Doctoral Student to Lead Innovative Program for Mountain States Health Alliance

Sam Bailey, doctoral student in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, has accepted a position as Program Manager for Mountain States Health Alliance’s involvement in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s Accountable Health Communities program. 

The Accountable Health Communities Model is based on emerging evidence that addressing health-related social needs through enhanced clinical-community linkages can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Unmet health-related social needs, such as food insecurity and inadequate or unstable housing, may increase the risk of developing chronic conditions, reduce an individual’s ability to manage these conditions, increase health care costs, and lead to avoidable health care utilization.

Mountain States will serve as the bridge organization for the project locally, leading a collaborative with multiple other organizations and care sites to bring the needed services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who live in Southwest Virginia.  More information is available from this press release.  As Program Manager, Mr. Bailey will oversee annual screening and navigation services provided to beneficiaries.

Sam Bailey is a student in the Doctor of Public Health program seeking a concentration in Community Health.  He has a Master of Public Health degree from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee.  He recently served as an Informatics Analyst in Medical Informatics for Integrated Solutions Health Network, a part of Mountain States Health Alliance.