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Event Recap: Expanding Access to Specialty Care, featuring the MAVEN Project | 6.27.24

A decade after the ACA's passage, many of America’s most vulnerable populations continue to face barriers to quality healthcare. On Thursday, June 27, HC3, in partnership with HC3 member Ziegler and parent organization Third Horizon Strategies, brought together civic and healthcare leaders in Chicago to address the complex challenges of the city’s safety net system. The event showcased innovative solutions from the MAVEN Project, a nonprofit that leverages telehealth and physician volunteers to support patient care at nearly 400 frontline safety net clinics across 25 states and Washington, D.C.


Featured Speakers:

Grant Chamberlain, Senior Managing Director, Ziegler

Dan Herman, President & CEO, Ziegler

David Smith, Founder and CEO, Third Horizon Strategies & Co-Founder, HC3

Dr. Laurie Green, Founder, MAVEN Project

Dave Segal, CEO, MAVEN Project

Najah Musacchio, Local Expert Physician VolunteerMeghan Philipp, Executive Director, HC3 & VP Community Impact, Third Horizon Strategies

Meredith Schanda, COO, MAVEN Project


Watch the Event




Key Takeaways


The event highlighted why MAVEN and telehealth are essential:

  1. Seamless Access to Telehealth: Ensuring telehealth is accessible, especially in underserved areas.

  2. Workforce Utilization: Connecting health care professionals with patients in need to optimize care.


David Smith, CEO of Third Horizon Strategies and Co-Founder of HC3, analyzed the pressing challenges in health care, particularly on Chicago's South Side:


  • Structural Imbalance: The current health care system is unsustainable, with higher rates of chronic disease in underserved areas and an underfunded safety net.

  • Discontinuity in Specialty Care: While resources exist, the challenge is ensuring they effectively reach those in need.



The MAVEN Project's success is built on three pillars:


  1. On-the-Ground Team: A dedicated team working directly in communities.

  2. Leveraging Technology: Using telehealth to connect patients with specialists.

  3. Volunteerism: Engaging health care professionals who volunteer their time and expertise.


The MAVEN team also emphasizes funding innovative thinking over operational activities, encouraging clinicians to practice with skill and humanity. Through partnerships with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), MAVEN provides mentorship and support, fostering a “virtual clinical hallway” for continuous learning. MAVEN champions health care equity at its core, believing that a person’s zip code should not determine their health outcomes.

 

About the MAVEN Project

MAVEN stands for the Medical Alumni Volunteer Expert Network. Many patients in this country face barriers such as language, transportation, and cost that make accessing specialty care difficult, and physician shortages in rural areas worsen health disparities and outcomes. The MAVEN Project’s mission is to change this. MAVEN partners with safety net clinics serving marginalized communities to connect them to expert specialty physician volunteers through telehealth. By providing timely consults, ongoing education, and mentoring, MAVEN helps deliver quality care, reduce physician burnout, and improve patient outcomes.


 


 

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