The MaineHealth Podcast

WTKE - Episode 18: Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 18

As a health system, MaineHealth has a significant impact on the environment. We have large facilities with complex infrastructure that consumes a significant amount of energy and natural resources. This is all necessary, but it’s important that we take measures to reduce the negative environmental impact and support the creation of a sustainable environment for future generations.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Dominic Gagnon, Vice President of Facilities, about MaineHealth’s strategic objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2027 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. They discuss this year’s goal of completing environmental sustainability assessments for 12 major facilities, and how each one of us can support and impact our sustainability journey.

WTKE - Episode 17: Becoming a Learning Health System

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 17

One of MaineHealth’s five 2023-27 Strategic Priorities is Processes, with a goal of advancing a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and performance improvement, while promoting a discipline of accountability.

A key strategy to advance this goal is "Learning Health System".  In this episode, Kelly speaks with Doug Sawyer, MD, Interim Chief Medical Officer and Chief Academics Officer for MaineHealth. They define what it means to be a learning health system. 

They discuss this year’s Scorecard Goals to advance inter-professional team-based care (i.e., iPACE principles) and how this contributes to a learning health system culture at MaineHealth, in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

WTKE - Episode 16: Diversifying Our Future

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 16

Our FY23-27 strategic priority of Financial Health has a five-year goal to cultivate an affordable and sustainable care delivery model, and to assure convenient access to high-quality care. One of the key objectives to advance this goal is earnings diversification. What does earnings diversification mean, and why do we need to diversify in this space to achieve our Financial Health goal?  In this episode, Kelly is joined by Kevin Griffin, Chief Strategy Officer for MaineHealth. They discuss this strategic objective, including how value-based arrangements and new business lines can help sustain our core mission and vision of working together so that our communities are the healthiest in America.

WTKE - Episode 15: What’s in a Brand?

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 15

When you are asked where do you work or who do you work for, what immediately comes to mind? For many care team members, their local organization or entity is often the immediate answer. As our health system has unified, MaineHealth has maintained our legacy brands, which can sometimes create confusion and/or a disconnect from our MaineHealth brand as an organization.  In this episode, Kelly discusses the upcoming rebranding initiative with Terri Cannan, MaineHealth's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.  We learn about the importance of this work and the importance of our brand identity as one MaineHealth.

WTKE - Episode 14: Meet the Regional Presidents

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 14

In our “Team of Teams” podcast (Episode 6), MHMG President Aileen Mickey and COO Kelly Elkins discussed the implementation of a regional approach to an organizational structure for MaineHealth. MaineHealth recently announced the individuals chosen to serve as Presidents for the Coastal, Mountain and Southern regions, and in this episode, we hear from them: Jeff Sanders (Southern), Andy Patstone (Coastal) and Trampas Hutches (Mountain) discuss the exciting opportunities ahead as we work together in our new operating model.

WTKE - Episode 13: Free to Be Me

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 13

Unlocking the full value of a diverse team or workplace requires creating and fostering an inclusive culture. That’s a culture in which everyone feels they belong, is treated with dignity, and is encouraged to fully participate as themselves, essentially creating the space where we are all “free to be me.”

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Ryan Polly. We dig into why DEI is essential for our organization and the work that’s underway to foster an environment of belonging for all of our care team members.

WTKE - Episode 12: Our Roadmap to Value

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 12

Hospitals and health systems continue to test and adopt alternative payment and delivery models. There are many ways in which that can be done. At MaineHealth, we utilize our Accountable Care Organization (MHACO) to facilitate this work.

In this episode, we learn about the work MaineHealth is doing to develop our roadmap to value.  Kelly is joined in the conversation with Jen Moore, President of MHACO and Vice President of Payor Relations and Payment Innovation, and Dr. Rob Chamberlin, Chief Medical Officer for MHACO.

WTKE - Episode 11: You, Too, Can Be a Researcher

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 11

When some of us think about research, we may envision scientists in labs researching and solving complex clinical or scientific problems. But in reality, research is a broad and diverse function that virtually anyone can participate in.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Liz Jacobs, MD, Vice President for Research at the MaineHealth Institute for Research, to learn more about research activities at MaineHealth and how “You, Too, Can Be a Researcher.”

WTKE - Episode 10: Transforming Primary Care

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 10

You have likely heard about a “value-based care” reimbursement model, which focuses less on payment for episodes of care and more on keeping patients healthy and delivering high-quality care. While we have been hearing these statements for years, many systems and payors have not made the full transition to value-based care. At MaineHealth, we are taking a bold step in accelerating our move to value-based care by transforming how we deliver primary care.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Dr. Brett Loffredo, Medical Director for our agilon partnership and BHiVe initiative, and how our new partnership will help us transform how we deliver care.

WTKE - Episode 9: Keeping Score, Part Two

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 9

This episode builds on the info shared in the first Keeping Score podcast (Episode 4), when Chief Planning Officer Mark Harris discussed the development and purpose of a balanced scorecard for MaineHealth.

Since that time, the MaineHealth Board has approved our strategic plan and balanced scorecard, and it is now time to put our plans and scorecard management system into action. In this episode, Kelly and Mark walk through the strategic priorities and FY23 goals.