When you hear about value-based care, do you get tired of hearing about concepts without tangible best practices?  Do you ever wish you could just acquire insights from a leader who navigated a successful value journey?  If you want to learn from one of the best in the “value game”, look no further than Dr. Bill Wulf, the CEO of Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC). Dr. Wulf is a respected leader in the value movement and leads the largest physician-owned primary care group in the United States.  During his leadership tenure, COPC has grown to over 480 physicians and 83 locations in central Ohio. The growth of the practice has empowered a successful value journey, with COPC caring for 75,000 senior patients in full-risk arrangements with Medicare Advantage and ACO REACH in partnership with Agilon Health (and the current move to full-risk in commercial plans with employers in partnership with Vera Whole Health).
Dr. Wulf describes a value journey that has been over two decades in the making.  It started with a merger in the late 90’s to create a fully-integrated primary care practice platform. And then in 2010, a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) transformation led to unprecedented success in full-risk Medicare Advantage.  COPC has built upon their MA success to now partner with large employers in full-risk programs, and they are also one of the new participants in the ACO REACH program. In this interview, Dr. Wulf goes into great depth on the care delivery innovations that were made possible by prospective payment and capital investment. He discusses hospitalist and ER care coordination programs, home-based care delivery, after-hours primary care access, telehealth, onsite clinics at employer locations, and the importance of data-driven insights from a unified EHR. You will also hear about how COPC has benefited from successful partnerships to build an even more effective infrastructure for population health outcomes. Most importantly, you will hear how COPC playing the “value game” helps their independent physicians take better care of patients!
Episode Bookmarks:
03:30 The origin story of Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) – the nation’s largest independent primary care practice that is leading in VBC
05:30 Dr. Wulf describes how a practice merger in the late 90’s led a successful hospitalist program, contracting strategy, and ancillary services model
07:00 Post-merger growth of practice because of better contracting rates and ancillary services revenue
07:30 “Our growth in the last 10 years has been a result of us playing the “value game” in helping physicians take better care of patients.”
08:00 This year COPC is integrating 3 practices (30 physicians) at a time when there aren’t as many independent PCPs available.
09:00 COPC’s commitment to physician independence, where physicians have the freedom to care for their patients without interference.
09:30 Beginning the value journey through the decision to transform into a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
11:00 How physician independence leads to freedom to make data-driven referrals that improve population health outcomes.
12:00 A unified Electronic Health Record (EHR) led to the identification of the “best” doctors in the practice.
13:00 “The best physicians in the practice were not the busiest ones…but these physicians (pre-value journey) were making the least income.”
13:45 “Our best physicians were creating value for the payer, employer, and the government, but they were not recognized for value in a FFS world.”
14:30 Dr. Wulf describes how Level 3 PCMH recognition led to value creation (“a stepping stone”)
16:00 PMPM payments from commercial and MA plans led to programs that improved outcomes with high-risk patients.
16:30 COPC’s Hospitalist Program (100 physicians) and ER Care Coordination Program
17:00 Nursing care coordination that leads to effective post-discharge planning and transitions of care from the hospital.

Ver todos los episodios