Empactful Capital

On behalf of the Empactful Capital team, we are so proud of all of the growth milestones Care Continuity (CC) has achieved not only in CY 2023 but throughout our 3-year investment partnership. CC's value proposition in solving the last-mile navigation and logistics problems is critical to putting the patient at the center of the care continuum. CC's platform approach allows hospital systems and integrated delivery networks to engender loyalty and engage their patients / members at a time of unprecedented financial challenges in healthcare. Congratulations to Brad and the team on his important milestone and looking forward to your continued success and market leadership in the years to come. #patientexperience #patientengagement #memberengagement #patientcenteredcare

2023 is drawing to a close, but the Behavioral Health industry is gearing up for a dynamic 2024, with critical regulatory issues shaping the landscape. The impending back and forth over parity and changes in telehealth are set to redefine the sector under the Biden administration. Some Key Takeaways: ✴ Parity Predicament: The SUPPORT Act, Part 2, and MHPAEA remain pivotal, with the SUPPORT Act's uncertain fate causing industry shifts. The opioid epidemic's persistence emphasizes the urgency for reauthorization of the Act. ✴ Telehealth & Substance Regulations: Post-pandemic, telehealth and controlled substance regulations could significantly impact addiction treatment and psychiatric care access. Congressional action on electronic health record (EHR) implementation adds another layer of complexity. ✴ Regulatory Roadmap: Recent shifts in congressional leadership and partisan tensions add uncertainty to reauthorizing the SUPPORT Act. Both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Sen. Bernie Sanders express intentions to revisit and strengthen the existing bill. ✴ Parity Rule & Industry Response: The Biden administration's proposed rule on parity is a focal point. Provider organizations endorse it, while insurers push back. The rule emphasizes non-quantitative treatment limitations. ✴ EHR Adoption Challenges: Behavioral health grapples with low EHR adoption rates, hindering seamless integration into general healthcare. Efforts to grant behavioral health providers access to funding for EHR implementation gain momentum. ✴ Patient Privacy & Regulation: Changes to align patient privacy regulations with HIPAA could reshape addiction treatment coordination. The industry anticipates streamlined regulations to enable informed care. ✴ Telehealth & Controlled Substances: The DEA's pending rule on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth keeps stakeholders on edge. Flexibilities introduced during the pandemic face potential adjustments, with the industry advocating for permanent changes. ✴ Digital Marketing Policy Challenges: Evolving digital marketing standards become a focal point, impacting every healthcare provider. Legal battles, such as the AHA's suit against HHS Office for Civil Rights, highlight growing concerns over digital tracking. As we step into 2024, the behavioral health industry is navigating through regulatory challenges with resilience and adaptability. #BehavioralHealth #MentalHealth 

Empactful Managing Partners Salvatore DeTrane and Steven Mason had a great time catching up with industry peers and leaders at the FLAACOs conference. Steven brought his insights to the 'virtual primary care' panel. Special thanks to our Operating Partner Nicole Bradberry for orchestrating this awesome event! #FLAACOs #Healthcareinnovation

At Empactful Capital and Care Continuity, we believe in the power of giving back and creating positive change in our local communities. Recently, our teams had the incredible opportunity of volunteering at St. Thomas Aquinas School. Our day was filled with purpose as we engaged with the students, teachers, and staff at the school. We were able to complete a variety of projects throughout the school while learning about the achievements and goals of the students. Tim Roe Jim Mayhall Tom Dougherty

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. This day gives us the opportunity to “honor the importance of mental health, honor those who struggle and support them—and honor the processes to create the conditions for a society which is aware of mental health and advocates for the health and wellbeing of its members,” Tracy Brower, PhD, Forbes At Empactful Capital, we are investing in the future of Whole-Person Care, which includes the integration of both value-based care and behavioral/mental health models. We are excited at the opportunity to support founders building in these areas and providing solutions to some of the largest challenges of our healthcare system. #mentalhealthawareness #worldmentalhealthday #healthcareinnovation

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. This day gives us the opportunity to “honor the importance of mental health, honor those who struggle and support them—and honor the processes to create the conditions for a society which is aware of mental health and advocates for the health and wellbeing of its members,” Tracy Brower, PhD, Forbes At Empactful Capital, we are investing in the future of Whole-Person Care, which includes the integration of both value-based care and behavioral/mental health models. We are excited at the opportunity to support founders building in these areas and providing solutions to some of the largest challenges of our healthcare system. #mentalhealthawareness #worldmentalhealthday #healthcareinnovation

There are some exciting initiatives taking place throughout the state of California around Behavioral Health innovation. Loma Linda University Behavioral Medical Center Director of Research , Brian Distelberg, PhD, lays out a few new initiatives and their potential impact on patients. See some highlights below: 1. California Medi-Cal reform initiative titled “CalAIM.” ▶ Focus on payment reform which could increase access to higher levels of care ▶ “No wrong door” policy will increase access to BH care by decreasing requirements for additional diagnoses, assessments or appointments 2. California Department of Healthcare Services Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) ▶ $2.2 billion program is focused on building behavioral health infrastructure throughout California ▶ Projects range from new behavioral health wellness centers to new inpatient facilities, residential facilities 3. California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is investing heavily in financial incentives intended to help retain our current behavioral health force professionals as well as encourage the future workforce ▶ HCAI will award multiple workforce grants targeting various professional subgroups and areas of behavioral health ▶ The goal of this is to target the problem of the ever-growing workforce shortage #behavioralhealth #behavioralhealthinnovation

“Social determinants of health (SDOH) may be the most 'vital' of all vital signs. Unfortunately, health care providers are not always aware of these issues as they apply to their patients, even though they may be the most impactful aspect of their health. SDOH’s are often not obvious during an encounter and patients may be reluctant to share basic social needs with their providers.” - Terry Fouts, M.D., Empactful Capital Special Advisor In this week’s blog, Terry provides his insights into opportunities for investments in SDOH. Check it out! #SDOH #Healthequity #Healthcareinnovation

This summer we were joined by Eleni Kytzidis as the Investment Team Intern. She supports investment activities, fund operations, and marketing initiatives at Empactful Capital. See our most recent blog post for more about Eleni’s role and experience. 

Research by Rebecca Springer, PhD, on Value-Based Care, speaks to the prime opportunities for Emerging VBC Enablers: ⚫ Enablement is the most important mechanism by which the VBC transition will play out in the US over the next 5-10 years, for both primary care practices and health systems.  ⚫ VBC fundamentally requires scale. There are three ways to achieve scale as a VBC provider: aggregation, de novo expansion, and enablement. Enablement will also become increasingly important for health systems.  ⚫ At present, VBC enablers report that they usually do not compete directly for partnerships. However, we believe competition will significantly increase within the next three years or so. At Empactful, Value-Based Care is one of our key areas of investments. If you are an emerging specialty VBC enabler we welcome the opportunity to speak with you about what you are building. #valuebasedcare #valuebasedhealthcare #healthcareinnovation