Value-Based Care Insights

Emergency department overcrowding has become one of healthcare's most pressing operational challenges, yet many organizations continue to focus on symptoms rather than underlying causes. As patient acuity rises and hospital capacity constraints intensify, emergency departments are increasingly serving as the front door to complex care delivery. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, Dan...

In this episode of Value Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino is joined by ECG’s Amanda Adams and Jessica Wells to discuss key themes and takeaways from the Becker’s Healthcare 16th Annual Meeting in Chicago. Together, they explore how healthcare organizations are rethinking workforce development, physician leadership, and operational integration amid growing financial, regulatory, and staffing...

As healthcare organizations continue to expand their employed provider networks, physician compensation design is becoming far more complex and far more strategic than simply measuring productivity through work RVUs. Today’s healthcare employers must think differently about how compensation models support organizational performance, physician engagement, retention, and value-based care objectives....

As healthcare continues to evolve, conversations from HIMSS 2026 offer a clear glimpse into what’s ahead. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino is joined by healthcare strategist and The AI Shift host Tom Foley to unpack the conference’s biggest themes. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing into real clinical use, the persistent challenges...

As financial pressures intensify across healthcare, payers are rethinking traditional strategies and accelerating their transition to value-based care. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino speaks with Joe Mangrum, Partner at ECG Management Consultants, about how payers are adapting to rising medical costs, tightening Medicare Advantage margins, and increasing regulatory...

As the CMS Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) launched on January 1, 2026, healthcare organizations are now facing the realities of implementation and the pressure to perform. In this episode of Value Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino speaks with healthcare strategist Heather Flynn Kearney about what organizations are experiencing during the early stages of this mandatory model...

As Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to rise, health systems and provider organizations are recognizing that these contracts demand more than traditional care delivery. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino is joined by value-based care expert Dr. Doug Ardoin to examine what drives performance in Medicare Advantage. Together, they discuss why provider organizations...

In this special episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino announces an exciting new chapter: Lumina Health Partners has joined ECG Management Consultants. Dan is joined by Terri Welter, Partner and Leader of ECG’s Payer Strategy and Contracting Division. Together, they explore the evolving dynamics between payers and providers, the growing role of advanced analytics and transparency...

Emergency departments are under more pressure than ever as they are facing overcrowding, extended wait times, workforce strain, and rising patient demand fueled in part by primary care shortages. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino examines how these mounting challenges are reshaping the hospital’s front door and what they mean for patient care, operational performance...

As healthcare organizations move from AI curiosity to real-world implementation, many leaders are asking the same question: where do we actually begin? As the industry heads into 2026, providers are under pressure to move beyond experimentation and apply artificial intelligence in ways that deliver meaningful, workflow-driven impact without adding technology overload. In this episode of Value-Base...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping healthcare, yet many provider organizations still struggle to move from interest to practical application particularly when it comes to value-based care contracts. While AI promises efficiency and insight, turning it into measurable performance and financial advantage remains a challenge. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Ma...

As healthcare leaders look ahead to 2026, the pace of change shows no signs of slowing. From the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence and evolving site-of-service regulations to new federal policy signals and leadership shifts in Washington, the strategic pressures facing providers, including hospitals and medical groups, are intensifying. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, hos...

Orthopedic care is evolving rapidly, driven by shifts in site-of-service, advances in surgical techniques, and growing patient expectations for advanced technology, improved outcomes, and convenience. As procedures, such as joint replacements, move from inpatient settings to same-day outpatient care, orthopedic groups are rethinking how they deliver high-quality, cost-effective care while remainin...

As the year comes to a close, we thought you would enjoy a throwback to one of our most popular episodes of 2025. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino explores the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in population health. As AI continues to dominate industry conversations and drive vendor offerings, healthcare leaders are faced with questions: What is real, wh...

Cardiovascular service lines are in the midst of a major transformation, reshaping how physicians and health systems deliver care. Sites of service are shifting, patients present with greater complexity, and prevention is taking on a more prominent role across the continuum of care. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino is joined by longtime colleague and nationally reco...

Strengthening service line performance requires a strong foundation in primary care, which remains central to delivering effective value-based care. Yet, the landscape of primary care delivery is marked by significant challenges including workforce shortages, provider burnout, administrative burdens, and increasing barriers to patient access. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Dani...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel J. Marino reflects on his experience at the Lead from Identity Summit, a transformative leadership conference hosted by Dr. Doug McKinley in Silverton, Colorado. Unlike traditional leadership events focused on strategies and communication tactics, this summit challenged participants to explore how their personal identity shapes their leader...

Across the U.S., hospitals and surgical centers are facing a growing provider shortage—particularly among anesthesiologists. At the same time, demand for surgical and procedural services continues to rise, especially in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). This imbalance has forced many healthcare organizations to rethink their anesthesia coverage models. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights...

As CMS continues to expand value-based care programs, one stands out for its focus on supporting some of our most vulnerable patients—and their caregivers. The GUIDE model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) is designed to improve care for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s, while providing essential resources and support for the family members and caregivers who support them. In this...

The newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act is reshaping the healthcare landscape, with ripple effects for providers, payers, and patients. From Medicaid coverage shifts and rural hospital funding challenges to stricter ACA rules, expanded value-based care, and mandatory risk models, the implications are broad and far-reaching. In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel J. Marino sp...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino is joined by Christina Kuta, a healthcare attorney specializing in regulatory and transactional healthcare law. Together, they explore the growing shift toward concierge medicine and address common misperceptions surrounding full and hybrid concierge models. They discuss key legal and contractual considerations—ranging from commercia...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino explores the potential impact of new federal legislation, including One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which is set to reshape healthcare delivery and payment models. He is joined by Natalie Davis, a nationally recognized health policy leader who has spent nearly two decades shaping and implementing initiatives to improve access to...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino tackles one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: physician burnout. Joining him are two experts who bring both clinical and research perspectives to the conversation. First, Dr. Stephen Hippler, a retired Chief Clinical Officer at OSF HealthCare, oversaw more than 1,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and has led in...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights, host Daniel Marino explores the evolving role of operating room (OR) nurse leaders within the perioperative service line. As perioperative services become an increasingly important strategic and financial focus for hospitals and health systems, the demand is growing for leaders who can combine clinical expertise with business and operational acumen. Jo...

In this episode of Value-Based Care Insights , host Daniel Marino continues the conversation on CMS’s mandatory TEAM Model (Transforming Episode Accountability Model) — a five-year episode-based pricing initiative impacting 741 hospitals across the country.  Joining the discussion is Dr. Christian Pean, a board-certified orthopedic trauma and reconstruction surgeon at Duke University School of Med...