October 20, 2020
Good Morning NAW Subscribers,

Thanks for reading this issue of National Accounts Weekly!

John Pritchard
President of ANAE
Publisher of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
SMI Appoints New Executive Director
SMI announced that effective February 1, 2021, Tom Hughes will become SMI executive director, emeritus. Jane Pleasants will assume the leadership role of SMI executive director.
She will become the new executive director of SMI on February 1, following her retirement after many years as VP of supply chain for Duke Health.
Healthgrades names best hospitals for specialty care
Healthgrades identified the recipients of its 2021 Specialty Excellence Awards which recognize hospitals' quality performance across 16 specialties including cardiac care, cranial neurosurgery, critical care and general surgery. 

A Healthgrades analysis of 2017-19 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data found patients treated at top-rated hospitals have a lower average risk of death or complications than those treated at the lowest-rated hospitals for the same procedure or condition. 

If all hospitals performed at the same level as the top-rated hospitals, an estimated 218,785 lives could be saved, the analysis found. 
Brooklyn Hospital Center files $1 billion modernization plan with the city
The Brooklyn Hospital Center in Fort Greene announced last week that it has filed a preliminary application with the city for a $1 billion plan to modernize and renovate its campus.

This plan, which will undergo public review by the city, would create a new cancer center, ambulatory surgery center and outpatient diagnostic center, as well as expand the emergency room, maternity ward, cardiac center and breast cancer center.

The non-for-profit hospital has been around since 1845, making it the second oldest hospital in the borough. It serves 75% Medicaid and Medicare patients.
Retail's role, focus on equity, value-based pay amid COVID-19: takeaways from HLTH 2020
The future of alternate payment models, importance of health equity and biggest question marks hanging over the fast-changing telehealth industry were among topics headlining the virtual HLTH conference last week.

Along with a flurry digital health funding expansions and new product lines, retail pharmacy giants Walgreens and Rite Aid outlined plans to change the job of the pharmacist, and Trump administration officials teased reimbursement details for an eventual COVID-19 vaccine.

Here are six big takeaways from the massive health conference's third year as the industry faces unprecedented disruption from COVID-19.

  • Retail pharmacy players double down
  • Value-based efforts helped with quality, not cost
  • Targeting underserved populations
  • Back-to-work products pick up steam
  • Telehealth on fire, but needs to prove ROI
  • Vaccine looms, distribution plans ramp up
2020 Elections Webinar Now Available
Paul Keckley, managing editor of The Keckley Report, a healthcare policy analyst and widely known industry expert, hosted ANAE's 2020 Elections webinar last week and the recording is now available!

Healthcare is going through a gut check. The volume and velocity of change is unprecedented. Paul Keckley is an intense observer of that change, diving deep into the trends, tipping points, intended and unintended consequences to bring clients and opinion leaders the unvarnished truth.
Stay informed with Paul's unique perspective on healthcare happenings, from policies and politics to innovations and investments. Subscribe today to the Keckley Report and be the first to receive Paul's weekly insights and special reports. 
UnitedHealth posts $3.2B profit in Q3
UnitedHealth Group recorded higher revenue and $3.2 billion in profit during the third quarter of 2020 as the company saw care volumes move closer to pre-pandemic levels.

UnitedHealth's revenues grew 7.9 percent to $65.1 billion when compared to the same period a year prior. The increase was driven by 21 percent growth in the company's Optum health services line, as well as growth in its public sector and senior business lines within its UnitedHealthcare health insurance segment. 
Healthcare Business Media (HBM) Announces Key Staffing Changes
Brent Petty, CMRP, an admired and respected leader in the healthcare industry, will serve as the new Chief Relationships Officer for the IDN Summit and ACE Summit. Previously an executive industry consultant for Lexmark International and 12-year System Vice President of Supply Chain for Wellmont Health System, Petty brings extensive first-hand provider and supplier experience and a wealth of industry knowledge to the Healthcare Business Media (HBM) organization.
Sanford moves ahead with building plans for new heart center, orthopedic center upgrades
Sanford Health is moving ahead with plans for major construction projects in the next few years that include a new heart center and continued renovation of its orthopedic specialty center.

The new heart and vascular center is in the design phase. Infrastructure and site preparation work is scheduled for fall of 2021, with groundbreaking in the spring of 2022 and completion by fall of 2023.
John Pritchard
Publisher of National Accounts Weekly


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