Belong Health was founded on several guiding principles. As a summer intern trying to understand the culture I was working within, I quickly gravitated towards “stay curious and be kind.” This value is central to how we provide care and is exemplified in our provider engagement model. Our care team depends on members’ primary care physicians (PCPs) and there is a tremendous amount of respect within that partnership. To better understand the steps of engagement as well as the objectives, I conducted a Zoom interview with our very own Dr. Jordan Anderson, Belong’s senior vice president of clinical operations. Dr. Anderson develops care programs at Belong and works in care management and delivery. He is also academically affiliated with Vanderbilt University and uses his ongoing clinical expertise to inform his work at Belong.
Objectives of Provider Engagement
I first asked Dr. Anderson about Belong’s goal in engaging with providers. He explained that the best practices for provider engagement rely upon communication of both observations and action-planning between the Belong team and PCP. Whether delivering provider engagement on behalf of a D-SNP (Dual Special Needs Plans) or through ACO REACH, the objective of optimized care coordination remains the same. The delivery, however, may differ in accordance with the different tools available to achieve that goal. Provider engagement on behalf of a health plan utilizes resources that the health plan has pre-selected whereas with ACO REACH, providers drive the decision of resource selection. No matter the format, the Belong provider engagement team builds relationships with local PCPs via our provider engagement specialists.
The goal here is to establish a trusting, two-way relationship where Belong can bring the PCP new, helpful information to best aid and connect with their patients. For example, the specialists will update PCPs regarding new ER visits and hospital stays that may otherwise remain unknown to the PCP. This allows the physician to understand the development of an issue and to remain engaged, rather than being updated much later at an annual wellness checkup.
Belong provides insight on PCP practice patterns within the context of their peer group patterns, specifically regarding how they manage their patients and pursue care solutions. Through communication between the provider, patient, and the care management team, care becomes more cohesive and maximizes the provider’s resources.
Provider engagement specialists acknowledge that the provider is actively busy; their goal is to provide more information to the PCP so that a higher level of care can be achieved. Providers frequently struggle to keep the pieces of their care plan coordinated and Belong can step in to help the patient adhere to the care plan and achieve what the physician has set up. That said, a commonly asked question is:
