ThedaCare CEO: COVID-19 will change population health management
Skip to main content
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • Majority of small businesses not requiring vaccines, tests
      Aetna seeks federal court sanction of Mednax for allegedly destroying evidence
      Intermountain, Ascension push for permanent CMS home care reimbursement changes
      States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
    • Majority of small businesses not requiring vaccines, tests
      States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
      California clinics: More vaccines going to rich than at-risk
      Solid sign-ups for Biden's new Obamacare coverage offer
    • Shareholder group calls out HCA for alleged excessive emergency department admissions
      Metrologo 600x400_i.jpg
      MetroHealth forms Center for Cancer Research
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
      Dr. Marc Boom
      Q&A: Houston Methodist CEO praises staff efforts to keep vaccine efforts going during ice storm
    • Solid sign-ups for Biden's new Obamacare coverage offer
      OU Health Physicians, Oklahoma Blues plan fail to reach new contract
      Blue Cross NC claims costs rise thanks to COVID
      BlueCrossBlueShieldSign-main_i_i_i.jpg
      Michigan Blues post lowest operating profits in four years amid COVID-19 pandemic
    • States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
      Becerra taking heat for support of abortion rights
      Feds shouldn't lose sight of drug misuse epidemic, GAO says
      House health panel chair says it's time to make Medicare telehealth permanent
    • UPMC's patient volumes stabilize, boosting 2020 profits
      Genomics firms taking advantage of SPACs trend to go public faster
      COVID-19 could dent hospital revenue by at least $53 billion in 2021, AHA says
      deloitte GDP image chart graph going up
      Sponsored Content Provided By Deloitte
      Breaking the cost curve
    • Teladoc reports $383.3M in fourth-quarter revenue, up 145%
      man and woman looking at ipad wearing face masks stock image
      Sponsored Content Provided By Surescripts
      Improvements to benefits data can enhance ePrescribing and the patient experience
      Oscar Health's $1B IPO sets the stage for more health tech exits in 2021
      A map of the U.S. with images of the coronavirus.
      The digital divide becomes a new social determinant of health
    • Majority of small businesses not requiring vaccines, tests
      Highmark Health partners with Verily subsidiary on chronic care issues
      Children's mental healthcare needs skyrocket during pandemic
      Tensions over vaccine equity pit rural against urban America
    • Alicia Wilson
      Q&A: Emerging leader Alicia Wilson on staying close to home
      Michael Jordan, Novant team up to address health equity
      Former Ascension CEO, the first to lead the health system, passes away
      Biden's pick to head CMS would be first Black woman to hold post
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • The Affordable Care Act after 10 years
    • Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      doctor with patient
      COVID-19 treatment protocol developed in the field helps patients recover
      Rachel Wyatt
      Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      A CalOptima PACE vaccination clinic.
      Will COVID-19 be the catalyst for creating a more sustainable healthcare system?
      A map of the U.S. with images of the coronavirus.
      The digital divide becomes a new social determinant of health
      Ascension’s St. Mary’s Hospital Surgery Center at Towne Centre and Allegheny Health Network’s Bethel Park surgery center
      Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
    • Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      Rising prescription copays drop adherence, spike mortality, research shows
      Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      Highmark Health inks six-year cloud, tech deal with Google
    • Hospitals' Medicare billing practices suggest upcoding, OIG says
      California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
      Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
      Digital pathways poised to reshape healthcare continuum in 2021
    • Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      Humana partners with in-home provider for 24/7 care
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
    • Bundled payments reduce surgery costs by 10.7%
      Coordinated payment policies could speed transition to value, experts say
      CMMI's geographic direct contracting model needs an overhaul, experts say
      Hospitals fight UnitedHealthcare policies over lab test, specialty drug payments
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
    • Health Systems Financials
      Executive Compensation
      Physician Compensation
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Dr. Alan Kaplan
      The risks, rewards of taking organizations 'where they haven’t gone before'
      Wellstar CEO calls adapting for the pandemic her bold move
      Howard P. Kern
      Recognizing the value of telehealth in its infancy
      Dr. Stephen Markovich
      A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO
    • Dr. Stephen Markovich
      Making sure we're aligned along the path to achieving inclusion
      Barry Ostrowsky
      Ending racism is a journey taken together; the starting point must be now
      Laura Lee Hall and Gary Puckrein
      Increased flu vaccination has never been more important for communities of color
      John Daniels Jr.
      Health equity: Making the journey from buzzword to reality
    • Vaccinating children could be the key to ending the pandemic
      Mikelle Moore
      The promising future of rural healthcare, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic
      In-person visitation must be part of the national COVID-19 response
      We've lost so much to the pandemic, but we've also made gains that will endure
    • Letters: Eliminating bias in healthcare needs to be ‘deliberate and organic’
      Letters: Maybe dropping out of ACOs is a good thing for patients
      Letters: White House and Congress share blame for lack of national COVID strategy
      Letters: VA making strides to improve state veterans home inspections
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Award Programs
    • Nominate
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare Logo for Navigation
      Nominations Open - Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      Nominations Open - 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Minorities in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
      • - Minorities to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • podium march webinar logo lockup
      Sponsored Content Provided By Podium
      Webinar: Critical Touchpoints for Every Patient’s Journey — How Technology Plays an Important Role
      scp health logo lockup march 2021
      Sponsored Content Provided By SCP Health
      Webinar: COVID’s call to action — Reset for success in 2021
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Virtual Briefings
      • - Hospital of the Future
      • - Mental Health
      • - Patient Safety & Quality
      • - Strategic Marketing
      • - Virtual Health
      • - Workplace of the Future
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Tanya Andreadis
      Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next four years
      Carter Dredge
      Next Up Podcast: Ready, set, innovate! Innovation and disruption in healthcare
    • Beyond the Byline: Insurers are betting on virtual-first plans as COVID-19 shifts care pathways
      Beyond the Byline: How residents' stories shape our coverage of the vaccination rollout in nursing homes
      Beyond the Byline: Regulators aim to boost value push with fraud and abuse law updates
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Beyond the Byline: Verifying information on the chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout
    • Outreach during COVID-19
      Leading intention promote diversity and inclusion
      Introducing Healthcare Insider Podcast
    • The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi of ThedaCare
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon of Novant Health
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu of the Moffitt Cancer Center
    • ivana naeymi-rad one on one intelligent medical objects
      Video: Ivana Naeymi Rad of Intelligent Medical Objects
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
February 22, 2021 12:30 PM

