Medical-dental integration has long been discussed as an answer to improving overall health, but few organizations have made meaningful progress in building it out at scale.
Momentum behind the importance of oral health has been building in the past few years, and Henderson, Nev.-based PDS Health is among those at the forefront. The integrated healthcare organization currently supports more than 1,200 dental offices across 24 states to go along with 15 primary care locations.
Joe Feldsien, senior vice president of integrated care at PDS Health, recently connected with Becker’s to talk about how the organization is taking a long-term approach to integration and connected care.
For many DSOs, the barriers to integration often come down to two things: the steep learning curve of building out medical operations, and a reimbursement landscape that can make integration challenging to scale
“One of the big challenges is that we had to learn medical operations, and then had to build it in the PDS Health culture,” Mr. Feldsien told Becker’s. “Another aspect is related to reimbursement rates. Organizations look at integration, and they recognize the complexity involved in building a sustainable model.”
With all the moving parts involved, organizational-wide scale is not a short-term project. PDS Health is willing to play the long-game because of how important interconnected care is.
“We understand that it is going to take time to figure this out,” Mr. Feldsien said. “But we believe the long-term opportunity to improve coordination between dental and medical care, support earlier intervention and help improve overall health outcomes makes the investment worthwhile.”
The organization has spent several years investing in and refining its integrated care model, and according to Mr. Feldsien, that work has positioned PDS Health for long-term success.
“Our goal is to continue expanding the model in a thoughtful, sustainable way,” Mr. Feldsien said. “But based on the success of the model so far, we believe there will continue to be growing interest in stronger collaboration between dental and medical care in the years ahead.”
At the Becker's 5th Annual Future of Dentistry Roundtable, taking place September 14-15 in Chicago, dental leaders and executives will gain insights into emerging technologies, practice growth strategies and the evolving landscape of dental care delivery, with a focus on innovation, patient experience and operational excellence. Apply for complimentary registration now.