John Adlesich or the ascent of a public health executive expert about healthcare industry trends: Expand the market while improving community health. New entrants can be a force multiplier and increase the overall market for health services. Look for opportunities where your services could have a significant impact on community health and partner intentionally. For example, about half of women age 40 and older do not get screening mammograms. If mammography services provided by a large retailer were successful in motivating this population, the majority of women receiving in-store mammograms would not need follow-up care. However, many would require referrals for follow-up diagnostic exams and, possibly, treatment. Establishing a two-way relationship with that new entrant — sharing data and providing easy access to hospitals or health systems — could open the door to a potentially significant flow of new referrals.

John Adlesich on behavior therapy in 2021: What Is Behavior Therapy? The basic premise of behavioral therapy stems from the Skinnerian theory of operant conditioning, which asserts that behavior is learned, and thus, can be unlearned or modified to comply with socially accepted norms. By evaluating and analyzing behaviors and subsequently offering a reward, also called a consequence, for those behaviors that are socially significant and desirable, maladaptive and/or undesirable behaviors can be reshaped or eliminated. Applied Behavioral Analysis is a highly effective method for mediating behavior across a variety of domains.

John Adlesich on healthcare industry trends in 2021: The California versus Texas case came to the Supreme Court from a federal appeals court. If the Supreme Court affirms the appeals court ruling, the case will go back to the federal district court to decide on the issue of severability of the individual mandate from the rest of the ACA. At the November 2020 oral argument, it looked like the Supreme Court, including one or more of the new justices, was inclined to honor the doctrine of severability, making it less likely the ACA will face complete repeal. Additionally, the new slim Democratic majority in the Senate (thanks to the Georgia runoff) makes it likely that Congress would fix the constitutional problem by reinstating the mandate with a nominal penalty. John Adlesich currently works as administrator at Marquis Companies. His latest healthcare industry experience includes positions as executive director at Powerback Rehabilitation Lafayette (Genesis Healthcare) between Aug 2020 – Jan 2021, administrator at Mesa Vista of Boulder between Mar 2019 – Aug 2020, chief executive officer at Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital between Jul 2018 – Feb 2019, interim chief operating officer at Toiyabe Indian Health Project between Mar 2018 – Jun 2018.

John Adlesich believes that 2021 is a defining year for the health industry. Assuming that we do make these great strides in lessening the societal impact of COVID-19 and move to a new normal, I think we will begin to make some key shifts that will ultimately improve health care’s cost, quality, reliability, and underlying data infrastructure. Repeal and replace or Medicare for All? A public option or an individual mandate? Drug price controls or an international pricing index? For the last 10 years, big moves in health care have largely been frozen as providers, insurance companies, investors, and others waited to see which policies would remain permanent and which would end up on the scrap heap of history. The Democrat’s extremely narrow margins of control of government and need to heal the nation by avoiding extreme polarization means that sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be off the table—probably not for 200 years, but certainly for the next two years and more likely four. That said, the Biden administration will take advantage of every administrative tool to further cement current law in place. With a legislative détente in place and more stability on implementation, private sector bets become more certain. There is every reason to assume rapid investment and modernization across the health care sector.