The VHAN Impact
Together, we are improving the communities we call home.
This is the story of our collective impact.
VHAN Impact Report
2023 Release
Celebrating a decade of driving transformation.
In health care, you can be affected by change, or you can be an agent of change. Together, we’ve chosen the latter. And that’s why we look forward to the next decade of driving transformation.
To Our Community
Thank you for your commitment to excellence.
The 2023 impact report release celebrates our achievements in 2021 leading into 2022. You’ll learn more about our shared successes and individual patient stories in the areas of utilization, quality, clinical program development, and pediatric and behavioral health. We couldn’t do any of this without you—our members.
patient outreaches, via calls, EMR and other connections
in member incentive distributions
behavioral health consults
Key Achievements
VHAN members made a considerable impact in the past year. The stories below are some of our achievements together.
Stories of Achievement
Project ECHO
Helping Pediatricians Bring Hope to Patients With Depression
Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) addresses health care disparities with low-cost, high-impact interventions. Project ECHO gives patients with complex and treatable conditions greater access to the specialty care they need—particularly in underserved or remote areas—by leveraging technology and best practices. VHAN’s first Project ECHO, “Managing Mild to Moderate Depression in Primary Care,” focused on educating pediatricians about depression and giving them mental health resources tailored to young patients.
Stories of Achievement
Community Health Worker
Pilot for Improving Care Access for Obstetrics Patients
Many mothers experience a lack of support and education related to pregnancy, birth and postpartum care, which leads to an increased risk for unhealthy pregnancies and poor birth outcomes. To help, VHAN launched its Community Health Worker (CHW) pilot in 2019 to improve access to care and resources for obstetric patients at Gallatin Women’s OBGYN Center (GWC) in Gallatin, Tennessee, which has a large prenatal patient population with approximately 350 babies born annually. After two years, the program has already produced impressive results.
Richard Bennett, MD | president, chairman and co-owner of Gallatin Women’s Center
“I applaud the members of the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network for collaborating to find new and better ways to meet people where they are.”
Utilization
By focusing on decreasing the unnecessary utilization of care services, we’re improving patient outcomes and driving down the total cost of care for the entire system. In the past year, we’ve made great strides in lowering readmissions and ensuring patients receive quality, appropriate post-acute care.
Quality and Clinical Program Development
Guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Quintuple Aim, VHAN’s quality and clinical initiatives seek to improve patient care experiences, improve the health of populations, reduce costs, improve team satisfaction, and most recently added — advance health equity.
Pediatrics and Behavioral Health
Over the past few years, both adults and children have been shown to struggle with mental health in increasing numbers. Today, primary care providers are faced with increasing levels of mental health events among patients, often with limited resources. VHAN is working to change that narrative.
This is Rewarding Care. This is VHAN.
VHAN successfully navigates change by keeping our eyes on what matters most—improved care delivery, better outcomes and true health equity.
Looking Ahead
As we work together to provide high-quality, cost-effective care, VHAN is constantly looking for new ways to build connections, improve outcomes, enhance value and provide support to our practices and our patients, leveraging network data and member feedback to identify priorities.
Here are some of our new initiatives on the horizon.
OnePoint
A Clearer View Into Patient Health Needs
Members have told us they often struggle to access and organize patient data from seemingly endless sources. So, in 2023 we are implementing OnePoint, our new population health management platform that puts actionable quality and performance metrics at their fingertips, providing a clearer, more up-to-date view into a patient’s health needs. It helps our providers aggregate, analyze and act to drive transformative, value-based care.
GRACE Geriatric Program
Improving Care, Controlling Costs
Adults ages 85 and up have the highest per capita utilization of health services, and this population is expected to rise to 9 million by 2030 according to the National Institutes of Health. To manage utilization while maintaining quality of care, VHAN is introducing the Geriatric Resources for the Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) Program, an evidence-based model to improve quality while controlling costs for older patients with complex care needs.
Behavioral Health
Expanding Our Reach
According to a 2022 American Psychological Association survey of psychologists, the demand for mental health treatment continues to rise. In response, VHAN will increase our focus on behavioral health. At the same time, we will continue to provide valuable educational opportunities. And after the successful launch of Project ECHO in Fall 2022, VHAN will host a second session on pediatric depression in Fall 2023.
Ready for More Impact?
Learn about our VHAN’s collective impact within some of the network’s key focus areas.