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.  

To bolster mental health awareness and education, the miniVHAN podcast chose Behavioral Health Through the Lifespan for its recent series. Expert guests offered insights to help providers and their patients better understand and cope with anxiety and depression, neurodiversity, trauma and grief.  

If you’ve missed any of the episodes, catch up on miniVHANpodcast.com.

Medication adherence is a key driver of patient outcomes. Any medication therapy is ineffective if the patient cannot access or take it consistently. In addition, adherence is a triple-weighted quality measure on Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts. To help VHAN practices improve medication adherence this year and place a greater year-round focus on this crucial quality measure, the VHAN Pharmacy Team recommends three strategies.

In October 2022 the FDA announced a potential shortage of ADHD medications in the United States. The impact continues to be felt a year later, with many alternative stimulants also experiencing intermittent shortages or limited availability. The VHAN Pharmacy Team put together helpful strategies you can incorporate to navigate the stimulant shortage successfully.

VHAN social worker Amber Colbert often supports Medicare patients who have been hospitalized and then moved to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Sometimes these patients face difficult end-of-life choices. A recent case illustrated the vital role a social worker plays in this process and how collaboration between the social worker and other team members can ease pain and give patients greater comfort and a sense of peace.

As we approach the last quarter of the year, it’s essential to focus on triple-weighted measures on your Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts. These measures—related mainly to medication adherence, diabetes control, blood pressure control—count more towards your performance than single weighted measures in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) pay-for-performance Star Ratings system. Triple-weighted measures play a critical role in a health plan’s ability to earn four or more Stars, the threshold at which practices can achieve a higher proportion of shared savings dollars and quality bonuses. Learn more about how VHAN can help members succeed in these important areas.

In her job as a VHAN social worker, Amber Colbert has helped countless patients make the transition from hospital to a skilled nursing facility. Typically, Colbert works with Medicare patients 65 or older, monitoring their health care journey and helping them find the right facility when needed. That experience served her well in her care for an Alzheimer’s patient and his caregiver wife. Read the full story to learn how VHAN social workers help patients and their families at every stage of life.

While VHAN Social Worker Mary Brooks has worked on dozens of memorable cases, a recent experience with one particular patient stuck with her. The patient was discharged from the hospital with an open wound and a significant recovery ahead. Unfortunately, when she arrived home, she found that her air conditioning was no longer working in the middle of a heat wave in West Tennessee. Read the full story to learn how Mary found a way to get the air conditioning fixed and built trust with her patient.

While caregivers make a significant difference in the lives of patients, the hard work and dedication of caregiving can take a serious toll. The many-pronged tensions of caregiving are illustrated by a young parent who recently gave birth to a female with Down syndrome. Read the full article to learn how VHAN’s Care Management team worked with the parent to ease her anxiety and connect her to childcare resources.