Latest thinking
We’re pleased to present the latest perspectives from SameSky Health and our industry experts on the state of healthcare and health equity. Through webinars, playbooks, case studies, blog posts, and more, explore our perspectives on healthcare trends.
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For information about our live discussion series and podcast, check Under the Same Sky.
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Under the Same Sky with Tracy Watts of Mercer
As we continue to face complex challenges like health disparities and climate change, the role of employers in shaping the future of healthcare is more critical than ever. In preparation for the 2024 Climate Week, we invited Tracy Watts, senior partner and US leader for healthcare policy at Mercer, to be our guest speaker for this Under the Same Sky discussion. This conversation explored the intersection of employer benefit programs, health equity, and climate change. Tracy shared insights and strategies that Mercer is using to help employers better protect their employees as they commit to building healthier and more resilient futures for clients and communities.
Under the Same Sky with David Michaels, PhD, MPH
Abner Mason was joined by Dr. David Michaels, epidemiologist, professor, and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Their conversation focused on the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health in light of the pressing issues of worker safety amidst climate change, specifically the new OSHA initiative recently announced by President Biden. This episode of Under the Same Sky explored the intersection of public health, occupational safety, and health equity.
Under the Same Sky with Mark Savage, JD
Abner Mason was joined by Mark Savage, JD, managing director of digital health strategy and policy at Savage & Savage LLC, for this episode of Under the Same Sky. The dialogue illuminated Mark’s journey leading to the development and implementation of electronic health information technology to impacting health equity and community populations. Mark shared insights from his role as the SDOH policy advisor for the Gravity Project, and he emphasized the importance of involving the community while using data to bridge the clinical and social aspects of healthcare.
Under the Same Sky with GroundGame.Health
This Under the Same Sky episode featured Susan Rawlings Molina, CEO, and Chris Burrows, community engagement manager, for GroundGame.Health. During this discussion, we shared more details about our merger with GroundGame.Health and also how we (as a newly combined organization) are helping people overcome health-related social needs. Susan and Chris shared real-world examples about how they are working to close the loop on the last mile in healthcare and significantly impact people’s lives.
How health information exchange and interoperability can help drive health equity
To kick off the new year, Abner Mason met with Erica Galvez, CEO of Manifest MedEx, for our ongoing discussion series, Under the Same Sky. During this conversation, they discussed initiatives by the organization to address health equity challenges to make healthcare data sharing work for everyone. They also focused on the new California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework and how it facilitates the secure and appropriate exchange of health and social services information to drive whole-person care.
Health Equity Predictions: 2023 Year in Review
At the beginning of 2023, we highlighted health equity predictions for the year provided by more than a dozen influential health equity leaders. For the final Under the Same Sky discussion of 2023, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Chris Gibbons, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of The Greystone Group, Inc. During this event, Abner and Chris reviewed the 2023 predictions, broke them into five different categories, and discussed where the industry is at, as well as where it needs to go to advance health equity.
Understanding oral health disparities and the link to overall health
Abner Mason met with Myechia Minter-Jordan (MD, MBA), president and CEO, and Kaz Rafia (DDS, MBA, MPH), chief health equity officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. This conversation focused on the connection between oral health, behavioral health, and overall health, and the impact of oral health disparities.
Bringing genomic medicine to underrepresented populations
Abner Mason met with Yusuf N. Henriques, founder and CEO of IndyGeneUS AI and IndyGeneUS Global. This conversation focused on how IndyGeneUS AI is using their combined experience from the FDA, the military, and in academia, to lead change and deliver high-quality, reliable disease insights that are inclusive of populations underrepresented in genetic research, while also building trust among these communities.
Developing health equity strategies rooted in data and insights
Abner Mason met with Dr. J Nwando Olayiwola, the inaugural chief health equity officer and senior vice president of Humana. The conversation was focused on Dr. Olayiwola’s priorities, experiences, and key initiatives to advance health equity. She discussed the importance of developing health equity strategies rooted in data and insights and also emphasized the need for cross-functional collaboration to address health disparities and barriers to care.
Ensuring AI is developed without bias in healthcare
Abner Mason met with met with Kevin Dedner, MPH, author, entrepreneur, and thought leader. Kevin described his experience and lessons learned in solving complex public health problems. He also discussed his current project, where he is challenging the bias in healthcare as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to rise.
The role of AI in healthcare
Abner Mason met with Dr. Leo Anthony Celi who is the Clinical Research Director and Principal Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Computational Physiology at MIT and a practicing intensivist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The conversation was centered around the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, and the opportunities and challenges that Dr. Celi is concerned about as the healthcare industry moves full speed ahead with AI investments and initiatives.
The future of healthcare
Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, health economist, communicator, and “trend weaver” for THINK-Health and Health Populi. The conversation focused on the future of healthcare and innovative approaches to expanding access to care through the intersection of health, technology, and people.
Advancing maternal health equity featuring Mahmee
Did you know that in the United States, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from childbirth complications than any other ethnic group? As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Melissa Hanna, CEO, and Dr. Amanda Williams, Medical Director of Mahmee. This important conversation covered the unique and holistic approaches Mahmee has been using to support women during pregnancy and postpartum care to close gaps in maternal care.
Get to know your members and establish trusted relationships
Establishing relationships and getting to know members is the first step that needs to be taken in order to build trust and uncover barriers. As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, and Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Grapevine Health, discussed the importance of health literacy, community outreach, and member engagement in order to improve health outcomes.
Preparing for the unwinding of the Continuous Enrollment Provision
For health plan leaders, it's essential to have an effective outreach strategy in place to engage Medicaid members, make them aware of the impending redetermination process, and help guide them so they can retain health benefits coverage either through Medicaid if they remain eligible, or if they're not, through a Marketplace or other option. As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason discussed this important topic and the role that technology plays in helping Medicaid members retain coverage with Samantha Murphy from Salesforce.
How to begin your journey towards equitable healthcare
As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, discussed the journey to make our country’s healthcare system more equitable with Dr. Bryan O. Buckley, director of health equity initiatives for NCQA. Where can healthcare organizations start on their journey to reach health equity?
Why prioritizing the advancement of health equity can bring success to health plans
Health equity and the social determinants of health (SDOH) have become buzzwords that are requiring action from all sectors within the healthcare industry. Given that 80% of clinical outcomes are attributable to SDOH, especially among traditionally marginalized populations, what can payers do now to help navigate through the challenges that come along with the new requirements of advancing health equity?
The halo effect of improving health outcomes through incentives
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs illustrates that our basic needs are physiological, including food, shelter, and clothing. But what if you can’t meet your basic needs? What if you have food or housing insecurity? What if you have bills you can’t pay? When you are having trouble meeting your fundamental needs, you may want to take care of yourself, but you can’t. This can be particularly disastrous for people with chronic conditions.
From startups to large corporations, equity is on the minds of healthcare tech leaders
In the last few years, health equity has become the focus for many organizations, from startups to large corporations. And while there is no one single answer to addressing health equity, the renewed attention on it is bringing forth new insights and innovations.
The rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the opportunity to do more
Since 2015, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) roles have more than doubled. Further fueled by the murder of George Floyd and the disparities brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic, DEI is quickly moving from a “nice to have” to a “must have” for many companies.