Vital Spark
The OCM (Oncology Care Model), launched in 2016, is a payment model designed to help oncology centers transition from the traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) payment structure and focus on high-value care. The EOM (Enhancing Oncology Model) is the next phase model and will replace OCM starting July 1, 2023. EOM will support clinicians caring for…
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Healthcare
Treating Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal
The rise in opioid use in the United States has an unpleasant residual effect; an increase in pregnant women suffering from an opioid use disorder. Subsequently, there is a need to treat an increasing number of infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). This condition can lead to devastating effects for the infant, including severe…
Healthcare
Vital Spark, a Spark Biomedical Podcast: Neurostimulation for Opioid Withdrawal Relief
The last three years have seen a dramatic rise in opioid-related deaths. In 2018, there were 42,000 deaths related to opioids. That number rose 57% to 73,757 in the year-long period between April 2020 and April 2022. One of the primary reasons many keep using opioids is fear of withdrawal. In the first episode of…
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PCP Attribution Analysis
Dr. Sam Ambewadikar, RVP and Medical Director at Anthem National Accounts, joins Brent to unpack the power of primary care attribution analysis—a tool he helped pioneer to spotlight the clinical and financial impact of members not having an established PCP. Drawing from his background as a practicing pediatrician and claims analytics leader, Dr. Sam shares…
Sydney Health Demo
In this episode, Christina Firouztash, Executive Advisor of Digital Solutions at Anthem, gives a dynamic walkthrough of the Sydney Health app—Anthem’s flagship digital member experience. Christina showcases how Sydney delivers personalized, simple, and equitable navigation across benefits, including virtual care, pharmacy, financial transparency, and social services access. From contextual chatbots and ID card access to…
Pharmacy Part 1
In this episode, Brent chats with Katie Brennan, National Sales Director at CarelonRx, about making pharmacy benefits more accessible, consistent, and member-friendly. Katie spotlights Carelon new advanced home delivery model, which brings the pharmacy counter—and the pharmacist—into the member’s home. With fewer retail pharmacies offering extended hours and many patients lacking reliable transportation, CarelonRx is…
Inclusive Care
Sammy Gonzalez, Regional Vice President at Elevance Health, joins Brent for a deeply personal and impactful conversation on health equity and inclusive care. Sammy shares a powerful story of medical misdiagnosis tied to cultural assumptions, underscoring how bias—even unintentional—can hinder care quality. He highlights Elevance’s work to improve diversity in provider networks, enhance cultural competency,…