Q&A: ThedaCare CEO says lessons from COVID-19 will inform new approaches to population health management

Steven Ross Johnson
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Dr. Imran Andrabi

    Dr. Imran Andrabi, president and CEO of ThedaCare

    The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of financial challenges for health systems. As a result, executives had to find new ways to connect with patients, which led to the creation of innovative care models and a heavier reliance on community partnerships. Some organizations, like Appleton, Wis.-based ThedaCare, are seeking to integrate those changes into their organizations for the long haul. Modern Healthcare’s population health reporter Steven Ross Johnson spoke with Dr. Imran Andrabi, president and CEO of the health system, about how the pandemic impacted its approach to population health management. The following is an edited transcript.

    MH: What is your current situation in terms of capacity, staffing and care delivery challenges?

    Andrabi: We developed an incident command system back in January of 2020 to stay a step ahead of the game in terms of where this virus was going. That broke us up into different teams that were looking at inpatient capacity and what would happen with respect to admissions, hospitalizations, intensive-care units, nursing capacity and all the things that we needed to be ready for. And then what we needed to do in terms of developing respiratory hubs, creating systems for people to be able to access information accurately and in a quick way be able to get their symptoms looked at and the testing that was needed.

    We’ve gone through a lot of modulation early on with having to stop elective surgical procedures. That happened across the entire country. Then reopening (and) seeing a surge in northeast Wisconsin. We were in the top three states in the country in terms of the number of cases. And since the end of the year, we’ve seen a steady decline in cases coming into our hospitals. Having said that, there is an emergence of the variants across the country, and that potentially creates a challenge for another surge that could come our way. So we are prepared and preparing for that both internally and as we work with our partners in the community.

    MH: How did some of ThedaCare’s previous work on population health prepare you for the challenges you’re facing now with the pandemic?

    Andrabi: Over the last two years or so, we’ve been on this journey with the support of our board. We went in front of them and said, “We want to pivot from being a traditional healthcare provider organization to a population health organization.”

    Not to complicate the conversation, but what it really means to us is making sure that we are providing the highest quality of care every time; that we are providing the best access to the people in our community; that they are having a tremendous experience with us every time they interface with us; and that we are ultimately creating affordability for the people in our community.

    The other thing that we know and have learned is the fact that we cannot be masters of everything that we do, and that we have to partner significantly not only within healthcare, but outside of healthcare to be able to bring folks together, to create solutions. As a result of that, over the last two years we’ve done a tremendous amount of work both internally with our physicians, our other clinicians, our administrative folks, and externally in the community with respect to going upstream and trying to look at social determinants of health. What are the other things that impact health and well-being?

