Koda Health

Koda Health's founders Tatiana Fofanova, Ph.D. and Desh Mohan, MD Mohan recently sat down with Jishnu Nair of the Houston Business Journal to discuss the critical importance of #advancecareplanning in today's healthcare landscape. They shared the impetus behind starting Koda Health - to address the dire need for better communication and documentation of patients' end-of-life wishes. The lack of clear directives often leads to patients receiving unwanted, aggressive interventions. Fofanova recounted a heartbreaking example she witnessed firsthand: "One of the things I saw in the trauma bays here in the Texas Medical Center was a woman, maybe 94 years old, who had been under aggressive treatment for the past few years. Because she had no advance care plan in place, her family didn't know what she wanted, physicians didn't know what she wanted. The doctors broke her chest open, massaged her heart back, put her on life support, knowing that there was no real life for her after life support, and then the family came in, arguing about what to do for her." This stark reality drove Koda Health's mission to ensure patients' voices are heard and respected. The company has achieved remarkable success in its 5-year journey, helping both patients and providers navigate these difficult decision-making conversations. Armed with promising research results and key partnerships, Koda Health is now preparing to raise a #SeriesA round to further its impact. Read more about Koda Health's origins, impact, and plans for growth in the Houston Business Journal: https://lnkd.in/gavQ9ngr #healthtech #healthinnovation #healthcare #patientadvocacy #

The healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are leading the shift toward value-based care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has set a goal for all Medicare patients to be in value-based care arrangements by 2030. Aledade, Inc., a leader in the ACO model, offers insights into their performance and strategies for success: The Big Five: Aledade’s Industry-Leading Results ✅ $538M+ in total MSSP savings distributed to Aledade ACOs ✅ $205,121 average MSSP savings payment per practice and health center ✅ $75M in projected shared savings and quality payments for health plan ACOs ✅ 83% average quality score across their MSSP ACOs ✅ Presence in 45 states, working with 20,000+ clinicians, 2.5M+ patients, and 1,900+ practices These numbers showcase the impact of Aledade’s approach to accountable care, proving that independent practices can thrive under the right ACO structure. Aledade’s recent webinar outlined four crucial strategies for ACO’s success: - Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs): AWVs improve attribution and outcomes, reducing healthcare spending by over $900 per high-priority patient. - Transitional Care Management (TCM) to Prevent Readmissions: A structured workflow for post-discharge care significantly reduces readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits. Aledade’s approach results in $14K+ savings per prevented readmission and $2,713 saved per prevented ED (emergency department) - Advance Care Planning (ACP): ACP ensures patients receive appropriate end-of-life care while reducing unnecessary costs. Aledade’s data shows a $4,088 reduction per patient in end-of-life spending and a $292 PMPM cost reduction for those receiving CACP support. - Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): Integrating SDOH initiatives with ACP enhances patient engagement and reduces costs. Addressing health disparities could generate $135 billion in economic gains annually. The Future of ACOs and the Critical Role of ACP As healthcare shifts toward value-based care, ACP is becoming essential for ACO success. Documenting patient preferences improves outcomes and reduces costs by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and intensive interventions. By integrating ACP into workflows, organizations can enhance patient-centered care and financial sustainability. At Koda Health, we provide tools to make ACP more accessible, empowering providers to engage patients in these critical conversations. Watch the webinar here: https://shorturl.at/c3G2q

