#allianthealthsolutions

Alliant’s Making Health Care Better Podcast is back! Tune into this month’s episode as we discuss health equity with Alliant’s health equity lead, Rosa Abraha, MPH. Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances. As the end of April marks the end of National Minority Health month, Rosa shares the origin of the month’s concept and how health inequities impact all.

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Tune into this week’s podcast as we continue the conversation around social determinants of health. Environmental and social factors make it more difficult for many end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients to enjoy healthy lifestyles and get the medical attention, access to care, and support they need. 

Join us as Texas-based nephrologist Dr. Donald Molony shares how the social determinants of health impacts end stage renal disease patients and how the ESRD Network 8 and 14’s Second Chance Program is enabling patients to receive the care and support they need.

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Tune into this week’s podcast as we continue the conversation around social determinants of health. Join us as Alliant team members, Natasha Avery, Dr. Damian Bedoya and Jennifer Purcell share how health outcomes are determined and how Alliant’s line of work strives to impact those outcomes and increase awareness around how it impacts health care.

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Are you or someone you know still weighing your options on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Meet Holly and Abby - two kidney transplant patients who recently received the COVID-19 vaccine. One knew she wanted to get vaccinated as soon as possible,  and the other  was hesitant at first, but decided to receive it as well.

For many people, the continued distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine (and now the recommended booster) is a sign of hope, and they are eager to receive the vaccine when it becomes available to them. For those who have a chronic or underlying condition, such as diabetes, end stage renal disease, or cancer, they may be undecided on if the vaccine is right for them.

Tune in as Holly and Abby share their experience with taking the vaccine, what made them decide to do it and how it has impacted them today.

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As we continue to navigate an ongoing pandemic, COVID-19 and dealing with all of the change associated with the virus has been stressful for many.  Healthcare staff have been traumatized by what they are seeing and experiencing as well as experiencing burnout. Children have had to adjust to a new way to attend school and then manage to remain safe as they returned to school. Families and friends have had to adjust to how they socially interact, travel and attend events.  All of these changes can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in both adults and children. Tune in to this Throwback Thursday episode as Alliant's program manager, Stacy Hull, LPC, MAC, CPCS  shares how COVID-19 has contributed to the increase of people experiencing burnout and trauma and how people can cope and get help. 

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Alliant Health Solutions is a QIN-QIO and Alliant Quality is the quality improvement services group of Alliant Health Solutions (AHS), but what does that mean? 

Tune in as the executive director of Alliant Quality, Linda Kluge, RD, LD, CPHQ, shares what makes Alliant different and how QIN-QIO's are impacting the health industry.

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Alliant Health Solutions has partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) on a national initiative to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on minorities, people living in rural areas, migrant workers, refugees and immigrants. This collaboration consists of organizations and individuals from all over the country who are working together to provide community-driven responses, recovery, and resiliency strategies for addressing this pandemic.

The goal of the NCRN initiative is to connect individuals, families, community organizations and clinical providers to timely and relevant COVID-19 information and resources. The launch of the NCRN occurs alongside the release of new digital technology accessible through the NCRN website provides location-based recommendations on where community members can get a COVID-19 test, fill prescriptions and get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Join us as Stacy Hull, LPC MAC, CPCS, Alliant’s program manager shares how Alliant’s work is contributing to the mission and the areas of focus in the future.

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Physicians are asked to wear many hats in service to their patients—healer, scientist, communicator, advocate, researcher, scholar, problem-solver and more. But especially in times like these, it is important to remember that physicians are also human, and subject to the same intense feelings of fatigue, anxiety, self-doubt and depression that arise in periods of extreme stress. Burnout presented an epic challenge for physicians and the practice of medicine long before COVID-19, but the virus has exacerbated the underlying and systemic problems that contribute most directly to physician burnout.  Tune in to this dynamic episode hosted by Alliant's Chief Medical Officer of Medicaid, Dr. Susana Alfonso as she discusses physician wellness and resilience with fellow Alliant team members and physicians:

• Dr. Joseangel Bedoya, Medical Director - Case Review
• Dr. Dianne Bennett-Johnson,  Medical Director Medical Management Services 
• Dr.  Kimberly Rask - Chief Data Officer

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Artic blasts, flooding and tornados are natural disasters that are all too common nowadays. Preparation and planning for a natural disaster is key, but should be a priority for those with chronic conditions. Tune in as we meet Tiffany, Sam and his wife Lacey who have experienced natural disasters and share how they prepared their supplies, food and considered thoughtful family planning.

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In this week's episode, we are revisiting the very first episode of the Making Health Care Better podcast featuring Dr. Dennis White,  Alliant's President and CEO, who shares how Alliant's patient-centered, clinically led, and data-driven approach has been making an impact in communities for the past 50 years. Tune in as we take a look back at where it all began. 

