Sustainable Value-Based Models for Rural Health Systems

WVU Medicine, a 25-hospital health system located in the heart of Appalachia, is committed to addressing the considerable health challenges of the rural communities it serves. To change the health trajectory of these rural communities, WVU Medicine believes that payers and providers must align their incentives through value-based care to keep patients as healthy as possible. Over the last decade, WVU Medicine has substantially grown its participation in value-based payment programs while maintaining its financial stability. It has also launched its own provider-sponsored health plan, Peak Health.

In this educational session, using WVU Medicine as a case study, participants will learn how rural hospitals and health systems can develop a diversified portfolio of value-based agreements that matches their overall risk tolerance and financial constraints. Hearing the different perspectives of the chief financial officer and chief strategy officer of WVU Medicine, you will learn how to balance innovative value-based strategies with more traditional fee-for-service strategies. Through this, you will gain an understanding of how rural health systems can sustainably fund population health initiatives for the long term.