Putting Care at the Center 2020: Virtual will take place in two half-day blocks, October 27-28, from 12-4 pm ET (9 am-1 pm PT) each day. Explore the full conference agenda here. Plenary session topics and descriptions are also listed below. For the latest updates, sign up for our mailing list.
This year’s plenary sessions have been adjusted to work in a virtual format. Attendees will choose between two 25-minute presentations or discussions happening concurrently in four plenary time blocks. After both the first two and second two plenary time blocks, there will be moderated discussion rooms where attendees can discuss the topics presented.
Envisioning the future of complex care What should the future of the complex care field look like? What are the respective roles of healthcare, community-based organizations, public health, and other systems in supporting those with the most complex needs? How should it be funded? How do we move toward this new vision?
Speakers: Allison Hamblin, CEO, Center for Health Care Strategies; Kedar Mate, CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Integrating healthcare and social care during COVID-19 Like other care delivery organizations, Kaiser Permanente encountered both significant challenges to and opportunities for more integrated health and social care at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bechara Choucair, Chief Health Office of Kaiser Permanente, will discuss how his organization's plans to create more integrated services were impacted, and in ways accelerated, by COVID-19. How did these changes play out in practice and how were they leveraged to expand and improve service? In what ways is Kaiser Permanente using direct funding and collaborative investment to make permanent changes for complex care populations?
Speaker: Bechara Choucair, Chief Health Officer, Kaiser Permanente
The current state of complex care financing What impact have the events of 2020 thus far had on interest in and financing for complex care programs and cross-sector system alignment? How will complex care be impacted by increased unemployment, uninsurance, cuts to state/local budgets, and more? What opportunities are there to accelerate investment in complex care ecosystems? What role does value-based payment and ROI play in determining future investments?
Speakers: Cindy Mann, Partner, Manatt Health; Chris Esguerra, Chief Medical Officer, DME Consulting Group
Supporting a diverse workforce Peers, community health workers, and other staff with lived expertise have deep understanding of the communities they serve and are incredibly effective relationship builders, but also experience racism, economic vulnerability, and have significant familial and caregiving responsibilities. How do organizations correct inequities in their power structures by acknowledging, re-envisioning and supporting the role of lived expertise at all levels of leadership? This plenary will be a dialogue between a frontline staff member and an organizational leader about organizational culture, practices, and strategies for integrating and uplifting the experience of a diverse workforce.
Speakers: Tony Vezina, Executive Director, 4D Recovery; Adrian Burris, Program Director, 4D Recovery
Health equity through community empowerment The pandemic has shined a bright light on health inequities and structural racism in our country. As healthcare looks for ways to combat these unjust structures, Roots Community Health Center provides an example of how a local community health center can simultaneously address the many health-related needs of low-income communities of color while also investing in longer term, more upstream solutions for its community. Founder and CEO Dr. Noha Aboelata will discuss the philosophy, structures, and experience of Roots Community Health Center. She will also reflect on the demands and opportunities of the current moment which include a pandemic that disproportionately threatens low-income communities of color and an intense focus on structural racism and racial justice in our communities.
Speaker: Noha Aboelata, Founder & CEO, Roots Community Health Center
The next four years The week after this event, we will elect a President along with new Congress and state leaders. What is at stake in the election? What can we expect to see from the next administration around coverage, financing, economic recovery, housing, racial justice, and more? What can the complex care community do to ensure that its priorities are being addressed by the next administration? What are the opportunities?
Speakers: Sadena Thevarajah, Managing Director, HealthBegins; Emily Stewart, Executive Director, Community Catalyst
Social isolation and loneliness beyond COVID-19 Before COVID-19, leaders identified social isolation as an epidemic that was contributing to higher levels of chronic illness, depression, and addiction. The pandemic response, which includes social distancing, compounded that effect for many individuals, including those who live alone or have disabilities. What are ways in which communities and complex care organizations can combat social isolation, particularly in a COVID-19 environment? How do we overcome the digital divide to ensure that all communities have access to the internet and devices that enable socially distant communication?
Speakers: Rani Snyder, Vice President of Programs, John A. Hartford Foundation; Parinda Khatri, Chief Clinical Officer, Cherokee Health Systems
Moderator: Nirav Shah, Senior Scholar, Stanford University, Stanford University's School of Medicine
Resilient ecosystems Complex care requires deep cross-sector collaboration and reshaped delivery systems. When COVID-19 created a health and social crisis, communities that had strong ecosystems were able to respond more quickly and effectively. This plenary will talk about what prepared them to collaborate, how they responded quickly, and what other communities can do to create stronger long-term ecosystems.
Speakers: Cesar Armendariz, Senior Director of Community Health, Inland Empire Health Plan; Darlene Hightower, Vice President, Community Health Equity and Engagement, Rush University Medical Center
Moderator: Lauran Hardin, Senior Advisor, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers
To maintain that same spirit of innovation, collaboration, and networking this year, the virtual Beehive will provide an opportunity for contributors to share their work in a video format. Conference attendees will have the ability to view each presenter’s video to understand their topic of discussion. During the virtual Beehive session on 10/27, attendees can join a virtual room with the presenter to share ideas, discuss, and network.