Chris Wasel, President, Strategic Partnerships, Vantage Healthcare

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Episode Summary

Title: Chris Wassall, President, Strategic Partnerships, Vantage Healthcare
Release Date: July 19, 2025
Host: Hayley Rutger
Organization: Vantage Healthcare
Podcast Series: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

---

Introduction to the Episode

Recorded live at Becker's third annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable, this episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features an insightful conversation between host Hayley Rutger and Chris Wassall, President of Strategic Partnerships at Vantage Healthcare. The discussion centers on the critical balance between reducing healthcare costs, improving quality of care, and advancing health equity within the U.S. healthcare system.

---

Guest Introduction: Chris Wassall

Chris Wassall brings over two decades of expertise in healthcare operations strategy and value-based payment models. As the head of strategy and development for Vantage Healthcare, the largest provider group of its kind in New England, Chris oversees operations across six states with approximately 220 locations and 110 mobile physicians. Vantage Healthcare specializes in delivering on-site medical care to skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, participating actively in value-based payment programs such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

Notable Quote:

“We’re the largest provider group of its type in New England... We operate in all six states to around 220 locations.”
— Chris Wassall (00:49)

---

Aligning Cost Reduction, Quality Improvement, and Health Equity

Hayley initiates the conversation by addressing the essential challenge of reducing costs while simultaneously enhancing quality of care and promoting health equity. Chris responds by highlighting the expanded opportunities in recent years for organizations like Vantage Healthcare to engage in value-based payment programs. These programs, particularly ACOs, equip Vantage Healthcare with the tools necessary to better manage and treat dual-eligible patients—those qualifying for both Medicare and Medicaid.

By focusing on in-place treatment and reducing hospitalizations, Vantage Healthcare not only curtails overall care costs but also ensures that patients receive comprehensive and equitable care within their communities.

Notable Quote:

“Participating in value-based payment programs… provides us with more tools and the means to better treat those dual eligible patients in place, reduce hospitalizations.”
— Chris Wassall (01:52)

---

Enhancing Member Satisfaction

Shifting focus to member satisfaction, Hayley underscores its significance in today’s competitive healthcare landscape. Chris discusses Vantage Healthcare's strategic initiatives to bolster patient experiences, particularly in assisted living communities. Recognizing initial low satisfaction levels due to the need for off-site medical appointments, Vantage Healthcare launched a new service line four years prior to provide on-site care. This move significantly increased satisfaction by eliminating the inconvenience and stress associated with transferring patients for medical needs.

However, rapid growth in this service area introduced new challenges, such as increased inquiries from heavily involved family members. To address the surge in call volume and ensure timely follow-ups, Vantage Healthcare is exploring innovative methods to manage and streamline communication between patients, families, and support teams.

Notable Quote:

“We were able to create a part of our physician practice that delivered on-site care... It really increased satisfaction.”
— Chris Wassall (03:04)

---

Challenges and Strategic Solutions

Chris elaborates on the operational challenges that accompanied the expansion of on-site care services. The rise in family involvement led to a higher volume of inquiries directed at nurse care coordinators and support staff, highlighting the need for more efficient communication and follow-up processes. To maintain high levels of member satisfaction, Vantage Healthcare is actively seeking solutions to manage this increased demand without compromising the quality of care.

This includes leveraging technology to facilitate better management of inquiries and enhancing support systems to ensure that patient and family needs are met promptly and effectively.

Notable Quote:

“With all that call volume coming in, it really provides an opportunity for us to look at other ways to manage all that volume and do a better job to be able to really meet members needs.”
— Chris Wassall (04:04)

---

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Hayley expressing gratitude to Chris for his invaluable insights. The discussion underscores Vantage Healthcare's commitment to balancing cost-efficiency with high-quality, equitable care, and enhancing member satisfaction through strategic innovations and responsive support systems.

Closing Remark:

“Chris, thank you so much for being with me today.”
— Hayley Rutger (04:35)

---

Key Takeaways

• Value-Based Payment Programs: Participation in ACOs and similar programs empowers healthcare providers to manage costs effectively while enhancing patient care quality.

