This article was provided by Australian Centre for VBHC Advisory Chair, Susan McKee.
Susan is a highly respected thought leader and expert advisor in the delivery of value-based health care. In her current role as CEO of Dental Health Services Victoria, Susan is leading the transformational change required to shift the provision of oral health care from outputs to outcomes and volume to value across the Victorian public health system.
I am delighted to write to you as the new Chair of the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care Advisory Group. As a longstanding member of the AHHA, I look forward to continuing to work with senior health leaders as we drive collective action across the healthcare system.
I first began developing value-based models of care in 2018 as Executive Director of VBHC Implementation at Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), the state’s leading oral health agency. In January 2020, I was appointed CEO of DHSV succeeding Dr Deborah Cole. Once again, I am succeeding Deborah as Chair of the Advisory Group. And once again, I have large shoes to fill.
Deborah has been a pioneer of value-based healthcare transformation in Australia, garnering international recognition. Her wisdom and tenacious leadership have helped reimagine how healthcare is designed and delivered. While we have a long way to go, we all stand of the shoulders of leaders like Deborah. Thank you Deb for your advocacy, mentorship and enduring support.
Major transformation is never swift, especially when you are navigating unchartered territory and complex hurdles. While we have a solid understanding of what value-based healthcare looks like at an individual level, we are still learning what it means for a health system when we adopt a broader community lens. How can we achieve overall population health while maximising our funding and resources? How do we effectively measure the outcomes that matter? How do we change the way costs are perceived, services are funded, and clinicians are incentivised?
With an ageing population and rising rates of chronic disease, stepping back or standing still are not options. If we want a healthier and more equitable Australia, we have to work together on a structured way to scale and spread VBHC models. We can’t wait for the data to be perfect, the workforce to be receptive or the landscape to be clear.
Partnering with consumers to co-design services needs to become business as usual so that our policies, programs and technologies truly serve community needs. The government, public and private healthcare providers, universities and industry need to work collaboratively towards a shared vision in an environment built on trust, transparency and problem-solving. And we need to look beyond the cost of delivering care to assess broader costs and environmental impacts. Implementing VBHC at a population level demands insights that are beyond the reach of any one person, organisation or sector. Local and international collaboration are key.
We are entering a new era of value-based transformation characterised by a systems based approach that seeks to balance person-centred care with population-level outcomes. For VBHC to have the impact we envisioned at the start, healthcare professionals need to lead relentlessly, upholding the legacy of those before us while boldly innovating for the future.
