News | Published: Thursday, October 17, 2024 6:00 pm
Jaime Murillo, MD, FACC, FASE, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Medical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group, discussed how his childhood experiences in a small community in Columbia shaped his purpose to become a cardiologist during a powerful keynote speech at CV Transforum Fall’24 in Denver. Driven by a desire to simplify healthcare, Murillo has transitioned through clinical practice, academic environments, and payer and coverage sides to his current role at UnitedHealth Group.
Murillo emphasized the need for patient-centered solutions to simplify care while addressing the administrative burden on cardiovascular practitioners. Murillo compared the benefits and challenges of independent and integrated practices. “I wish I knew more about these challenges during medical school,” Murillo reflected. “We didn’t grow up thinking about these aspects, but they are crucial for our success.”
To simplify care, Murillo insisted that healthcare systems must consider where cardiovascular care is now. Physicians and providers face an increasing demand in light of rising morbidity rates, aging populations, and the impact of long COVID. While the healthcare system is under pressure and costs are unsustainable, Murillo stressed that quality cannot be sacrificed. “Provider burnout is a significant issue. We need to innovate how we deliver care,” he said.
Murillo advocated for a cultural shift in healthcare from a perspective that considers the patient experience more deeply. “We must think about the end user. How can we impact vulnerable populations effectively?” Murillo asked. Moving beyond transactional approaches, the goal should be to ensure long-term health outcomes. The focus should not just be on what tests to run but on ensuring that the patient will be doing well months from now.
Murillo emphasized that simplified care can be achieved through team-based care, which also benefits practitioners by reducing administrative burden and allowing for top-of-license work. Murillo stressed the importance of building collaborative partnerships between cardiologists and primary care providers to build trust within communities. “Communication is essential. We must engage our communities and work together to enhance care delivery,” Murillo advised. He reminded attendees that “healthcare is local. We must design our solutions with our communities in mind,” urging a more pragmatic application of clinical guidelines.
Murillo ended the session with a message of hope about improving patient outcomes and quality of life for providers by redesigning cardiovascular specialist and team roles, reducing spending on hospitalizations through comprehensive care for patients at home, and implementing artificial intelligence to handle diagnostic and authorization tasks.
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