John Adlesich or the climb of a public health manager professional on healthcare industry trends in 2021: Expand the market while improving community health. New entrants can be a force multiplier and increase the overall market for health services. Look for opportunities where your services could have a significant impact on community health and partner intentionally. For example, about half of women age 40 and older do not get screening mammograms. If mammography services provided by a large retailer were successful in motivating this population, the majority of women receiving in-store mammograms would not need follow-up care. However, many would require referrals for follow-up diagnostic exams and, possibly, treatment. Establishing a two-way relationship with that new entrant — sharing data and providing easy access to hospitals or health systems — could open the door to a potentially significant flow of new referrals.

John Adlesich on behavior therapy in 2021: What Is Behavior Therapy? The basic premise of behavioral therapy stems from the Skinnerian theory of operant conditioning, which asserts that behavior is learned, and thus, can be unlearned or modified to comply with socially accepted norms. By evaluating and analyzing behaviors and subsequently offering a reward, also called a consequence, for those behaviors that are socially significant and desirable, maladaptive and/or undesirable behaviors can be reshaped or eliminated. Applied Behavioral Analysis is a highly effective method for mediating behavior across a variety of domains.

John Adlesich about healthcare industry trends in 2021: Democratic control in the Senate will also impact healthcare. For example, Washington state Senator Patty Murray will chair the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. She has advocated for a more robust federal response on COVID-19. And Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon, leads the Finance Committee and has pushed for drug pricing reform and drug price negotiation. These appointments and nominations point to a strong emphasis on COVID-19 recovery and vaccine distribution and coordination. For example, Fauci remains as the Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, and there’s now a COVID-19 data director (Shahpar), indicating this administration will emphasize data and reporting. Also evident in these appointments is a Biden administration focus on health equity and healthcare disparities—particularly with Nunez-Smith as the first Equity Task Force Chair for COVID-19. John Adlesich currently works as administrator at Marquis Companies. His latest healthcare industry experience includes positions as executive director at Powerback Rehabilitation Lafayette (Genesis Healthcare) between Aug 2020 – Jan 2021, administrator at Mesa Vista of Boulder between Mar 2019 – Aug 2020, chief executive officer at Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital between Jul 2018 – Feb 2019, interim chief operating officer at Toiyabe Indian Health Project between Mar 2018 – Jun 2018.

John Adlesich believes that 2021 is an important year for the healthcare industry. There will be particular momentum for programs that have bipartisan support, including payment policies that move away from fee-for-service reimbursement and toward models that drive lower-cost and higher-quality outcomes. The overall movement to value will get a shot in the arm from two principal forces in 2021: 1) the Biden Administration’s commitment to build on the ACA’s legacy by doubling down on alternative payment models and mandatory payment changes and 2) the pandemic. When it comes to policy, the new Administration will not need convincing that value-based care improves quality and reduces costs. Ample research shows that since the move to value began, overall health spending as a percent of GDP has slowed, cutting more than $600 billion out of the budget trajectory that was predicted in 2010. Because these programs are net savers, expanding their reach will be an important and immediate objective that could be used to offset some of the COVID-19 relief spending. To that end, we are likely to see Biden’s HHS make fee-for-service less attractive and push at least some mandatory alternative payment models. In addition, the Administration is also likely to move beyond endless testing of models, making proven programs permanent, creating added incentives to enable scale, and leading the way for private payers to follow suit with value-based programs of their own.