Shared savings programs, while beneficial for promoting value-focused healthcare, are insufficient as a standalone payment model for health systems, according to Patrick Runnels, chief medical officer at University Hospitals. He noted that despite earning $50 million from shared savings last year, this represented a mere fraction of total revenue, indicating that even a significant increase would remain inadequate for financial sustainability. Runnels advocates for a shift towards accepting greater downside risk through capitated contracts to better align financial incentives with value-based care. The current structure, which often requires sacrificing more lucrative fee-for-service income, creates significant hesitance among health systems to transition fully to value-based models without addressing internal cost reductions.

Shared Savings Insufficient for Health Systems, Urges Shift to Risk Models MedCity News

At the 2025 AMA Interim Meeting, newly appointed CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, articulated a vision for the American Medical Association (AMA) that emphasizes proactive advocacy in response to the rising challenges in healthcare, such as physician burnout and administrative burdens. He underscored the necessity of preserving the integrity of the patient-physician relationship and the importance of evidence-based medicine in shaping health policies. Additionally, Dr. Whyte announced the AMA's $1 million Community Health Impact Lab micro grants, designed to empower physicians to tackle local health issues through innovative, community-driven approaches. This initiative highlights the organization's commitment to supporting physician-led solutions and addressing the evolving needs of the healthcare system.

New AMA CEO Unveils Bold Vision for Transformative Healthcare Leadership American Medical Association

National Rural Health Day on November 20 underscores the vital role that rural hospitals play in delivering healthcare to nearly 20% of Americans while also confronting significant challenges such as financial strain, workforce shortages, and inadequate reimbursement. With only about 9% of the nation’s physicians operating in these areas, access to care is a growing concern, as many rural regions are designated as health professional shortage areas. In response to these issues, rural hospitals are leveraging community partnerships and innovative strategies, aided by resources like the toolkit from the American Hospital Association, to enhance healthcare access and outcomes. These efforts highlight the resilience of rural healthcare systems and the urgent need for continued support to ensure their sustainability and effectiveness in serving vulnerable populations.

National Rural Health Day: Battling Challenges to Boost Community Care American Hospital Association

A recent WHO study underscores the significant benefits of telemedicine for dementia patients, notably in enhancing their psychological well-being by reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, improving cognitive function, and decreasing caregiver burdens. The research highlights a remarkable 64% reduction in indoor falls associated with the use of remote technologies such as video and phone calls. As the number of dementia patients in the EU is expected to nearly double by 2050, telemedicine emerges as a vital solution to meet the growing healthcare demand. However, disparities in technology adoption between high- and lower-income countries pose challenges that need to be addressed through investment in infrastructure and training to ensure equitable access to these critical services.

Telemedicine Revolutionizes Dementia Care, Reduces Depression and Indoor Falls by 64% Medscape