Alliance Homecare CEO, Greg Solometo, recently had the opportunity to attend and present at the Young Jewish Professionals (YJP) CEO Healthcare Symposium. The Symposium is a high-level forum for healthcare-related industry leaders and decision-makers to engage and learn about the current and future market trends in the healthcare industry.
More than 200 CEOs from the healthcare world participated in presentations and breakout sessions focused on innovation, challenges and progress in the ever-changing industry. Leaders from companies and organizations including Walgreens, AmerisourceBergen, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Aetna, Access Nursing, Kindred at Home and Boston Children’s Hospital, to name a few took part in the event. Focus areas included biotechnology, pharmacy, hospitals, post acute facilities, health information technology and, our personal favorite, home health and aging in place.
Some of Greg’s learning’s from the symposium:
I had a phenomenal experience moderating a panel on home health, which featured two other national home health companies (Griswold Homecare and Kindred at Home). During the breakout session, I was not only able to gain valuable insight from my peers, but also to share my expertise on the comprehensive, “total-patient care” approach Alliance Homecare has provided its clients for the past 10 years.
I am a real believer is showcasing our company’s differentiators like concierge-level care, the Grandma Rule, and the critical component of a care management team to be the coordinator of any care program. It was interesting to see how my vision for Alliance really correlated with many of the topics discussed at the symposium, and specifically within the context of our breakout session. A common theme discussed was that, as hospitals and post acute facilities become more specialized; they are less able to provide necessary rehabilitation and long-term care, creating a gap in the healthcare system. They are all looking into the home as a solution. This is where home care company offerings must fill the void in the overall continuum of care.
In my discussion, I wanted to demystify the often-misrepresented stereotype of home care services by explaining that home care is “not a nanny service for the elderly or the ill.” The successful home care scenario involves comprehensive care management which includes all aspects of the healthcare process. It’s key that my fellow thought-leaders reconsider their assumptions and delve deeper into importance of the healthcare professionals in whose care we entrust our loved ones.
Unfortunately, one of the disheartening takeaways from the symposium was that research and an ultimate cure for Alzheimer’s is still has a long way to go. The dialogue now and for the past 10 years has been on delay of onset vs an actual cure. Unfortunately, while a work in progress, the number of people suffering from dementia continues to grow. While these facts are sobering, I feel confident in the knowledge that Alliance’s team of caregivers, nurses and social workers are continuously undergoing training for these disease areas and are prepared for the continuing challenge.
It was an invaluable experience to be able to convey the mission of Alliance Homecare both during my panel session, as well as through my many in-depth conversations and interactions with industry colleagues. My message is simple – I’m the biggest believer and fan of my company’s network of incredibly talented, bright and committed caregivers, nurses, social workers, psychologists and referral partners. The future of healthcare partially depends on the betterment of the aging in place community and Alliance Homecare represents the apex of this collaborative and community-driven mindset of providers.
I am very excited to see what collaborations can be found over the next year based on this event. We look forward to continuing the discussion at next year’s YJP CEO Healthcare Symposium brings.
