BACON from the MaineHealth ACO

In this special farewell episode of BACON, Heather and Mike welcome Dr. Asaf Bitton, keynote speaker for the upcoming MaineHealth ACO Value-Based Care Symposium on May 14. As Executive Director of Ariadne Labs and a leader in primary care innovation, Dr. Bitton shares insights from healthcare systems worldwide and discusses the evolving roles of primary care and specialists in risk-based models. Be on the lookout for our new podcast, Curbside Consult, in May!

Endocrinologist Stephen Babirak, MD, joins Mike and Heather to discuss how statins can lower cardiovascular disease risk in patients with diabetes, vastly improving their outcomes and extending their lives.

Learn how care managers from the MaineHealth ACO and St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston are collaborating to increase communication between the hospital and primary care practices to reduce 30-day readmission rates.

MaineHealth Associate Chief Quality Officer Mark Parker, MD, joins Heather and Mike to discuss a promising care variation reduction project that uses the delivery of timely lab results as a lever to improve diagnosis accuracy.

Evidence suggests that older adults age more successfully when they're able to stay in their homes or in their home communities. In this episode of BACON, we talk to gerontologist Dr. Heidi Wierman and healthy aging advocate Jess Maurer to learn how primary care providers can help their patients age in place safely and comfortably. They discuss strategies for working with individual patients and look at ways to engage with, and support, community-based efforts to support healthy aging.