Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Anna Flattau, Alumni Professor and Chair of Family and Community Medicine and Enterprise Chief of Primary Care Services at Jefferson Health
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Laura Dardo, Becker's Healthcare
Guest: Dr. Anna Flattau

Overview

This episode features Dr. Anna Flattau, who shares innovative approaches and strategic priorities from her role leading Family and Community Medicine and primary care at Jefferson Health. The conversation dives into Jefferson’s evolving care delivery models, access-focused initiatives, lessons from their virtual primary care rollout, upcoming challenges in Medicaid and access, and areas for growth over the next few years. Dr. Flattau’s insights reflect a deep emphasis on meeting patients where they are—digitally or in-person—and delivering whole-person, relationship-based care at scale.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dr. Flattau’s Role and Jefferson Health’s Strengths

• Dr. Flattau leads both the academic Family Medicine department and serves as system chief for primary care.
• Jefferson Health is a large system with 32 hospitals, 700 ambulatory sites, and 150 primary care sites, serving around a million patients.
• The system is a product of recent mergers, leading to diverse perspectives and innovation.
  • Quote: “The strength that comes from the diversity of experience across those different legacy organizations… really strengthens our ability to come up with innovative, critical, scalable solutions for the communities that we serve.” (00:37)

2. Most Important Recent Initiatives (01:42 – 07:08)

Virtual Primary Care Expansion

• Jefferson significantly expanded virtual primary care, distinguishing it from virtual urgent care.

• Focus on relationship-based, continuity-driven care, complete with patient panels and collaboration with specialists.

• All patients are educated about the virtual primary care option during scheduling.

• Widespread appeal: adopted by people across ages, tech-literacy, health status, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

  • Notable story: a 102-year-old joined the program.

• Added roughly 500 new virtual primary care patients monthly, with potential for accelerating growth.

• Targeting gaps by funneling patients from emergency rooms and other high-demand areas.

  • Quote: “We have a patient who’s 102 years old who joined our virtual primary care service. Patients of a wide range of disease complexity, many…with previously uncontrolled chronic diseases…are just not getting to a clinician, who have joined our virtual primary care practice and whom we’re now able to manage without them having to take a day off from work….” (04:34)

Lifestyle Program Launch

• Launched a year-long, structured telehealth program focusing on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: diet, exercise, sleep, social connection, stress management, and risk avoidance.
• Group visits co-led by a dietitian and nurse practitioner.
• Goal: 5,000 enrollees in the first three years.
• Integrates with behavioral and whole-person care already at Jefferson.

3. How Clinicians Adapted to Virtual Care (07:08 – 09:17)

• Clinicians demonstrated strong problem-solving and adaptability.
• Developed logistical solutions, such as:
  • Providing blood pressure cuffs for at-home use.
  • Coordinating with labs for vital sign measurements.
  • Facilitating self-testing (e.g., STD kits mailed to patients who then return samples).
• Fewer in-person follow-ups than expected; virtual care sufficed for most patients.
  • Quote: “They’ve become excellent at ensuring that everyone can get a blood pressure cuff...We’ve become very creative about getting the testing supplies for self-testing...So there haven’t actually been a whole lot of problems that we’ve been unable to solve.” (07:50, 08:43)

4. Strategic Priorities and Headwinds for 2026 (09:27 – 12:25)

Care Transitions and Outreach

• Focus on comprehensive transitions from hospital to home, beyond immediate discharge to ongoing care.
• Expanding telehealth transition appointments, ensuring follow-up and connection to primary care—either traditional or virtual.
• Special programs for:
  • Community-based palliative care.
  • Severe substance use disorder: expanding the Scheller Bridge program for complex primary care and support (includes management of hepatitis C or PrEP).

Expansion of Home-Based Care

• Incorporating more home visits and home-based primary care for post-hospital patients.

5. Anticipated Challenges: Medicaid & Insurance Landscape (12:45 – 14:52)

• Top concern: changes in Medicaid requiring frequent re-enrollment, adding bureaucratic and SDOH (social determinants of health) barriers.
  • Dr. Flattau recalls her years in safety net organizations and the burden of paperwork for vulnerable patients.
• Worry about patients losing insurance eligibility—both Medicaid and ACA-related shifts.
  • Quote: “Insurance eligibility is a social need and a very important one, of course, in healthcare. So something that we need to have front of mind and also not to underestimate the complexity of those processes and the amount of support that, that our patients are going to need to navigate them.” (14:33)

Addressing These Challenges

• Training care managers, social workers, and community health workers to help patients with insurance navigation.
• Partnering with community organizations for support.

6. Growth Opportunities at Jefferson Health (15:21 – 16:32)

• Doubles down on consumer-driven models, virtual care, and AI integration.
• Future growth will be shaped by evolving patient demands and new technologies, not just increased volume.
  • Quote: “Our business model is changing…with more virtual care, with more consumer driven…health initiatives, including supported by, by AI. Healthcare is going to change.” (15:31)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “We have a patient who’s 102 years old who joined our virtual primary care service.” (04:34)
• “They’ve become excellent at ensuring that everyone can get a blood pressure cuff when they need it…we’ve become very creative about getting the testing supplies for self-testing…” (08:11)
• “Insurance eligibility is a social need and a very important one, of course, in healthcare.” (14:33)
• “The way to grow is to embrace that and to build according to what people and communities want.” (15:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:37: Dr. Flattau introduces herself and describes Jefferson Health’s strengths
• 01:42: Discussion of top recent initiatives: virtual primary care and the lifestyle program
• 07:08: Clinician adaptation to and surprises with virtual care
• 09:27: 2026 priorities: transitions programs, outreach, and special populations
• 12:45: Greatest challenge for next year: Medicaid and insurance changes
• 15:21: Future growth opportunities: embracing virtual, AI, and consumer-driven care

Tone & Language

The conversation is candid yet optimistic, showing a compassionate, patient-centered approach. Dr. Flattau’s style blends real-world anecdotes and practical strategies with a forward-looking, innovative mindset—always focused on improving access and whole-person care for her communities.