• On-Site Healthcare Services: Bringing medical care directly to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities significantly improves patient and family satisfaction by reducing the need for off-site appointments.

• Managing Growth Challenges: Rapid expansion of services can lead to increased operational demands, necessitating innovative solutions to maintain high levels of member satisfaction.

• Health Equity Focus: By targeting dual-eligible patients and providing comprehensive on-site care, Vantage Healthcare advances health equity, ensuring underserved populations receive appropriate and timely medical attention.

---

This episode of Becker’s Healthcare Podcast provides a comprehensive look into how Vantage Healthcare is navigating the complexities of modern healthcare delivery, balancing cost management with quality and equitable care, and continuously striving to enhance member satisfaction through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions.

Transcript

[Evernorth Representative]

Evernorth brings the power of wonder and relentless innovation to create world class pharmacy care and benefits solutions. Barriers to care can lead to gaps in care which can drive up the total cost of care. Our capabilities work seamlessly together to create innovative pharmacy care and benefit solutions for today and tomorrow. Our connected health services make the treatment, prediction and prevention of health care's most complex conditions easier and more accessible as we drive organizations and people forward.

[Hayley Rutger]

This is Hayley Rutger with the Beckers Payer Podcast and we are recording live at the Becker's third annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable. I am thrilled today to be joined by Chris Wassall, President of Strategic Partnerships at Vantage Healthcare. Chris, thank you so much for being with me today.

[Chris Wassall]

Thanks for having me today.

[Hayley Rutger]

Can I have you go ahead and introduce yourself, tell us a little bit more about your background and your organization.

[Chris Wassall]

Yeah, yeah. So again, my name is Chris Wassel. I'm the head of strategy in development for Vantage Healthcare. I have over 20 years experience in healthcare operations strategy and value based payment with Vantage Healthcare. We're the largest provider group of its type in New England. We operate in all six states to around 220 locations. We're a mobile physician practice, so have about a 110 providers. When we go on site to skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities and we participate in value based payment programs like acos and we're looking at isn't other such programs.

[Hayley Rutger]

Well that's amazing. And today I'd like to focus our conversation on quality of care. There's an imperative to reduce costs while also improving quality and advancing health equity. So how would you approach aligning these priorities in your organization's strategic vision?

[Chris Wassall]

I think the last couple of years there's been more opportunity for practices like ours and operators such as skilled nursing facilities to participate in value based payment programs. And it hasn't been the case in the past. And with that, particularly in the skilled nursing facilities, most of the patients we serve there are dual eligible. And with that and with the value based payment program participation, particularly with our ACO participation, it provides us with more tools and the means to better treat those dual eligible patients in place, reduce hospitalizations and also it gives the opportunity for the operators too to participate and do a better job managing care and managing patients in place.

[Hayley Rutger]

Absolutely. Now I really want to hone in on that member satisfaction here. Member satisfaction is essential to thrive in today's competitive health care market. What experience or engagement strategies have proven effective for your organization and how are you measuring success?

[Chris Wassall]

Yeah, so we we launched a new service line, it was about four years ago, so we started out providing services and skilled nursing facilities and we identified a need so in assisted living communities. So there was low satisfaction in some cases with patients and their family members with the healthcare component of assisted living communities, which are typically geared more towards a social model. So you know, with that we were able to create a part of our physician practice that delivered on site care. A lot of the dissatisfaction was around having to transfer patients off site for their medical appointments and a lot of other appointments. And we were able to really eliminate that by bringing that care on site. So it really increased satisfaction. However, over time as we've grown that part of our practice very quickly and with that it's created other challenges like, you know, we have heavy family involvement. So it creates a lot of inquiries to our nurse care coordinator teams and support staff. And with all that call volume coming in, it really provides an opportunity for us to look at other ways to manage all that volume and do a better job to be able to really meet members needs. As far as follow up on those inquiries.

[Hayley Rutger]

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. Again, this is Haley Rutger with the Becker's Payer podcast, recorded live at the Becker's third annual Spring Pair Issues Roundtable. Chris, thank you so much.

[Chris Wassall]

Thank you. Have a good day.