As the $1 trillion shift from volume to value is rapidly becoming reality, health systems are responding. The first reality that hits health systems is that the old model of the hospitals as the center of the healthcare universe has led to a catastrophic misalignment of population health resources. Even patients who are heavy utilizers (aka Hot Spotters), spend 99+% of their lives outside the hospital.

The handwriting on the wall couldn’t be clearer for forward-looking health executives: They must develop a sound strategy for addressing that other 99+% of the patient’s life. The old -school, expensive way of accomplishing this objective is to acquire physician practices or post acute care facilities. That approach isn’t working very well with record levels of burnout and even suicide amongst doctors and little improvement in outcomes or cost reductions that will be the difference between winning and losing in the "no outcome, no income" era. It’s common sense that winning health systems will put a focus on the Quadruple Aim as an alternative. Fortunately, there are leaders such as Dr. Kenneth Adams, VP of Post Acute Care at Texas Health Resources (THR), who realize there is a smarter way to approach care after a patient leaves the hospital...