, uh, 258 00:14:56,820 --> 00:15:01,140 physiological data and be able to respond with early interventions if, 259 00:15:01,140 --> 00:15:01,980 if needed, and, 260 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,180 and to try to keep those patients outta the hospital and keep them at home 261 00:15:05,180 --> 00:15:08,060 where, where they wanna be. So we're, um, you know, 262 00:15:08,070 --> 00:15:11,740 we're a little bit further along and I think we're very well set up, um, 263 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,700 you know, as an organization across this geography to, 264 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,900 to really take care o of a very large population, um, that, uh, 265 00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:24,260 very much wants to be, uh, kept outta the hospital and kept healthy and well, I. 266 00:15:25,180 --> 00:15:27,180 Love that. I think that makes so much sense. And, 267 00:15:27,180 --> 00:15:30,940 and certainly it's helpful to understand the investment that it takes, 268 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,020 not only on the infrastructure side, but also, um, 269 00:15:34,020 --> 00:15:36,500 within the culture and the teams that you're working with, 270 00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:39,940 and then your partners across the line, whether it's the vendors or the payers, 271 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,900 uh, to really get yourself set up and ready to go, um, 272 00:15:43,050 --> 00:15:47,380 with the value-based care. And in the aco. Two, from your perspective, 273 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:50,300 when you're having these conversations with especially payers, 274 00:15:50,570 --> 00:15:54,540 have they changed much over the last few years? Is there additional urgency, 275 00:15:54,580 --> 00:15:57,940 I guess, around them now, or has it really been a continued, uh, 276 00:15:57,940 --> 00:16:01,260 kind of evolution o of where these value-based contracts could go? 277 00:16:02,830 --> 00:16:05,990 I mean, I think, uh, there's definitely an increasing willingness on, 278 00:16:06,050 --> 00:16:10,270 on both sides of the equation to come to the table and align around common 279 00:16:10,270 --> 00:16:14,110 objectives. And I think certainly the payers wanna move in that direction and, 280 00:16:14,130 --> 00:16:15,830 and we as a health system, as I mentioned, 281 00:16:15,830 --> 00:16:19,670 believe that it's the right thing to do. Um, it, it usually is just about, 282 00:16:19,690 --> 00:16:23,430 you know, how do we, uh, you know, find a sort of a common platform to, 283 00:16:23,430 --> 00:16:26,910 to work on these strategies and these initiatives together. Uh, you know, 284 00:16:26,970 --> 00:16:31,070 are there ways to jointly collaborate or potentially even jointly venture, uh, 285 00:16:31,070 --> 00:16:34,550 with our payer partners, uh, in, um, uh, you know, 286 00:16:34,550 --> 00:16:38,910 making capital infrastructure investments so that we can mutually be successful. 287 00:16:39,370 --> 00:16:43,230 Um, and, uh, you know, I think moving a little bit away from the traditional, 288 00:16:43,890 --> 00:16:48,430 uh, you know, payer provider negotiation, uh, um, you know, 289 00:16:48,690 --> 00:16:53,030 uh, discussions to more of a collaborative and, and, um, you know, 290 00:16:53,060 --> 00:16:56,390 jointly aligned, um, discussion that, uh, serves a broader purpose. 291 00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:59,990 And I'm seeing a lot more, uh, certainly a willingness on, 292 00:17:00,010 --> 00:17:01,190 on the health systems part, 293 00:17:01,190 --> 00:17:04,550 but also payers to really come together and strategize, uh, 294 00:17:04,550 --> 00:17:07,990 for what makes the most sense for our communities. And that's really refreshing. 295 00:17:09,890 --> 00:17:12,250 Absolutely. I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. Now, 296 00:17:12,250 --> 00:17:14,370 before we wrap up our conversation, I was wondering, 297 00:17:14,370 --> 00:17:17,570 could you talk through the best opportunities that you're seeing for growth and 298 00:17:17,570 --> 00:17:18,410 development in the future? 299 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:24,190 Yeah, I mean, we're constantly thinking about how we grow our footprint and, 300 00:17:24,190 --> 00:17:28,150 and reach more lives and, and create a, a, a broader impact across the region. 301 00:17:28,850 --> 00:17:30,710 Um, you know, we believe, uh, you know, 302 00:17:30,710 --> 00:17:34,110 making continued critical investments in ambulatory infrastructure and 303 00:17:34,110 --> 00:17:36,230 ambulatory services is certainly the way to go. 304 00:17:36,230 --> 00:17:39,150 And that's something that we're very interested in. Uh, you know, 305 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:43,670 we're looking at, uh, adjacent communities and, um, trying to identify, 306 00:17:44,210 --> 00:17:48,750 uh, areas where we might be seeing out migration or leakage, uh, out of the, 307 00:17:48,750 --> 00:17:53,220 outta the area. And, and, uh, you know, considering key investments to, uh, 308 00:17:53,220 --> 00:17:57,300 provide primary care and specialty care services and other ancillary, uh, 309 00:17:57,300 --> 00:17:59,420 support, uh, services that, uh, 310 00:17:59,420 --> 00:18:01,540 would be meaningful and beneficial to the community, 311 00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:05,740 and always sort of evaluating that opportunity. Uh, we believe, um, 312 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,220 you know, making critical investments in the digital, uh, 313 00:18:09,270 --> 00:18:13,420 space is gonna be very important to ensure that we're not only reaching, uh, 314 00:18:13,420 --> 00:18:15,060 people across our region, 315 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,060 but that we're potentially even penetrating broader markets. Uh, you know, 316 00:18:19,060 --> 00:18:22,540 with the advent of telehealth, uh, we can, uh, we can reach, uh, 317 00:18:22,940 --> 00:18:26,020 patients all over the country and we think that that is a exciting growth 318 00:18:26,140 --> 00:18:30,420 opportunity for the organization as well, that we continue to explore. Uh, 319 00:18:30,420 --> 00:18:33,660 we're always looking at, uh, how we partner with other employers, uh, 320 00:18:33,660 --> 00:18:36,020 across the region and creating those connections. 321 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,220 And certainly as we continue to evolve, um, 322 00:18:39,220 --> 00:18:43,340 the infrastructure that I mentioned around our population and, and value-based, 323 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,300 um, health initiatives, uh, continuing to make those investments and, 324 00:18:47,300 --> 00:18:52,100 and broadening our value-based risk contracts, um, will ultimately create, 325 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:53,580 uh, you know, uh, 326 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:57,820 a longer term growth for the organization that we're very excited about. So, uh, 327 00:18:57,820 --> 00:19:00,420 without divulging too much information, we have a lot going on, 328 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,860 and we're very excited about the future here at Bassett. 329 00:19:04,150 --> 00:19:06,070 Absolutely. Fantastic. Well, it sounds like you know, 330 00:19:06,190 --> 00:19:08,510 a future is definitely bright there at Bassett, and, 331 00:19:08,510 --> 00:19:10,830 and looking forward to catching up with you, um, 332 00:19:10,830 --> 00:19:15,390 down the road here and just seeing how this has all played out. So Tommy, 333 00:19:15,390 --> 00:19:17,390 thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. 334 00:19:17,390 --> 00:19:19,750 This has been a really fun and insightful conversation, 335 00:19:19,770 --> 00:19:21,470 and I look forward to connecting with you again soon. 336 00:19:22,910 --> 00:19:25,410 I'm honored to have been on. 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