On February 20, U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (MN-2) and Dean Phillips (MN-5) joined a group of leaders from the Medical Alley community for a roundtable discussion on the progress toward value-based care in the state as well as what barriers still exist. The Representatives asked probing questions of the group, looking to better understand where progress has been made, where it has lagged, and what is happening on a policy level that could either help or hinder progress.
The discussion was lively as topics ranged from how to payers and providers can communicate with one another better so that patients aren’t getting mixed signals to innovative ways to encourage patients to adopt better habits between visits to the doctor, such as food pharmacies. Throughout the discussion, patients were the focus with questions like “How can we engage patients better?” and “How can we really affect the cost of care for patients while maintaining a culture of innovation?” producing highly engaged conversation.
One of the points of agreement was the uniqueness of the Medical Alley community in its willingness to work together to push forward patient-centric solutions. Even as participants agreed that Minnesotans received world-class care thanks to the state’s vibrant health innovation and care community, they were eager to discuss ways Medical Alley can transform healthcare to better serve patients, while lowering the cost of care.
We are so thankful to Rep. Craig and Rep. Phillips for participating in the discussion, to Best Buy for being such a gracious host for the gather, and to everyone who joined and contributed their expertise to the discussion. We look forward to more gatherings like this one in the months to come!
