Latest news
See our recent activity in industry publications and media. We regularly share expertise and insights focused on topics around health equity, the social determinants of health (SDOH), and related topics. Check out our latest news below.
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Hit Like a Girl: Julie Sommer tailors the healthcare experience to patients’ cultural and linguistic needs
Join SameSky Health’s SVP of Marketing, Julie Sommer, and the HIT Like a Girl podcast crew as they talk health plan member relationships, what sets the company apart from the rest, managing change, and more.
Journal of America’s Physician Groups: Using texting and data mining to improve pediatric care
“To help bring members and parents back to preventive care, our Board in early 2021 approved a text messaging program in partnership with ConsejoSano. The program allows us to easily notify parents when children are due for preventive visits—and relieve that notification burden from our PCP offices and IPA provider relations staff.” From “Using Texting & Data Mining to Improve Pediatric Care,” by James Slaggert, CEO, Children First Medical Group, in the Journal of America’s Physician Groups. (Summer 2021)
AMA announces effort to advance equitable innovation in healthcare
The Equity and Innovation Advisory Group will provide guidance and support for the AMA to ensure equitable innovation in health care, an approach outlined in the AMA’s three-year strategic plan dedicated to embedding racial justice and advancing health equity. The advisors are tasked with providing direction on a shared vision for a U.S. health care innovation sector that: (1) prioritizes resource allocation for meaningful solutions to advance health, racial, and social justice; and (2) ensures that the race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity of innovators and investors mirror that of the nation.
Fierce Healthcare: HIMSS21: Post-pandemic virtual care policies threaten to undo low-income patients' access gains
“It’s a shame that it took a pandemic to provide low-income people with innovations in healthcare that high-income people had for 10 or 15 years and didn’t even want to use. We know people will use it, but if policy doesn’t reimburse for it [and] we go back to the old way, that would be a shame,” expresses Abner Mason, Founder and CEO of SameSky Health. Read more in Fierce Healthcare’s coverage of the HIMSS August 4, 2021 panel, “Social Determinants and its Impact on Patient Experience.”
Rock Health: Building toward equity: A working model for digital health
If the last few years are any indication, healthcare is embracing the promise of digital. Few things on this planet make our team more excited than the opportunities of digital health coming to fruition. However, as we celebrate digital health’s progress, we also see a long road ahead. Abner Mason, Founder and CEO of ConsejoSano, says, “We can’t solve a problem that we can’t see. Healthcare organizations could leverage race, ethnicity, and language data to understand where and in what language to reach patients, who’s at risk, and how to step in. But none of that is possible if we fail to gather the data.”
Modern Healthcare: Achieving cultural competency by respecting patients’ identities
“One of the key needs is to build trust, and that’s going to require treating the patient better,” says Abner Mason, Founder and CEO of SameSky Health. “If you have a healthcare system that can’t do a good job in serving what is becoming the majority of patients—that’s a problem that we have to address.” Read more in this special 45th Anniversary edition of Modern Healthcare.
CEO Abner Mason joins board of California Black Health Network
“As the only Black-led, state-wide organization dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians, we are privileged to have Abner’s help in guiding our outreach, education, and advocacy efforts,” said CBHN Board Chair Brenda Shipp. “I look forward to his contributions as he and his fellow board members strive for a California where every member of the Black community can live a long and healthy life, free from violence, racism, and health inequities.”
#HCBizShow: Multicultural patient engagement to improve clinical and business outcomes with Abner Mason
When helping payers and providers get their patients into clinics and closing gaps in care, it starts with “creating content based on culture; based on deeper factors than language,” says Abner Mason, CEO of SameSky Health, on the “HCBiz Show!” podcast by Glide Health IT.
ConsejoSano, Priority Health Plan partner with Aunt Bertha and Socially Determined
“As we work to improve health equity, we’re thrilled to partner with Priority Health on their SDOH program. I believe the outcome of this partnership with Aunt Bertha, Socially Determined, and Priority Health will become the gold standard of member experience and support.” Abner Mason, CEO of SameSky Health
ConsejoSano taps value-based care guru Phil Harker as chief growth officer
“What makes Phil perfect for ConsejoSano’s next chapter is the breadth of his industry knowledge paired with his expertise in shared-risk and value-based models,” said Abner Mason, SameSky Health’s CEO. “Alternative payment models are designed to help strengthen health equity — improve health outcomes in underserved communities of color and those with language barriers — while lowering costs and encouraging holistic population health management; Phil will enable us to help future clients see the big picture and the wins that are possible.”
HIMSS: Payer experiences and challenges: Now and moving forward
“It makes it hard for plans to introduce new digital health tools when engagement is a challenge,” says Abner Mason, Founder and CEO of SameSky Health. More about his thoughts on payers’ road forward in digital health, AI & machine learning, and financial health, in this HIMSS article.
AJMC podcast: Building relationships and trust to overcome vaccine hesitancy
Building Relationships and Trust to Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy
Techonomy: The time to prioritize digital health equity is now
Digital literacy begins with actually engaging patients in their language of preference. Read more about his ideas on meeting people where they are, as well as aligning incentives with equity, in this Techonomy article, “The Time to Prioritize Digital Health Equity is Now.”
American Heart Association: California company helps ‘safety net’ clinic rise to pandemic challenges
With help from SameSky Health, formerly ConsejoSano, an investee of the AHA’s Tyson Impact Fund, the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley has kept its members up to date on vital COVID-19 information.
How they did it podcast: Diversifying the US healthcare industry, and why you should write your won obituary Ft. Abner Mason
How They Did It: DiverseVC Podcast with CEO Abner Mason
Fierce Healthcare’s Fierce 15 of 2021
FierceHealth named SameSky Health to their Fierce 15 of 2021, which is a collection of companies across the U.S. that are trying to change the world by changing the healthcare industry.
ConsejoSano takes patient engagement to next level in groundbreaking social determinants of health intervention program
SameSky Health and RWJBarnabas Health partner to provide culturally and linguistically aligned universal SDOH screenings.