Much of the health care industry's effort to improve health care payment and delivery centers around improving primary care. This is largely because Americans suffer more disease/disease burden throughout their life spans compared to individuals in other industrialized countries. This therefore makes obvious sense since primary care is the foundation upon which an effective and efficient health care/medical care program is built. When done well primary care promotes wellness, prevents disease onset, progression, exacerbation and prevents premature death. Primary care also moderates the need for higher cost specialty care and improves population health. For numerous reasons, not least of which is inadequate reimbursement, primary care delivery has been sub-optimal. New models of primary care are emerging, one termed direct primary care (noted in the ACA under Section 1301 (A) (3) and now recognized in 13 states) is showing promise in improving quality, improving patient satisfaction and lowering cost growth.
During this 21 minute conversation Dr. Judge discusses moreover the impetus for the creation of Iora Healh, how Iora's primary care delivery model works or how it is different from traditional primary care delivery, how Iora's model is staffed, IT supported and reimbursed, with whom and how it contracts and what Iora's performance data demonstrates to date.
Dr. David Judge serves as Iora Health's Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Judge joined Iora in 2014 to continue his work in improving and redesigning of primary care. Priorto , he helped found and was the Medical Director of the Ambulatory Practice of the Future at Mass. General Hospital. David received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and public health studies at Brown University and attended University of Mass. Medical School. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.
For more on Iora Health go to: http://www.iorahealth.com/
Iora Health's Novel Approach to Delivering Primary Care: A Conversation with David Judge (December 23rd)