As we close out 2024, I wanted to highlight a significant stepping stone in healthcare innovation this year: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced record-breaking results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2023: - 4% average savings across the 11 million ACO beneficiaries, resulting in $5.2B in savings: - $2.1 billion in net savings for Medicare  - $3.1 billion in shared savings payouts for participating Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) MSSP continues to demonstrate how accountable care can achieve high-quality, cost-effective healthcare. These results inspired me to reflect on the strategies driving success and the untapped potential to further enhance outcomes. Primary Care-Centric Approach - Proactive Disease Management: Early interventions for diabetes and hypertension reduced costly hospitalizations - Preventive Screenings: Improvements in cancer and blood pressure screenings reduced advanced disease costs - Care Coordination: Primary care-led ACOs saved $319 per capita, more than double savings of others Data-Driven Insights and Digital Tools - Predictive Analytics: Targeted high-risk patients, preventing acute episodes and contributing to $2.1 billion in net savings - eCQMs: Adoption nearly doubled from 2022, with 72 ACOs reporting all-payer measures, improving accountability Tailored Interventions for Underserved Populations - Addressing Disparities: Equity-focused benchmarks improved outcomes in underserved communities - ACO REACH Impact: High-need participants achieved a 13.2% net savings rate through customized care strategies Preventive Care Investments - Routine Screenings: Proactive measures reduced unmanaged chronic disease costs - Enhanced management of diabetes and hypertension reduced hospitalizations and improved outcomes, highlighting the value of preventive care The Untapped Potential of Advance Care Planning (ACP) As CMS aims for all Medicare beneficiaries in accountable care by 2030, Advance Care Planning (ACP) remains a key untapped opportunity to align care with patient preferences, reduce waste, and improve outcomes. Consider: - Targeting the Sickest Populations: The sickest 10% of patients drive 70% of healthcare costs, with $200 billion wasted annually on unnecessary care. ACP ensures interventions align with patient values. - Improving Coordination and Equity: ACP bridges gaps across care teams and ensures culturally sensitive discussions, particularly for underserved populations. Leaders like Aledade, Inc. have recognized the transformative impact of Advance Care Planning (ACP). By acquiring Iris Healthcare in 2022, Aledade integrated ACP into its offerings and has consistently ranked among the top-performing ACOs, achieving nearly double the savings of its peers. Our team at Koda Health is further driving innovation in this space, making ACP more accessible and ensuring their care aligns with their personal values when facing serious illness.

Howdy! As the holiday season trots into town, we at Koda Health want to tip our hats and share a Howdy Holidays with the incredible community that’s supported us throughout the year. From the heart of Houston, where the spirit of progress rides alongside rich tradition, we extend our sincerest gratitude to you. Your unwavering support and collaboration have been as bright as a Lone Star in the Texas night sky. Wishing y’all a holiday brimming with warm memories and a New Year filled with health, happiness, and prosperity. Warm wishes and clinking spurs, The Herd

Jim Parker at Hospice News wrote a great piece on the challenges faced by chronic #kidneydisease patients—particularly the lack of advance care planning and access to palliative care—and highlighted how our team at Koda Health is addressing these critical issues. Patients on #dialysis face adjusted mortality rates four times higher than age-matched non-dialysis #Medicare beneficiaries. Yet, many patients don’t have the tools to make #informeddecisions about their care. At Koda Health, we’re changing that. Our Kidney Actioning Tool allows patients to plan their care early, we help align medical decisions with their values, improve outcomes, and reduce costs. Tatiana Fofanova, Ph.D. summarizes this best: “Chronic kidney disease is a patient population that needs a lot of support. In advance care planning, the presumption is that it’s something that’s done only towards the end of life, but advance care planning is just the act of planning your care in advance, and we realize that that can be applicable to a lot of different scenarios. By going upstream, we’re able to help patients get access to higher quality care that’s aligned with their goals, values and the quality of life preferences many years before they approach that end-of-life event.” Read the full article to learn more:  https://lnkd.in/ghAeWB2q

Congratulations to Privia Health for 10 years of success! 🚀 Thanks to the team for including Koda Health in their National Physicians Leadership meeting. It was inspiring hearing from providers across the country describe how vital Privia was to their practice’s growth and success, while still allowing them to be independent. In our environment of practice consolidation and acquisitions, it’s great to see these independent groups thrive. The meeting highlighted the innovations, best practices, and trends to watch out for as we enter 2025 — including a dedicated session on the importance of #advancecareplanning for patient care! Special shout out to D. Keith Fernandez, Lynne Vaassen, Evan Varadi, MBA, and Margaux Penland, LCSW for including Koda. We’re looking forward to our continued partnership and growth! #valuebasedcare #healthinnovation #digitalhealth #primarycare #patientcenteredcare #medicare #medicareadvantage #MSSP

