Tanya Wilkinson

Tanya Wilkinson: A Model for Success

Tanya Wilkinson is a force to be reckoned with at Arizona Care Network (ACN). In fact, in the nearly three years she’s been there, the Executive Director of Clinical Services has developed two critical initiatives that help ACN achieve its goals.

“She was the genius behind the creation of our population health model,” says her colleague, Executive Director of Marketing Debra Stevens.

It is often difficult to prioritize a patient population over 300,000. ACN’s model uses predictive analytics to identify the most complex patients who are at highest risk for deteriorating health, and assign those patients to care coordinators. These care coordinators then reach out to these patients to ensure they receive the education and resources they need for successful self-management. Additionally, our care teams ensure our patients are seen regularly by their ACN primary care provider.

“Tanya created a model where our team engages with the patient, in their treatment settings, their home, or virtually, immediately after being discharged from the hospital to ensure a smooth transition of care from one setting to another,” Debra says. The care team assigned to these patients may include an RN Care Coordinator, Social Worker, and/or Navigator who work in tandem with the primary care provider to facilitate post discharge follow-up as well as continuity of care.” Under Medicare rules, patients must be seen by their primary care provider within three days of being discharged, which can be challenging because their PCP may not always know when they’ve been discharged.

“I think that’s really brilliant, and it has helped reduce readmissions, which is a focus not only for accountable care organizations but for hospitals as well,” Debra says. “And it has improved the health and reduced the total cost of care for our most vulnerable patients.”

A strategist and leader

Tanya was also the chief architect of ACN’s provider rewards program (PRP). One of the keys to ACN’s success has been the intentional aligning of all incentives—for value-based contracts, providers and patients. At the provider level, physicians who see Medicare and Medicaid patients can earn a financial incentive (a quarterly bonus) from ACN for their performance. The PRP gives the network insight into how it can help providers focus on the metrics that matter most.

Tanya’s team also thinks she’s pretty great.

“She’s a compassionate nurse, but it’s her straightforward, transparent leadership style that’s most appreciated by the managers who report to her,” Debra says. “They always know what she’s thinking, and she shares information generously with her team so that they can do their best work. She truly supports them.”

Tanya’s heroic performance at work is rivaled only by her role as a caregiver at home. She is a mother to six children. ACN is fortunate to have her at the helm of one of their most critical teams!