It would be difficult to find a preventive measure that brings as many benefits as possible to patients, clinical staff and a practice’s bottom line as a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). VHAN Member Murfreesboro Medical Clinic is achieving extraordinary success realizing those benefits. The clinic performs AWVs for roughly 82% of eligible Aetna Medicare Advantage patients, exceeding the network average by 26.9%. From medication reviews to mental health checks, these visits are invaluable in supporting patients.

A partnership between Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Tennessee State Department of Health has helped some VHAN practices improve antibiotic stewardship efforts.

As VHAN’s executive director and chief medical officer, I want to extend a sincere thank you for your unwavering dedication to ensure patients receive high-quality, personalized care. As I reflect on our most recent performance year’s successes, I am reminded that our network’s collective strength and commitment enables better health outcomes.

Milan Medical Center (MMC) is a well-oiled machine when it comes to addressing quality measures for their patient population, thanks in large part to Care Coordinator Elizabeth Hutcherson. Read this practice spotlight to learn more about how Hutcherson plays a vital role at MMC and in the community at large.

To improve Erlanger Health System’s (EHS) AWV completion rate and deliver vital preventive care, the Erlanger Medical Group (EMG) quality team implemented an Annual Wellness Visit template and clinical education program in 2018. Since implementing the new process, Erlanger has experienced a year-over-year increase in total Medicare AWVs. Read the article to leverage best practices from the EMG quality team.

Antibiotics prevent millions of deaths each year, fighting bacterial infections that could otherwise lead to serious complications or even death. But after years of overuse and inappropriate prescription, various bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. To ensure optimum use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), a team of physicians and pharmacists created the Vanderbilt Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (VASP). Learn more about the program’s successes in this case study.

Coinciding with VHAN’s 10th anniversary, the third season of the miniVHAN podcast looks back at the unique vision for VHAN and how the network launched amidst a major transition in health care from fee-for-service to value-based care following the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

When VHAN patients obtain care outside the network, the opportunity to impact the cost and quality of that work is diminished if not eliminated. A key priority for the network is access, and in 2020 VHAN met or exceeded in-network access and utilization goals.

In 2020, the VHAN Pharmacy Team worked with about 1,400 patients to optimize medications for chronic disease management, transitions of care and polypharmacy. Here’s one example of how VHAN pharmacy support helped one patient manage her complex medical conditions.