Koda Health will be with the trailblazing physician-leaders of Privia Health from December 5-7. Jenifer Tagliaferro, MBA and Desh Mohan, MD are eager to showcase the incredible work we’ve been doing alongside Privia Gulf Coast! Our partnership has transformed #ACP for their practices, allowing them to provide this service at scale, without a heavy lift. Through this work, they’ve amplified patient agency, accessed valuable cost savings, and understood patient interest in hospice and palliative care services. With an average age of 85, patients of all ages and tech literacy are easily navigating their ACP with Koda, with many sharing sentiments like this: “I’ve thought about [ACP] lightly, but I’ve never thought about it in an organized process like Koda provides. And particularly your follow-up call has been very helpful, because you raised questions that I didn’t raise myself or my son didn’t raise - and he pounded me with some questions. But it was very eye opening and revealing to go through this.” If you’re in DC this week and want to learn more about Koda’s serious illness planning solutions, message us! #kodahealth #patients #seriousillness #healthtech #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthinnovation

We’re incredibly encouraged by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm we’ve received from the community and media following the unveiling of our latest product – Kidney Action Planning (KAP)! KAP is transforming kidney care by #empoweringpatients with #KidneyDisease to understand their condition and make informed decisions about dialysis and transplants—shifting care from reactive emergencies to proactive planning. Check out some of the media coverage spotlighting our work: Innovation Map: Spotlight on Koda Health https://lnkd.in/gKna_8W3   Innovation Map: Tackling Chronic Kidney Disease https://lnkd.in/gdDpfcmE Slice of Healthcare: LinkedIn Feature https://lnkd.in/gqi66eyd A huge thank you to InnovationMap and Slice of Healthcare for helping us raise awareness about this critical issue!

Koda Health is expanding our patient support team! We're eager to announce two full-time positions that guide and support patients and their loved ones through Serious Illness Planning! We're seeking detail-oriented, empathetic individuals who can provide technical and compassionate support as they navigate difficult conversations. We’re working on problems that have a real impact on people’s lives. When we succeed, patients, families, and clinicians are best prepared to have difficult conversations and make decisions aligned with the patient’s goals. Join us on this mission! For more details on each specific position please visit: https://lnkd.in/gg8_7Dkr #ACP #hiring #patientsupport #patientcare #healthcare #healthtechjob

🐘 Introducing Kidney Action Planning by Koda Health 🐘 ✨ We are ecstatic to announce the launch of a transformative tool in the fight against #ChronicKidneyDisease (CKD): Kidney Action Planning. This solution leverages Koda's proprietary algorithms, digital tools, and 1:1 navigation to guide the education of CKD patients and enhance their understanding of their disease and treatment options. This enables patients to create clear, actionable directives for their kidney care. Our CEO, Tatiana Fofanova, Ph.D., encapsulates the essence of our innovation: "With over 70% of patients starting dialysis in emergency situations, the need for proactive CKD management is clear. Kidney Action Planning aims to empower patients with knowledge, enabling healthcare organizations to deliver the necessary resources for informed decision-making and education. The potential to transform how chronic kidney care is delivered is enormous." With a staggering 37 million Americans affected by CKD and a hefty portion of #Medicare dollars spent on kidney care, our Kidney Action Planning couldn't arrive at a more crucial moment. 👩⚕️ This is further echoed by Desh Mohan, MD, our Chief Medical Officer: "Educated CKD patients experience significant benefits, including slowed disease progression and individualized treatment. Our evidence-based approach can improve outcomes and decrease unnecessary spending. Kidney Action Planning is more than a tool; it's a gamechanger." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gNGRVpUi Learn more about Kidney Action Planning here: https://lnkd.in/gVHd7pGw #KodaHealth #KidneyActionPlanning #HealthcareInnovation #ChronicDiseaseManagement #DigitalHealth #productlaunch #digitalhealth #CKD #renal