The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with Homecare Homebase. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.

Vijay Kedar, the co-founder and CEO of Tomorrow Health, has been named a 2023 Future Leader by Home Health Care News. 

To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40-years-old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.

Kedar sat down with HHCN to talk about the accelerated adoption of value-based payment models, the three things that will be different about home-based care moving forward and how he got into the space in the first place.

HHCN: What drew you to this industry?

Kedar: I started my health care career at a young age, having grown up in a family of physicians.

After college, I began working as a health care investor around the time of the ACA passage, and soon thereafter, I joined Oscar Health as a general manager, where I launched the company’s Texas division.

Around this time, I was acting as a caregiver to my mother who was diagnosed with stage-three colorectal cancer. Her home-based care needs were extensive, and I witnessed firsthand just how fragmented the ecosystem is. This personal experience propelled me to start Tomorrow Health to enable high quality home-based care for patients like my mother across the country.

What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in home-based care?

My journey in the home-based care industry has taught me that at the heart of health care is the patient and their unique needs.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that innovation in this sector isn’t just about technology, it’s about understanding and empathizing with the patients we serve. Each person’s health journey is deeply personal, and our role is to provide not just medical support, but also compassion and guidance. This industry has reinforced the importance of building strong partnerships with health care providers, caregivers, and patients themselves, ensuring that we create a holistic ecosystem that addresses the physical, emotional, and social aspects of care. Ultimately, my biggest takeaway is that by putting people at the center of our efforts, we can truly transform the way home-based care is delivered and experienced.

If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of home-based care, what would it be?

The accelerated adoption of value-based payment models is critical for home-based care to transition from reactive treatment models to preventative, patient-centric approaches to care. Embracing value-based care in home-based settings encourages proactive management of chronic conditions, early intervention to prevent hospitalizations, and personalized care plans that consider each patient’s unique circumstances. This approach not only ensures that patients receive the right care at the right time, but also contributes to cost savings for health care systems and payers by reducing unnecessary hospital visits and emergency room admissions.

As the healthcare landscape evolves, the integration of value-based care into home-based services aligns with the broader goal of providing patient-centered, high-quality care. This change has the power to transform how we approach health care delivery, fostering a system that prioritizes wellness, prevention, and individualized support in the comfort of patients’ homes.

What do you foresee as being different about the home-based care space looking ahead?

There are three trends that are important and relevant to understand where the home-based care industry is headed.

The burden of care coordination. The burden of care coordination in the home-based care industry can be substantial due to the complex nature of managing various services, providers, and patient needs. For instance, coordinating medical care, medication management, therapy sessions, and the timely delivery of medical equipment and supplies for a patient recovering from surgery at home requires meticulous planning and communication among multiple stakeholders. This care coordination challenge highlights the importance of streamlined technologies and integrated approaches to ensure efficient and effective care delivery.

Reducing the total cost of care. Putting more emphasis on reducing the total cost of care, rather than solely focusing on direct costs, is going to be crucial in the home-based care industry because it encourages a more comprehensive approach to health care. By considering factors beyond immediate expenses, such as preventing hospital readmissions or avoiding emergency room visits through proactive and personalized care, the overall value of home-based care increases. This approach aligns with the broader goal of improving patient outcomes, enhancing patient experiences, and achieving long-term cost savings for both health care systems and patients.

The vital role of caregivers. The home-based care industry will need to better support both paid and unpaid caregivers as integral members of the care team to ensure comprehensive and sustainable care for patients. Recognizing the crucial role caregivers play in maintaining patients’ well-being, emotional support, obtaining equipment and supplies, and adherence to care plans, reimbursement for their services is essential. By offering financial recognition and training opportunities for caregivers, the industry not only enhances caregiver morale and retention but also contributes to improved patient outcomes and a more holistic approach to care delivery.

In a word, how would you describe the future of home-based care?

Integrated.

What quality must all Future Leaders possess?

Resilience.

To learn more about the Future Leaders program, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.

The post Future Leader: Vijay Kedar, Co-Founder, CEO, Tomorrow Health appeared first on Home Health Care News.