OREANDA-NEWS. April 10, 2013. As the pursuit of value-based healthcare intensifies, McKesson is helping healthcare organizations successfully navigate the transformation process at the 10th Annual World Health Care Congress (WHCC).

McKesson experts will share their insights into the key role that health information technology plays in facilitating transformation, with an emphasis on strategic provider network design and management. WHCC, which will be held April 8 to April 10 in National Harbor, Maryland, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, is committed to improving global healthcare by bringing together business, political and academic leaders to actively share information and collaborate to improve the overall quality and cost of health delivery in the United States and throughout the world.

“The depth, range and complexity of change facing healthcare payers and providers at this moment is truly unprecedented and can be overwhelming for healthcare organizations as they look to make the right strategic planning decisions,” explained Emad Rizk, MD, president of McKesson Health Solutions. “Our goal in participating in this prominent forum for the exchange of ideas is to help organizations determine a path forward that not only addresses their near-term priorities but also positions them for long-term success.”

McKesson’s presence at WHCC includes the following:

James Evans, vice president of Financial and Network Management at McKesson Health Solutions, will share his perspectives in a panel discussion on “Strategic Network Design Strategies for Payers and Providers,” which will take place on Monday, April 8. Evans will provide insights to help health plans analyze their network design strategies, including preferred networks, tiered networks, and limited networks, among other topics.

On Tuesday, April 9, Dr. Rizk will participate in a keynote panel discussion on the topic of “Health Care Transformation Through Technology Innovation,” which will explore how health information technology helps create an interconnected, next-generation healthcare model.

Douglas Moeller, MD, medical director at McKesson Health Solutions will serve as a host and moderator of WHCC’s Inaugural Network and Contract Management Summit for Payers and Providers. Indicative of the increased complexity that healthcare reform has brought to network and contract management, this new summit brings together leading executives from both payer and provider sectors to discuss collaboration strategies supporting the increasing demands of payment and delivery reform.

“New member populations — individuals entering health insurance exchanges, growing numbers of participants in managed Medicaid and Medicare, participants in accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes — will contribute significantly to a new relationship between payers and providers. Payers will need to be highly selective about the providers they bring into a network that has been designed to provide specific products at strategic cost levels,” explained Evans.

“And for similar reasons, providers will want to be more selective about the networks they join and the plans they participate in. Any decision around changing networks or signing on to deliver a new value proposition will have real ramifications. Will the current patient base be retained? Will an influx of new patients lead to improved revenues? How will the providers’ own values and preferred care delivery approaches be affected? How much of an investment in new tools and administrative processes will be necessary? Providers will have many strategic questions to consider.”