​When it seems that everything is changing—new regulations, different guidelines, unknown timetables—we naturally search for something that isn’t shifting. In the long term care sector, one thing that doesn’t change is our focus on delivering the highest quality of care for our residents.

In recent years, the discussion around delivering quality care has focused on value-based care. Value-based care, or population health management, is a model of integrated care that emphasizes positive health outcomes for a group of people. This is a shift away from the fee-for-service models of the past.

In this issue, Provider digs deeper into how managed care and accountable care organizations were slow to embrace long term care residents in value-based care models. While the characteristics and needs of community-dwelling versus long term care facility-dwelling individuals are different, solutions need to be developed that meet the needs of all older adults.

We examine the growing number of provider-owned networks, whose purpose is to help providers explore integrated networks to create efficiencies in care and cost, and in pursuing business ventures including quality-based reimbursement and value-based contracts with managed care organizations.

The need for models of long term care will only increase over the next few decades as the silver tsunami of older adults brings challenges and opportunities alike. This issue features the first in a four-part series on the silver tsunami and its effects on long term care.

This issue also shows how assisted living communities are ideally positioned to integrate the key components of a successful population health management program and how meeting the distinct needs of residents from diverse backgrounds is part of delivering the best care.

Don’t miss out on the 2025 AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit, held April 7-9 in Atlanta, and the 2025 Population Health Management Summit, held April 9-10 in Atlanta. Visit ahcancal.org to learn more and register.