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The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network of Texas, Inc. works to assure healthcare security for ESRD patients in Texas, as well as be a trustworthy partner for continual improvement of their health and healthcare. This includes access to equitable, appropriate and quality patient and family-centered health care that achieves desired outcomes and ensures protection of the patients rights and dignity.

As they support those with chronic kidney disease, they lead the way in promoting early education about ESRD's symptoms and treatment options. Tune in as Mary Albin, BS, CPHQ, the Executive Director of ESRD Network of Texas, Inc. shares how the Network team is working locally, regionally and statewide to increase awareness about the prevention of chronic kidney disease.

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The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that an estimated 20 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder, including 14 million who had an alcohol use disorder and eight million who had an illicit drug use disorder. 

Alliant ASO specializes in working with providers who provide substance use disorder services. 

Tune in as Alliant's behavioral health clinical reviewer, Guylene Velez, LCSW shares the top five things providers can do to improve their processes when working with substance use disorder cases.

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According to the Autism Speaks, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. 

The methods of behavior analysis have been used and studied for decades and therapists have used ABA to help children with autism and related developmental disorders since the 1960s.

Tune in as Alliant ASO clinical reviewer Jennifer Parlapiano, LMHC shares how Alliant ASO uses assessments to identify good care, effective treatment planning and collaborative parent training for families of children with autism.

Also, learn tips about what a parent's expectation should be from a provider, what to look for and what questions parents of children with autism should ask to ensure they are identifying the ideal service provider for their child.  

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In 2019, there were 423,997 children in foster care, with the average age of the child being 8 years old.  Although they make up only 3% of the Medicaid population under age 18, children in foster care account for 32% of the recipients of behavioral health care services in this age group and it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of these children suffer from a significant mental health concern. As a result of these increased mental health issues, youth in foster care are often prescribed psychotropic medications at a much higher rate than youth who are not in foster care. The providers often face challenges in managing those cases. Alliant ASO provides specialized support through provider monitoring for behavioral health providers in Medicaid managed care. Tune in as the Director of Operations for Behavioral Health for Alliant Health Solutions, Angela Fero, LCSW shares the challenges providers face and the top five things they can do to improve behavioral health services to youth in foster care.

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been a 2600% increase in use of telemedicine, resulting in 34.5 million visits. According to a technical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is sufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of telehealth for specific uses with some types of patients, including psychotherapy and other behavioral health specialties. With those types of stats, many providers have had to make adjustments to ensure they are delivering the same standard of care as an office visit.  Tune in as the Director of Program Development-Behavioral Health for Alliant Health Solutions,  Lynn Bradford, Ph.D., shares insight about  the benefits and challenges of using telemedicine specifically for behavioral health services.

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The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network 8 in Mississippi has over 13% of patients on a home dialysis plan, which is above the national average.

Due to their high home dialysis rates locally and nationally, their home dialysis nurses participated in a webinar to educate other facilities about strategies for increasing home dialysis and share highly effective practices. 

Tune in as Alliant board member and nephrologist Dr. Randle White shares insight about the benefits of a home modality plan that works for both patients and practitioners.

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COVID-19 has impacted thousands of nursing homes throughout the United States. The impact has led health experts and the federal government to call on increased data reporting from nursing homes and long-term care facilities. 

From the appropriate use of PPE to hand hygiene procedures, Alliant has been providing long-term care facilities additional guidance from the Center for Disease Controls' National Healthcare Safety Network to support them during this pandemic. Additionally, Alliant hosts Learning and Action webinars featuring topics related to the current climate.

Tune in as Alliant's AIM Manager of Patient Safety, Melody Brown shares details about how Alliant is supporting nursing homes during the COVID pandemic.

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The emergence of COVID-19 and dealing with all of the change associated with the virus has been stressful for many. Healthcare staff have been traumatized by what they are seeing and experiencing. Children have had to adjust to a new way to attend school. Families and friends have had to adjust to how they socially interact. All of these changes can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in both adults and children.

Tune in as Alliant's behavioral health manager, Stacy Hull shares how COVID-19 has contributed to the increase of people experiencing burnout and trauma and how people can cope and get help. 

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected Alliant Quality through its affiliates to provide quality improvement and interventions for the Medicare ESRD program. The Alliant Quality ESRD Network affiliates include:

• Network 8, Inc. (ESRD Network 8) serving Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee
• End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, Inc. (ESRD Network 14) serving Texas

The scope of work encompasses a total of four (4) states collectively serving populations with similar dialysis and transplant patient demographics and provider characteristics.

Tune in as Alliant board member and Nashville-based nephrologist Dr. Ralph Atkinson shares how the ESRD networks are providing care coordination to improve patient outcomes.

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