Following her gastric bypass procedure at another area hospital, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) employee immediately began to experience serious complications. In addition to the physical challenges, she became depressed, even feeling a sense of embarrassment and shame over having chosen to undergo the procedure. Read the full story to learn how VHAN RN Care Navigator Katie Crider connected with her to provide essential support.

Health care organizations store a huge amount of sensitive patient data, which has become a goldmine for cybercriminals holding health systems ransom with threats to use that data for identity theft, fraud and other malicious activities.

Last year, VHAN member Brownsville Medical Clinic (BMC) in West Tennessee lost its founder and main provider with the passing of Jerald White, MD. If not for the efforts from a group of hometown heroes, the Brownsville community would have lost even more than a universally loved physician; the entire practice could have crumbled in the aftermath. Instead, something inspirational happened. Read the full story to learn how BMC kept its doors open and even improved their quality performance in the process.

When a new mom arrived for her first postpartum checkup, both her nurse and physician noticed that she seemed listless, depressed and strangely detached from her newborn. When the young mother expressed suicidal thoughts, the team recognized a severe case of postpartum depression and took action immediately. Under different circumstances, the doctor might have recommended visiting a local emergency room, but a call to VHAN’s Adult Behavioral Health Consultation line led to an alternative, and possibly lifesaving, approach.  

In the future, social determinants of health are expected to play a more prominent role in healthcare payer models as the industry continues to recognize their impact on patient outcomes and overall healthcare costs. What do you need to know about the social determinants that affect your patients?

Adolescence, those formative years between childhood and adulthood, can be a confusing and sometimes challenging time as young people go through changes both emotional and physical. It’s also a time of discovery as they learn to form their individual identity. A big part of that journey is sexuality, finding where they fit in and how they identify on the spectrum. VHAN Social Workers support young patients through all stages of life, providing behavioral health referrals when needed along the way.

The March 27 shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville was devastating for all of us, especially those in the middle Tennessee communities served by you, our VHAN members. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims, the first responders and all of those who are struggling with the impact of this traumatic event.

In the aftermath, we turn our attention to our young patients, particularly those in need of counseling and other behavioral health services. Read the full article to access behavioral health tools and resources for pediatric patients and their families.

VHAN’s RN Care Navigators are trained to help patients find their way through a complex health care system. But beyond untangling health care’s confusing details, these professionals also exhibit compassion for every patient they encounter, listening and showing genuine concern that’s as powerful as any prescription. In the case of one patient, the care management team’s ability to listen closely had potentially life-saving results.

VHAN’s Pamela Bruce, Director, Quality and Clinical Transformation, has joined the NAACOS Quality Committee. This committee evaluates quality initiatives and requirements related to ACOs, while focusing on the role of quality performance in population-based payment models. The NAACOS Quality Committee also works to develop and guide the NAACOS quality strategy as it relates to Medicare ACO models including the Shared Savings Programs and other payers with ACO contracts. Congratulations, Pam!