THE SHOW
Healthcare is a multi-trillion dollar industry in the United States, and yet many people are completely unaware of the brilliant people who work tirelessly behind the scenes and their efforts to improve access, lower costs and improve patient outcomes. Welcome to PopHealth Podcast, the show by healthcare professionals that explores the challenges facing the American Healthcare system and the innovative minds looking to solve them and move the industry into the future. We invite thought-leaders and influencers to discuss population health; from elected officials tasked with setting public policy, to clinicians who treat patients in every conceivable condition and social situation, to ground-breaking business leaders who are creating ways to connect and streamline the delivery of care to an ever-growing and diverse nation.
Our hosts, Gavin Ward & Zac Morgan, bring a combined 20 years of heath care and home care experience which allows them to facilitate thoughtful and meaningful discussion on topics including population health, care transitions, readmission prevention, etc. Our goal is to provide listeners with a wealth of knowledge on the issues which affect millions of Americans every day, and a glimpse inside the world’s largest healthcare system.
If you have experience with population health or possess a passion for care transitions and readmission prevention, join us on the PopHealth Podcast! Together, through healthy conversation, we can change and improve the future of healthcare!
Latest Episodes
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Medi-Medi/Dual Eligibles: California DHCS’ Anastasia Dodson (Medicare Innovation & Integration)
California Department of Health Care Services’ Anastasia Dodson helps give an overview of the “dual eligible” population in California and how upcoming changes will impact the delivery of care for Californians who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal (Mediciad in California), now called Medicare Medi-Cal Plans (MMPs or Medi-Medi plans), for Exclusively Aligned Enrollment Dual Eligible[…]
Health Net Medi-Cal President Martha Santana-Chin
Martha, a Medi-Cal beneficiary as a child in Ventura County, shares how her journey in the managed Medi-Cal world has ultimately led her to help lead a team that manages the care of millions of lives in California, including many that receive care in rural areas. Check out this episode!
Yingjia Huang from CA DHCS and Medi-Cal Eligibility: Changes After The Public Health Emergency
Yingjia, who serves in the role of Assistant Deputy Director, Health Care Benefits and Eligibility for California’s Department of Health Care Services, joins the show to share how the significant eligibility adjustments shown during the pandemic (ie public health emergency) will be unwound and what that means to some of the millions of Californians on[…]
Paige Brogan- CalAIM Principal, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, on CalAIM
Health plan and CalAIM expert Paige Brogan joins the show to share how the opportunity to make a big impact inspired her to join BSC Promise Health Plan. Paige gives some insight into the early days of CalAIM and while she is enthiusiastic about CalAIM, she shares why other medical leaders may be more in[…]
Children’s Behavioral Health Visionary Alex Briscoe, Principal of California Children’s Trust
Alex Briscoe has gone from school counselor in Oakland to one of California most respected visionary’s for kids’ behavioral health. Alex joins co-hosts April Stewart and Gavin Ward to share how California Children’s Trust is reshaping how we think about children’s mental health and why a diagnosis is not required for our kids to get[…]
California DHCS Chief Quality Officer Palav Babaria & 2023 Population Health Management Launch
Palav joins host Gavin Ward to discuss the new Popation Health Management efforts that DHCS is launching in 2023 in California. Before getting into the details, Palav reveals her competiveness in board games and where her passion for serving the safety net was inspired. Check out this episode!
Partnership HealthPlan of California’s Rebecca Boyd Anderson and Population Health
Rebecca shares how her journey to become a nurse and experience with worker’s compensation set a foundation that allowed her to build a population health department at PartnershipHealth Plan of California. Check out this episode!
CalOptima CEO Michael Hunn, a Former Priest, Discusses Medi-Cal and CalAIM
Michael joins the show ande breaks down new opportunities for care and support that are available through California’s new CalAIM initiative. CalOptima is the largest insurer in Orange County, caring for over 25% of the Orange County population, which may be a surprise vs. what the general public may think of when it comes to[…]
L.A. Care’s Cynthia Carmona Shares How CalAIM Commmunity Supports Benefit Medi-Cal Beneficiaries
L.A. Care’s Senior Director of Safety Net Initiatives’ background in policy and community service helped prepare her to serve beneficiaries for California’s largest managed Medi-Cal provider. Cynthia breaks down how the new CalAIM community supports are helping equip L.A Care to better serve its 2+ million membership. Check out this episode!
