Sumana Reddy, a primary care physician in Salinas, California, faces challenges in maintaining her independent practice, Acacia Family Medical Group. Competition from larger health systems and a national shortage of primary care doctors make recruitment difficult. Reddy is implementing alternative payment methods that incentivize primary care goals to ensure better care and financial stability. She emphasizes the importance of primary care in providing preventive health services and improving patient quality of life, amidst ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing the healthcare workforce shortage.
"It certainly is challenging to expose medical students early in their careers to the joys of this kind of integrated healthcare," Reddy said. "The relationships we build and the care we provide truly allow people to live longer with a better quality of life."
Hoping to increase revenue so Acacia can afford to pay more, Reddy has signed the practice up for alternative payment methods with health plans that offer bonuses for meeting certain primary care goals tied to child vaccinations, blood pressure control, and screenings for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and mental health.
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