Kyle Ames

There has been exponential growth of behavioral health integration (BHI) in #primarycare within the United States over the past decade. While there has been growth and the development of recommendations for BHI in primary care, this approach to patient care is not yet the standard of care within primary care delivery models, as many practices either do not have #behavioralhealth clinicians within their practice or have sub-optimal behavioral health clinician staffing ratios. STFM presents the recording of the second plenary session from the 2025 Conference on Practice & Quality Improvement last month in Pittsburgh, PA. “Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care Helps Everyone” was presented by Stacy Ogbeide, PsyD, MS, MSCP, ABPP, of UT Health San Antonio. The purpose of this presentation is to review the current research related to BHI in primary care and its impact on patient care, the primary care team, and primary care behavioral health workforce development. Additionally, participants are presented with interventions to improve BHI in primary care within their clinics, teams, and training programs, as well as current and future interventions to address workforce shortages. Lastly, guidance is provided for #healthcare organizations and academic intuitions on how to provide ongoing support for community-based clinical training initiatives. Listen through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the STFM website: https://lnkd.in/dH7tjKX6 #CPQI25 #STFM #familymedicine

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New Federal Push for Seamless Patient Data Sharing: What Cardiology Ops Leaders Must Know Now The landscape for patient data sharing and interoperability is about to shift dramatically. As of August 2025, HHS has rolled out a national initiative—the CMS Voluntary Interoperability Framework—backed by pledges from 60+ healthcare and tech industry leaders, including Amazon, Apple, and Google. The goal? By Q1 2026, data will flow more seamlessly between EHRs, health information networks, and providers like never before. What’s truly disruptive is that the initiative isn’t just about compliance: it’s about operational transformation. New tools could make sharing patient records as easy as scanning a QR code. Check-in processes are expected to become fully digital (sometimes through verified digital identity apps), eliminating manual forms and bringing your organization closer to the consumer-grade experience patients now expect. But here’s the catch: The CMS is especially focusing on eliminating information blocking and timely patient access—two areas where more than 50 providers have already been penalized. With digital health data sharing accelerating, Operations Managers for cardiology groups will need to prepare for: • Adopting/aligning with the Voluntary CMS Framework early—especially as payers, referring practices, and tech vendors pivot. • Evaluating the impact of new apps and digital ID tools on patient privacy, operational workflows, and breach risks. • Tightening access and breach notification protocols, as even accidental disclosures trigger federal scrutiny. Bottom line: Operations leaders who get ahead of these trends could turn compliance into a competitive advantage—reducing friction for patients, keeping up with new enforcement priority areas, and unlocking more data-driven care pathways.【4:2†recDPwzPtiN4WDCIq.json】【4:3†246c0bb0-ed3b-8165-bce9-dec35017afea.json】【4:8†246c0bb0-ed3b-8165-bce9-dec35017afea.json} #interoperability #patientaccess #HIPAA #healthtech #cardiology

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🔎 This Health Affairs piece is worth a careful read if you are leading an ACO right now. The central message is not about minor policy adjustments. It is about structural redesign. ACOs cannot compete long term without rethinking how incentives, infrastructure, and care delivery actually work together. That conversation inevitably leads to technology. Not technology as a feature list, but as operating infrastructure. Systems that support consistent execution across providers, workflows, and populations. As expectations continue to rise in value based care, the question is no longer whether change is needed. It is whether organizations are building the foundation to support it 📊 👉 Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/eXfiH-wz #ACOs #ValueBasedCare #HealthcareStrategy #PopulationHealth #Medicare 🧠

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Millions are expected to lose coverage as federal policy changes take effect. Last week, Carla Larin met with Utah HFMA to discuss what this means for revenue cycle leaders. As Medicaid disenrollment rises, coverage cannot be treated as static. Teams that identify coverage early and address eligibility beyond the point of service will reduce preventable self-pay exposure. Those that rely on a one-time check will feel it downstream in write-offs.

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The gap between the digital “haves” and “have-nots” is widening—and it’s putting rural and under-resourced providers at a growing disadvantage. At the HFMA Region 2 Annual Conference, our EVP of Healthcare Strategy & Policy, Bevey Miner, underscored the urgency of closing this divide. In her session, “From Expensive Disparities to Economic Opportunities: The Key to Health Equity ROI,” she highlighted how: 1️⃣ Unstructured data slows care transitions and prior authorizations, adding pressure to teams already working at their limits 2️⃣ Rural and under-resourced providers remain excluded from major interoperability investments, making it difficult to access the timely, accurate information their patients deserve 3️⃣ Digital cloud faxing and intelligent data extraction offer a realistic, lower-cost path to tech equity, faster referrals, and more complete clinical information At the center of her message was a simple truth: strengthening data exchange isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a way to help clinical teams deliver the care continuity their patients count on, and keep essential services available in the communities that depend on them. Watch the full presentation here: https://okt.to/CmAX0k #HealthEquity #TechEquity #ROI #UnstructuredData

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