​The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) will host its 2022 Population Health Management Summit December 7-8 at the Gaylord National Harbor in Maryland. This event has grown each year, as value based care and risk-based models move into the forefront of how long term care communities—including assisted living (AL)—continue to deliver quality care and improve the lives of residents.

You may recall that population health management (PHM) is the process of improving the health and quality of life for groups of residents. It focuses on wellness, prevention, and proactive care coordination/management. PHM models help achieve the triple aim—the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Although still a fairly new concept within AL, PHM is something that you not only need to understand but also be able to evaluate employing within your communities in order to improve quality outcomes for your residents, position yourself well in the market, and manage risk within communities.

That is why it is so important for AL providers to attend this year's PHM Summit. This event features an AL-specific track with sessions that will cover the why, what, and how to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Highlights include:

Wednesday, Dec. 7

• Opening keynote speaker Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., Director at the Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University: McClellan is a physician-economist who focuses on quality and value in health care, including payment reform, real-world evidence, and more effective drug and device innovation. He is former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration where he developed and implemented major reforms in health policy.
• Healthcare Transformation: Why Should Assisted Living Providers Care? Value based care, population health, I-SNPs, the alphabet soup continues; what does this mean for AL providers and why should they pay attention? Whether you know it or not, payors and referral sources are tracking your outcomes. What are the implications and what can you do?
• Considerations for Assisted Living in Value Based Care: Join your peers for an interactive discussion on AL, value based care, and PHM, as well as get a better understanding of the sessions focused on assisted living for the next day.

Thursday, Dec. 8

• Market Strategies for Assisted Living—Experience from the Field: Consumers have always expressed their strong preference to receive care in their homes. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the actualization of care-at-home services with growth in virtual care, emerging technologies, and value based care. Presenters will share models and market strategies to succeed in this changing landscape.
• Sorting Through the ACO Maze: Learn about one of the primary trends driving all of health care towards more value based, alternative payment arrangements, accountable care organizations (ACOs). Take a deeper dive into the two main ACO models and gain insight into what you must consider when thinking about ACO partnerships.
• Primary Care: Do you Own, Contract, or Partner? Primary care is the building block of PHM models. Given its primacy, how do LTC providers approach engagement with physicians and advance practice professionals? What do you need to consider as you evaluate your options?
• Closing keynote speaker Ellen Lukens, Deputy Director of the CMS Innovation Center: Lukens has deep experience both within and outside the government tackling complex health policy issues. Prior to this role, she served as the Group Director of the Policy and Programs Group within the CMS Innovation Center, where she led the team that provides cross-cutting support for Center-wide policy and portfolio management.

The time to plan for the future of AL is now—and that includes population health management. This Summit offers an invaluable opportunity to learn more about how to be successful utilizing PHM strategies and models in your communities.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Online registration for the Population Health Management Summit is open through November 30. Register today!

LaShuan Bethea is the executive director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL).