The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with Homecare Homebase. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
Taylor Abo-Hamzy, chief strategy officer at Care2U, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Home Health Care News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their wellbeing.
Abo-Hamzy sat down with Home Health Care News to talk about the emerging home-based care models that will be driving the health care-to-home trend in the future.
What drew you to this industry?
My journey into the home care industry has been shaped by several pivotal experiences that underscored the need for a more patient-centered approach to health care. As a Physician Assistant (PA-C), I often heard my patients express dissatisfaction with their hospital experiences. These conversations revealed a critical gap in care and motivated me to seek alternatives that prioritize comfort and accessibility.
In my leadership role at a large independent physician association (IPA), I developed and oversaw the quality and risk programs for our value-based care model, gaining valuable insights into the complexities of health care delivery. Recognizing that many patients could greatly benefit from receiving high-acuity, hospital-level care in their homes, I collaborated with BCBS of NY to develop a new clinical pathway, High-Intensity Physician-Led Advanced Care at Home (HIPLAC). HIPLAC allows individuals with home-sensitive acute illnesses, typically requiring hospitalization, to receive physician-led, hospital-level care in the comfort of their homes without ever setting foot in a hospital.
The development of HIPLAC became deeply personal, a pet project of sorts, that fully captivated me. With the project being so personal and impactful, I had to see it through. I ultimately joined Care2U, the leading provider of high-acuity care in the home in New York. By joining Care2U, I’ve been able to see my vision of creating a new clinical pathway from conception to reality.
By offering patients greater freedom of choice in their healthcare options, we’ve simultaneously established more sustainable acute care pathways for an already cost-ridden health care system, a win-win for all.
Ultimately, I believe home care represents the future of health care. It enhances patient satisfaction and fosters a holistic approach to health management, emphasizing the importance of patient preference and quality in care delivery. With home care being the next frontier of health care, I could not be more excited to be part of this movement.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in this industry?
Adaptability is paramount. Maintaining a patient-centered approach, staying informed and maintaining flexibility are all essential components that drive impactful outcomes in a world where the health care landscape – especially in home care – is constantly evolving with technological advancements, patient needs and shifts in regulation.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of home care, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, it would be the expansion of reimbursement models to more broadly support high-acuity, physician-led care in the home (including Urgent Care/ED Care in the Home, Observation at Home and Hospital at Home).
Although value-based care is progressing, traditional reimbursement structures still heavily favor facility-based care. Adjusting these models to prioritize and incentivize high-acuity care in the home would empower more patients to access hospital-level care in the comfort of their own homes, ultimately driving down health care costs and improving outcomes.
What do you foresee as being different about the home care industry looking ahead to 2025?
The implementation and cost ramifications of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model will play a crucial role in shaping the industry by incentivizing certified agencies to dedicate more focus on quality outcomes.
This shift presents both challenges and opportunities that will require innovation. I expect home care to become much more integrated with advanced technology including remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and AI-driven care management systems to strengthen the impact and accessibility of preventive care, while utilizing models like Care2U to help reduce readmissions and escalations.
In a word, how would you describe the future of home care?
Empowering.
What quality must all Future Leaders possess?
Vision.
Future leaders in health care must have the ability to see beyond the present challenges – whether it’s navigating policy changes, evolving payment models like HHVBP, or integrating new technologies – to focus on creating innovative, patient-centered solutions. Visionary leaders are adaptable, capable of fostering collaboration across sectors, and resilient in driving long-term change that empowers both patients and the health care system. Vision is what enables leaders to transform ideas into action and lead the industry toward a more sustainable, accessible future.
To learn more about the Future Leaders program, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
