How I Found a Renewed Passion for Medicine : The True Value of Value Based Care
As an idealistic medical school graduate , I , like many of my peers , envisioned a career of healing and caring for others . I could not foresee a time when I would not feel that way . However , as most of us physicians know , that idealism was quickly replaced by the harsh reality of long days and nights , little work-life balance and cynicism about a health care system that feels broken . I couldn ’ t help but think there must be a better way .
I spent the majority of my career as an acute care physician or hospitalist . I found gratification in helping ill patients navigate the complexities of the hospital system to recovery and discharge home . As time went by , my daily rounding lists began to increase , reducing the time I had to spend with patients and families . There was always a rush to finish rounding and it felt as if there was not enough of me to go around . My overall satisfaction with my career choice began slipping and I began to ask myself , “ What next ?”
Enter January 2020 , when I accepted a role to lead a new team delivering primary care to seniors in the home with a value-based care model . I suddenly found myself learning new skill sets , such as how to shift from acute care to longitudinal care , how to lead a multi-disciplinary team and what value-based care was all about . Like many physicians , I had heard the term value-based care , but it felt like little more than a buzzword . I assumed it had something to do with quality , but that was as far as my understanding went . What I discovered was that it wasn ’ t only a buzzword , it was what we as physicians originally went into medicine to accomplish : caring for patients to the best of our abilities without a stopwatch . It was eye-opening to me that I could see fewer patients , have longer visit times , improve my work-life balance and not change my lifestyle or income . This is somewhat of an oversimplification , but the idea is that your medical practice is reimbursed a set amount per patient each month , and the incentive is to reward your patient ’ s outcomes ,
by MISHA RHODES , MD
rather than how many patients you see or how many procedures you provide . Quality over quantity .
For the first time since internship , the learning curve was steep , but the fulfillment I felt as a clinician was unmatched . Every day since stepping into the value-based model of care has been a learning opportunity . Most enjoyable has been learning more about patients as people and not simply their disease processes . I suddenly found myself looking forward to each new day and each new patient encounter . I was able to truly “ see ” my patients again — not for their critical illness or disease state , but as a whole person . I was able to develop meaningful relationships with my patients because I had the time to do so .
Having seen the transformative effect of value-based care on both my patients and on me , I became committed to this model for the long term and am happy to tell others about it . Recently my journey led me back home to Louisville to accept a leadership role in the Kentucky-Indiana market for CenterWell Senior Primary Care , an organization with its roots in Louisville and with locations in 11 states . CenterWell ’ s whole-person approach to caring for seniors is what drew me here ; the focus on delivering high-quality care to seniors in the community I grew up in and love keeps me here . The ability to practice in a value-based model of care , and inform other clinicians about it , is what drives me .
While my role has changed along with the organization that employs me , my passion for being a doctor has only increased . I have found my “ clinical home ” within this model , which rewards and encourages time spent with patients and allows doctors to be doctors , while the care-team approach offers support systems such as behavioral health , social work and case management to address the spectrum of patients ’ needs . This holistic view makes healing and caring more realistic . I can say that I have come full circle and feel again like that medical student I was so long ago .
Dr . Rhodes is the CMO for CenterWell Senior Primary Care KY & IN with locations throughout Kentucky and Indiana .
June 2023 17