    During this pandemic, the work that we had done in cultivating those relationships and partnerships has been critical. There would have been a lot of things that we would not have been able to solve for. For example, child care for our nurses, feeding people in the community that were not able to get out of their homes and how to get groceries to them, how to get pharmacy products out to those folks so they could continue to take care of themselves and be well.

    We also partnered with a whole host of healthcare technology companies. The one that I would showcase is a company called b.well Connected Health. We took their product as a platform we had been working on before the pandemic, and actually accelerated the implementation … to help our own team members so that … if (they) checked in for a symptom that was positive, we could quickly get to them. We did the same thing for the people in the community and made that particular platform, which we call Ripple, available so they could access COVID resources, they could access us, they knew where testing sites were, they knew where to go in terms of a respiratory hub if they needed it and how to access ThedaCare much better.

    MH: Logistically, how has the pandemic affected your ability to address social determinants? And what have you learned from this experience that will influence how you address social determinants in the future?

    Andrabi: We always knew that social determinants were a big part of population health in terms of that journey. The pandemic has really focused light on the fact that you have to address social determinants, and that you cannot do this on your own. You need a lot of partners who are not necessarily within the walls of the healthcare systems. So we partnered with the United Way, the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, Feeding America and 85 other partners in the community to really look at social determinants, figure out how to prioritize them and then figure out solutions together.

    They were community-based solutions to the social determinants that impacted health both from a COVID perspective and also for those who did not have COVID. I think those learnings and those relationships and connections that we’ve made are going to be things that we are going to take forward even post-COVID, because that’ll help us accelerate our work in the community.

    We truly believe that 80% of healthcare is not only delivered but determined outside of the four walls of health systems. This learning opportunity that we’ve had over the last year will really accelerate that process. It’s also been an “aha” moment in some ways to say, “Wow, it truly takes a village to take care of a village.” And we are very fortunate to be part of the village that is so determined and committed to making sure that we do this work well.

    And another example … we’ve had multiple community leader forums, almost one to two a month where we brought community leaders together. We had a conversation in a very transparent way about what the reality was, where things were going, showed them the modeling that we were doing, getting them prepared to be partners with us in the community, and spreading the word. And in many areas where we provide care, getting that community together made a tremendous difference in terms of our COVID volumes in the hospitals and the spread in the community as well.

    One other example is working with our school systems. Every week we meet with every school superintendent in our region along with public health (officials), the health systems, all coming together, listening to each other, understanding what’s going on, what’s not going on, and creating solutions. One of the solutions we created with our school systems is mobile testing. As we were developing testing capability in the community, it was difficult for schools to send their kids or the teachers to fixed testing sites. So we created a mobile testing site that we now take out to these schools. We can test hundreds of people in a day and get that taken care of for them.

    MH: Last summer, your system announced that it was undergoing a financial recovery plan that involves you taking a 50% pay cut and your executive leadership also taking substantial pay cuts. Will the economic strain caused by the pandemic impact your efforts to employ population management strategies in the future?

    Andrabi: Our fundamental principle (was) to not lay off anybody, not to furlough anyone, and to make personal sacrifices, not only from a leadership perspective, but our physicians took a pay cut as well to take care of the front-line staff.

    I’m happy to say that we have been able to not only retain a tremendous number of people because we didn’t let anybody go, but we’ve been able to recruit a tremendous number of people.

    I think we are at a point now looking into 2021 that we will continue to go down a solid path with our team members who I am extremely proud of, and continue to invest in population health the way we expected to back in 2019. It may have slowed us down a little bit, but I think we’ve also gained a lot of insights and learnings during this process.

    MH: What kind of role do you think your population management strategies will have in terms of helping you further stabilize finances?

    Andrabi: We’re constantly looking at how can we not only live in with one foot in each canoe, but try to take our feet off the one canoe and move more toward the other canoe. That’s a tricky transition.

    So a couple of things that we are constantly thinking about are: What does that next business model need to look like? Who are the right partners that can develop that business model for us? How do we continue to move in a non-regrettable way down a path where there are certain things we can do that work for us in fee-for-service, and also work for us in the value world? We may find ourselves partnering with folks that traditionally we would have thought there is no way you could partner with, but that’s what it would require for us to think about how to develop that new business model from a population health perspective.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Shareholder group calls out HCA for alleged excessive emergency department admissions
    Shareholder group calls out HCA for alleged excessive emergency department admissions
    MetroHealth forms Center for Cancer Research
    MetroHealth forms Center for Cancer Research
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Minorities in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
          • - Minorities to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Nominate
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Virtual Briefings
          • - Hospital of the Future
          • - Mental Health
          • - Patient Safety & Quality
          • - Strategic Marketing
          • - Virtual Health
          • - Workplace of the Future
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Webinars
      • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing