The Role of Community Health Workers in Tennessee's Health Care Transformation
Release Date: 01/16/2024
Beyond the Bedside: Bolstering Support for Caregivers
miniVHAN
In the newest episode of the miniVHAN podcast, we sit down with Terrell Smith, MSN, RN, the recently retired senior director of Patient and Family Engagement at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. With over five decades of experience, Terrell shares heartfelt anecdotes and insights into the challenges caregivers face daily. We shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes, exploring the emotional and physical toll of caregiving and the vital importance of community support. This episode addresses caregiving as a significant public health issue, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and...
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Reshaping Dental Care: Discover How Interfaith Dental Transforms Lives and Strengthens Its Community
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This episode of the miniVHAN spotlights the work of Interfaith Dental, a Middle Tennessee nonprofit that helps vulnerable populations achieve and sustain a healthy smile. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi, DMD, the organization’s visionary CEO, walks us through Interfaith Dental’s modest beginnings in 1995 and evolution into a cornerstone community resource that has rapidly adapted to break down barriers in health care. Our conversation shows how the organization has expanded services to patients of all ages and addressed social determinants of health through innovative solutions like teledentistry,...
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Insights on the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Model Designation
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In this episode, we explore the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model with our guest, Liz Pierce, MD, pediatric regional medical director for the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network. With over 30 years of experience in pediatrics, Dr. Pierce shares her invaluable insights into how this physician-led, team-based care model can enhance patient outcomes. The PCMH model, rooted in the principles of coordinated and comprehensive care, seeks to centralize the patient's medical journey and make health care more accessible and effective. Because implementing the model can be a...
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Rethinking Antibiotics for Kids - Tips for Parents and Providers
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We’re hitting the road with Elizabeth Randolph, MD, from Green Hills Pediatric Associates, to explore the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and how it’s making infections harder to treat. Discover why antibiotic stewardship is vital to decrease the risk of disease spread and severe illness. We’ll tackle the challenges of managing patient and family expectations when it comes to antibiotic use and share strategies for reassuring parents about non-antibiotic treatments for common ailments. We’ll also discuss many of the risks involved in overprescribing. Learn...
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Turning Hope into Action with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
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Join us as we welcome Paul Augustyniak, board chair for the Tennessee chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Paul highlights the organization's mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide through research, advocacy, education and healing initiatives. With 1,200 Tennesseans lost to suicide last year and the state ranked 22nd in the nation for suicide rates, increasing awareness and encouraging open conversations are crucial for prevention. Our discussion also underscores the need to expand mental health resources, particularly in...
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Beyond the Clinic: Building Healthier Communities Through Human Connection
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With close to 90% of health outcomes affected by patients’ conditions outside of the clinic walls, the intersection of medical care and community health plays a vital role in meeting people where they are. Joining the miniVHAN to share about the social determinants of health is Amy Richardson, Chief Community Health Officer at Siloam Health, a nonprofit organization that provides whole-person care to Middle Tennessee’s underserved populations. Richardson spotlights the benefits of like-minded organizations partnering to promote health equity, explaining how Siloam Health has built...
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Patients at the Helm: Redefining Roles in Value-Based Care
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Join us in the miniVHAN as we welcome Cecelia Theobald, MD, Chief of Staff for Corporate Clinical Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Theobald, an internist, is also the attending physician at the student-run Shade Tree Clinic, which provides free health care to uninsured individuals. She has witnessed patients taking a more active role in their care—and explains why that’s such a positive development for providers and health care as a whole. Dr. Theobald underscores the importance of trust and clear communication within patient care teams, highlighting how that...
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Beyond the Bottom Line: Dr. Michael Kobernick on Employers’ Role in Care Transformation
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Can employers really transform health care quality and costs? Join us in the miniVHAN for an eye-opening conversation with Michael Kobernick, MD, Senior Medical Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, as he unpacks the evolving roles of employers and brokers in the health care ecosystem. Dr. Kobernick draws upon his experience both in the practice of medicine and in critical health care leadership to imagine how employers can more successfully collaborate with provider organizations. Tune in to understand how value-based care models can lead to healthier communities by removing...
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Everyone Plays a Role: CJ Stimson on Revolutionizing Care Delivery
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Imagine a world where health care is as personalized and easy to use as your favorite streaming service. That’s the vision of CJ Stimson, MD, urological surgeon, Executive Vice President of Population Health and Chief Medical Officer for the Employee Health Plan at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In this episode, he hops in the miniVHAN to share how his personal experience and time as senior advisor at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation have fueled his passion for value-based care – an approach he believes can revolutionize patient outcomes and increase provider...
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Decoding Health: The Role of Precise Coding and Risk Adjustment in Patient Care
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Coding is an often overlooked but critical aspect of health care. Dr. Victor Legner, a geriatrician with a wealth of knowledge in clinical documentation and coding integrity, unravels the intricate web of ICD-10 codes, hierarchical condition categories and risk adjustment factor scores, spotlighting how accurate coding is key to ensuring providers are adequately funded. Dr. Legner underscores the need to regularly update patients’ records to ensure all providers have up-to-date information about their patients’ conditions. The episode also discusses areas where coding mistakes are...
info_outlineLocal communities across the state are in serious need of compassionate, problem-solving health professionals who can build bridges between doctors and patients and ensure every individual receives the care they deserve. That’s why the miniVHAN is proud to spotlight Tennessee’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) initiative and show how these workers are filling health care gaps, especially for those in high-need, hard-to-reach populations.
The podcast welcomes two women leading the charge: Nikayla Boyd, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Tennessee Community Health Worker Association, and Barbara Clinton, who served as the director of Vanderbilt Center for Health Services for more than 30 years. These experts share their unique experiences on the role of CHWs as bridge builders and trust makers, ensuring that all community members are connected to vital health and social services.
Our conversation illuminates the way CHWs are transforming health outcomes across Tennessee by overcoming barriers such as resource scarcity and housing insecurity. Get ready to be inspired and learn how you can contribute to the initiative. This conversation is not just about health care—it's about people, community and the power of compassion in action.
Learn more about the Community Health Worker Training Program of Tennessee (CHWTPT) and find out how to apply: https://www.vhan.com/new-state-program-available-to-train-community-health-workers/