Q: How are you motivated to transform healthcare delivery for the better?
Dr. Hussain: It goes back to the idea of seeing a problem and being empowered to create solutions. Vituity has a culture that not only supports innovation but encourages it, and I was really drawn to that.
Let me give you an example. My colleagues and I noticed that many of the patients we discharged from the ED were struggling to find follow-up care. For instance, we discharge patients from the ED after an evaluation for chest pain, and they are told to see a cardiologist in 2-3 days. When they call the cardiologist, they can’t be seen for six weeks, or that practice won’t take their insurance. That’s where the current system falls short.
We worked with Vituity leadership to design a patient care navigation program to close this gap. Care navigators now assist patients with arranging their follow-up care. As a result, we realized a $500K in savings in the first year, while also providing higher quality care, and doing the right thing for the patient.
I am particularly proud of this program because it allows me to practice medicine in a way that feels good and gives back to both patients and colleagues.