FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
MAG AMONG STATE MEDICAL SOCIETIES THAT ARE COLLABORATING TO IMPACT HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES WITH HIE DATA
ATLANTA – Seven state medical societies announced the creation of the Health Equity Network for Change (HENC) – which is focused on improving the health status of medically underserved populations. HENC employs a new data source, health information exchange data, and powerful analytic tools that are provided by KAMMCO. Medical societies in each of the following states have engaged KAMMCO to build physician-led exchanges: Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey, Missouri, and Louisiana.
HENC Chair M. Natalie Achong, M.D., MHL, FACOG, shared, “Physicians across the nation are increasingly concerned about health disparities. To address this, HENC brings leading physicians together to examine trends in health disparity data. This will allow HENC to make data-driven recommendations for the establishment of population health priorities at regional, state and national levels aimed at improving health outcomes.”
“The Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) and the physician-led health information exchange that it endorses, HealtheParadigm, are excited to participate in this new initiative,” said MAG CEO Donald J. Palmisano Jr. “By working together to address universal health care issues such as health care disparities and population health, we can broaden our impact across the country.”
KAMMCO Senior Vice President Laura McCrary, Ed.D, added, “Health information exchange data is an enormously valuable, rich set of clinical data that is aggregated across every exchange participating health care providers within a region, state or nation. This data provides key insights into health care patterns and utilization previously not available from static, outdated or geographically limited clinical data sets.”
HENC has tapped leading physicians who have expertise in health disparities, which include...
Amin Yehya, M.D., representing the Medical Association of Georgia. Dr. Yehya is an advanced heart failure and heart transplant cardiologist, clinical researcher, and educator at Piedmont Heart Institute in Athens.
M. Natalie Achong, M.D., MHL, FACOG, representing the Connecticut State Medical Society. Dr. Achong is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who has practiced medicine for more than 15 years. She treats a diverse population of patients.
Tracie Collins, M.D., MPH, MHCDS, representing the Kansas Medical Society. Dr. Collins is board certified in general internal medicine and vascular medicine, and she practices at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita. Dr. Collins also serves as the chair of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.
Donnie Batie, M.D., ABFM, representing the Louisiana State Medical Society. Dr. Batie is board certified in family practice and geriatrics and serves as the medical director of the skilled nursing facility for General Health System and Bethesda Rehabilitation Hospital in Baton Rouge.
Kirsten Dunn, M.D., FACP, representing the Missouri State Medical Association. Dr. Dunn is board certified in internal medicine and practices at Mercy Virtual in St. Louis.
Soumen Samaddar, M.D., representing the Medical Society of New Jersey. Dr. Samaddar is the medical director of Hunterdon Family & Sports Medicine at Hopewell Valley in Pennington, and he is also affiliated with Hunterdon Medical Center.
Gerald Wilson, M.D., representing the South Carolina Medical Association. Dr. Wilson – a retired general and peripheral vascular surgeon – serves as a clinical instructor in the University of South Carolina School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery in Columbia.
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About the Medical Association of Georgia
With nearly 8,000 members, MAG is the leading voice for physicians in Georgia. MAG is an advocate for physicians in every practice setting and specialty. Go to www.mag.org for additional information.
About HealtheParadigm
HealtheParadigm is a physician-led health information network endorsed by the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) and delivered in partnership with KaMMCO. HealtheParadigm offers a suite of health information technology tools to help health professionals share patient information while employing powerful analytic reports designed to help improve clinical outcomes, reduce inefficiencies, and positively impact patient safety. www.healtheparadigm.com
About KAMMCO
KAMMCO is a provider-led medical professional liability insurer affiliated with the Kansas Medical Society. KAMMCO’s provider-led approach uniquely positions it to help physicians, other healthcare providers, integrated delivery networks, accountable care organizations, and others seeking to improve patient outcomes and adapt to new performance-based payment models through the use of data analytics and business intelligence tools. KAMMCO is now delivering analytics products and services in partnership with medical societies in six states beyond Kansas, including Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey, Missouri, and Louisiana. For more information visit www.KAMMCO.com.
Health Equity for Change Network contact:
Catherine Wagner, Ed.D
Health Equity for Change Network Facilitator
203-865-0587, cwagner@csms.org
