Now almost a decade and a half since the signing of the Affordable Care Act into law, the U.S. healthcare system bears extensive ties to the federal government and is vast and complex. As a result, many of the smaller players and subcommittees that serve integral purposes in the national healthcare system go unrecognized and unconsidered.
Andrea Fletcher, executive director of the digital service at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, feels that two of the most overlooked participants in the healthcare system are community health workers and patient navigators.
“Getting people the right information, and getting the right data into the right systems is a critical component to a functioning public health system,” Fletcher told GovCon Wire in an exclusive statement.
The accomplished CMS exec will deliver the keynote address at Potomac Officers Club’s Dec. 6th event, the 2023 Healthcare Summit. For anyone with a passion or vested interest in the healthcare system, the sector’s plans for the future and the tools and technologies it will need to complete its goals, attendance is highly recommended. Register here now! It will be held at the Hilton-McLean in Virginia.
“Community health workers and other critical frontline staff are key to making sure that happens,” Fletcher said, building on her ideas about the imperativeness of making sure data and information is organized and circulates correctly. “They’re often overlooked, but making sure that they’re able to use technology tools and provide key information to patients is critical to providing excellent healthcare services.”
Through their close links to locations and groups of people, community health workers are in unique positions to deliver the services people need on a trusted basis, according to the American Public Health Association. They conduct their work on the frontlines and are frequently involved in “outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.”
If you’d like to hear more of Fletcher’s reflections on the healthcare industry and her singular observations from the position of her CMS post, come listen to her morning keynote address at the 2023 Healthcare Summit, from Potomac Officers Club. This breakfast and lunch event will include delicious food and ample opportunities for networking and Q&A sessions with all of the speakers.
Representatives from influential sponsor companies LMI, Noblis, SAIC and Snowflake will also be present on panel discussions and on-site at the event to strategize. Don’t hesitate; register today!
