Illan Shapiro Strygler, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President, AltaMed Health Services

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Episode Summary Featuring Ilan Shapiro Straggler

Release Date: July 6, 2025
Guest: Ilan Shapiro Straggler, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President, AltaMed Health Services

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Introduction

In the latest episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast, hosted by Hayley Rutger, listeners are introduced to Ilan Shapiro Straggler, the Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President at AltaMed Health Services. Recorded live at Becker's third Annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable, the conversation delves into critical aspects shaping the U.S. healthcare landscape, including regulatory challenges, member satisfaction metrics, cost reduction strategies, and advancing health equity.

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Managing the Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Timestamp [02:02]

Hayley initiates the discussion by addressing the dynamic regulatory environment in healthcare. She asks Ilan about the best practices and tools AltaMed employs to ensure that the quality of care remains uncompromised amidst these changes.

Ilan emphasizes the importance of connectivity and proactive management:
"It's important to make sure that we are in different forms connecting and making sure that we're relying not only on what we're hearing, but also there's tons of technology out there that gives you the landscape and also kind of project a lot of the things that are happening at a local level, at a state level, and of course at the federal level." ([02:02])

He underscores the role of advanced technology in monitoring and projecting regulatory changes, enabling AltaMed to stay ahead of local, state, and federal shifts. This strategic approach ensures that the organization can adapt swiftly, maintaining high-quality care standards despite the complexities of the regulatory environment.

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Utilizing Net Promoter Score (NPS) for Member Satisfaction

Timestamp [02:33] - [03:33]

Transitioning to metrics of member satisfaction, Hayley brings up the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a pivotal tool for gauging member loyalty and satisfaction. She inquires about how AltaMed leverages NPS to foster meaningful improvements across their health plan.

Ilan provides a comprehensive overview of NPS's multifaceted role:
"It's a reflection of a lot of things. It's one is the appreciation of the member, the patient, and actually what we are doing and what's actually happening on the ground. Then it's one of the most...gives you a lot of feedback on processes and ideas from the front line. Who's actually answering the phone? How are they getting their referrals done? Are the physicians taking care of them? Are they having the results on time. All of those things actually end up reflecting that actually metric, then integrating that to make sure that we're achieving operational value and quality. It's extremely important." ([02:47])

He elucidates that NPS serves not just as a satisfaction metric but as a diagnostic tool that captures real-time feedback from frontline operations. By analyzing NPS, AltaMed can identify specific areas for improvement—be it in patient communication, referral processes, physician performance, or timely delivery of results. This integrative use of NPS ensures that operational enhancements are aligned with both member satisfaction and overall quality of care.

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Aligning Cost Reduction with Health Equity

Timestamp [03:33] - [05:01]

Hayley shifts the conversation to the critical intersection of cost reduction and advancing health equity. She poses a strategic question: How does AltaMed align these priorities within its organizational vision?

Ilan responds by challenging the conventional perception that cost reduction and health equity are separate endeavors:
"A lot of people think that that's completely separate, one to the other. On reality, they're tied and it's very hard." ([03:44])

Drawing from his medical experience, he highlights the disparity between healthcare advice and patients' realities:
"Our doctors tell us, you know, one, make sure that you're eating green stuff. Two, make exercise and three, actually go and, you know, sleep well and everything else. Then in reality, when my patients go to the community and they're in the supermarket, they know what's the green stuff, but they actually fight against hunger. Then sometimes the green stuff is actually more expensive and doesn't fight that. Or the other part of doing exercise, maybe there's no green spaces around them or maybe they're not safe." ([04:05])

Ilan emphasizes the necessity of addressing social determinants of health to truly advance health equity. He advocates for culturally and linguistically concordant care that transcends traditional healthcare boundaries:
"Integrating the way that we are approaching the linguistically and culturally concordant hell, it's extremely important to make sure that we are not just driving, you know, those medications, those screenings, but also trying to go outside of the way that we are perceiving healthcare. You know, like that I go to the doctor and I see the doctor and I do that connection to the part of how can we really integrate everybody as a human? Because the interaction with the doctors maybe half an hour, but the interaction with the community is long lasting." ([04:44])

By intertwining cost reduction with health equity initiatives, AltaMed aims to create sustainable healthcare solutions that are both economically viable and equitable, ensuring that all members have access to the resources necessary for their well-being.