New SCAN Health Plan Initiatives: CalAIM and PACE (myPlace Health)
SCAN’s Sr. VP of Healthcare Services Eve Gelb joins SCAN backed myPlace Health Founder and CEO Robbie Pottharst in a 2-part episode that explores how SCAN is leveraging innovative models of care (ie CalAIM, PACE) that bring together both health and social services that historically were either unavailable and/or unable to be managed well with[…]
OUR HOSTS
Gavin Ward – Co-host
Gavin Ward is the first Certified Fellow in Readmission Prevention and is a Nationally Certified Readmissions Professional. Gavin brings over 12 years of experience in the healthcare and homecare space, including assisting in the development of Maxim Healthcare’s senior care, or “companion,” division early on in his career. He currently serves as 24Hr HomeCare’s Regional Director of Strategy and Partnerships, where he works with various hospitals, managed care groups, health systems, and the post-acute community to develop programs to improve throughput (decrease length of stay), care transitions, and readmission prevention through a professional caregiving, non-medical solution. His efforts, including the Hospital to Home™ care transitions programs nominated as a finalist for the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards, have led to 24Hr HomeCare partnerships with many healthcare organizations which previously had not funded non-medical in-home care, but are starting to now that the right homecare program can bring cost savings and stronger outcomes. Gavin recently joined the Alzheimer’s Association-California Southland Chapter’s Speakers’ Bureau and also serves as an expert panelist moderator for the National Readmission Prevention Collaborative in California and Arizona. He received his BA in Communication Studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, where he also enjoyed time on the Westmont Warriors Ultimate Frisbee team. Gavin is married and has two children, ages 2 and 4.
Joe Zimmer – Co-host
Joe Zimmer is Regional Director at 24Hr HomeCare. As one of the leaders of the sales team, Zimmer oversees several Directors of Admissions throughout California, Arizona, and Texas. Joe was one of the company’s first employees, and helped to launch three start-up branch locations in Culver City, Encino, and Walnut Creek. He was also the engineer of the industry-first exclusive contractual partnership with a non-profit Community Based Organization: Jewish Family & Children’s Services of the East Bay – a pillar in the SF Bay Area since 1877. He also is a certified readmission prevention fellow through the National Readmission Prevention Collaborative. Fun fact: Joe taught himself how to play the piano at age 3.
Zachary Morgan – Co-host
Zac Morgan began as an Account Manager for 24Hr HomeCare’s Culver City office in 2010, and now serves as Regional Director of Strategy & Partnerships. He was the company’s first Senior Director of Admissions when he led the expansion into San Diego County, and also served two terms as the Chairman of the American Board of Home Care (2014-16). An early employee of 24Hr HomeCare, he helped to create the innovative Hospital to Your Home program and is a Nationally Certified Readmissions Professional. Zac graduated from Loyola Marymount University in LA where he studied both Sports Medicine and Business, and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Fun Fact: After graduating from LMU, Zac moved to South Korea where he taught English, science and math while traveling around Asia.
Ryan Iwamoto – Co-host and Producer
Ryan Iwamoto is owner and co-founder of 24Hr HomeCare. As leader of the sales, marketing and business development team, Iwamoto is responsible for developing the overall sales and marketing strategy, execution, and development. He co-founded 24Hr HomeCare’s award-winning Hospital to Your Home™ program that offers a high-touch, low cost solution for hospital throughput efficiency, reducing hospital readmission, and care transitions. The program was named a finalist for the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovations award and the Los Angeles Journal’s Healthcare Leadership Forum & Awards for post-acute care programs. Fun fact: Ryan is a former Eagle Scout with the Bronze Palm.