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Conclusion

The conversation between Hayley Rutger and Ilan Shapiro Straggler offers a deep dive into the strategic initiatives that AltaMed Health Services is undertaking to navigate the complex healthcare landscape. From leveraging technology to manage regulatory changes and utilizing NPS for continuous improvement, to aligning cost reduction with health equity, AltaMed exemplifies a comprehensive approach to modern healthcare challenges. Ilan's insights shed light on the intricate balance between operational efficiency and compassionate, equitable care, providing valuable lessons for healthcare organizations striving to excel in today's dynamic environment.

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Key Takeaways:

• Proactive Regulatory Management: Utilizing advanced technologies to monitor and project regulatory changes ensures high-quality care amidst evolving laws.

• Effective Use of NPS: Net Promoter Score serves as a crucial feedback mechanism, informing operational improvements and enhancing patient satisfaction.

• Integrating Cost Reduction with Health Equity: Addressing social determinants of health is essential for creating sustainable and equitable healthcare solutions.

This episode serves as an insightful resource for healthcare professionals seeking to understand and implement strategies that harmonize quality, efficiency, and equity in their organizations.

Transcript

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[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 Ilan Shapiro Straggler, who is the Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President at Ultamed Health Services. Ilan, thank you so much for joining me today.

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

It's a pleasure.

[Hayley Rutger]

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

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

Gladly. Born and raised in Mexico City. Had the pleasure actually to do my MD career over there. And afterwards I had the opportunity to work as a liaison between the Secretary of Health and the WHO representing Mexico and I loved it. And I saw the complexities of not only the pueblitos, the little towns in Mexico, but also the complexity of multilateral treaties, the way of opportunities, complex operational aspects of IT, and regulatory pathways. Had the opportunity to actually be and do pediatrics here in Chicago and afterwards served in migrant communities and agricultural workers in Fort Myers, Florida and ended up for the past 10 years at AltaMed serving as a Chief Health Correspondent Medical Affairs Officer, but passing along mental health, employee health and health education and wellness.

[Hayley Rutger]

Thank you so much for giving us a little bit more info on your background. Now to begin, I'd like to ask you about the ever evolving regulatory landscape. So what best practices or tools does your organization rely on to keep quality of care at the forefront?

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

I think everybody will love to for me to tell them what's my crystal ball and how are we managing all this stuff. And the important thing is to make sure that we are in different forms connecting and making sure that we're relying not only on what we're hearing, but also there's tons of technology out there that gives you the landscape and also kind of project a lot of the things that are happening at a local level, at a state level, and of course at the federal level.

[Hayley Rutger]

Absolutely. Now I'm going to go ahead and pivot the conversation a little bit to net promoter score, which is a powerful indicator of member loyalty and satisfaction. So how are you Using NPS to drive meaningful improvements across your health plan.

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

It's a reflection of a lot of things. It's. One is the appreciation of the member, the patient, and actually what we are doing and what's actually happening on the ground. Then it's one of the most. It's kind of a north, I would not call it the true north of everything, but actually gives you a lot of feedback on processes and ideas from the front line. Who's actually answering the phone? How are they getting their referral done? Are the physicians taking care of them? Are, are they having the results on time? All of those things actually end up reflecting that actually metric, then integrating that to make sure that we're achieving operational value and quality. It's extremely important.

[Hayley Rutger]

So in addition to that quality, we've also talked about the imperative to reduce costs and advance health equity. So how do you approach aligning these priorities in your organization's strategic vision?

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

A lot of people think that that's completely separate, one to the other. On reality, they're tied and it's very hard. And I'm a practicing physician and we always hear that our doctors tell us, you know, one, make sure that you're eating green stuff. Two, make exercise and three, actually go and, you know, sleep well and everything else. Then in reality, when my patients go to the community and they're in the supermarket, they know what's the green stuff, but they actually fight against hunger. Then sometimes the green stuff is actually more expensive and doesn't fight that. Or the other part of doing exercise, maybe there's no green spaces around them or maybe they're not safe. Then integrating the way that we are approaching the linguistically and culturally concordance hell, it's extremely important to make sure that we are not just driving, you know, those medications, those screenings, but also trying to go outside of the way that we are perceiving healthcare. You know, like that I go to the doctor and I see the doctor and I do that connection to the part of how can we really integrate everybody as a human? Because the interaction with the doctors maybe half an hour, but the interaction with the community is long lasting.

[Hayley Rutger]

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to have this conversation with me today. Again, this is Hailey Brecher with the Becker's Payer Podcast, recorded live at the Becker's third annual Spring Pair Issues Roundtable. Alam, thank you so much.

[Ilan Shapiro Straggler]

Always a pleasure.