EDISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spring Hills announced today that it has named Pierantonio Russo, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Clinical Transformation Officer of the Population Health Management Program. Russo will oversee the integration of Population Health into Spring Hills’ clinical programs and offer guidance to providers, payers, and policymakers on IT and AI enabled comprehensive population management, including complex care for high-risk, high cost, high needs patients.
Following two decades of practicing cardiac and heart transplant surgery, first at the Mayo Clinic, Russo assumed executive leadership roles providing expertise in medical informatics, machine learning (ML) and predictive modeling applications in health care, value-based insurance and outcome-based contracts, and population medicine. Prior to joining Spring Hills, Russo served as the Chief Medical Officer of HVH/Eversana, a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) and ML for health care applications and global commercial services to the life sciences industry. Among other projects, Russo led an initiative with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on early predictors and medical cost of several rare diseases.
In 2016-17, Russo served as Vice President of Health Services at Boston-based Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Insurance Council Chair and board member of the Massachusetts Health Care Quality Partners. He supported the creation of a framework for utilization, quality management and reimbursement that facilitated the launch of the virtual hospital or hospital-at-home program, Medicallyhome. From 2007-2016, Russo was Medical Director at Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia, where he leveraged predictive algorithms codesigned with the data science team to implement disease management and telemedicine initiatives for patients with heart failure.
“Dr. Russo is a clinician with a notable track record of driving new innovation to improve patient care and outcomes,” said Alex Markowits, Founder and President/CEO of Spring Hills. “He is keenly aware of the numerous factors that can impact a person’s health and has created programs over the past decade to close critical gaps in communication and care. His background and expertise make him an ideal fit to lead the growth of our population health management program. With his experience in cardiology, Dr. Russo also will be a key asset to our specialized cardiac program for people transitioning from hospital to home after a cardiac event.”
Spring Hills operates Post-Acute Care, Assisted Living, and Memory Care communities and Home Care services for seniors and those with chronic health needs. The company is expanding to include clinical programs that will offer residents and patients uniquely comprehensive health care. Population Health Management is fully integrated into the clinical programs, including the recently established Cardiac Program.
Spring Hills Population Health associates build relationships with the patient and family while in the hospital to ensure a smooth transition to Spring Hills and provide support during their stay and for 90 days post-discharge. Services include care coordination, personal communication, follow-up appointments, home visits, remote monitoring and removing social or financial barriers to care. Through Population Health Management, Spring Hills keeps its average rate of hospital readmission after 90 days under 10% -- far lower than the national rate of 23-27%.
“A person’s ability to recover from a hospital stay and get on the road to better health is impacted by many issues, from transportation to healthy food access to keeping post-discharge appointments. We are creating a patient-centric model of population health management utilizing precision medicine, leveraging my experience in AI and ML,” Russo said. “I’m thrilled to work alongside my new colleagues as we equip more patients to achieve greater health through evidence-based care supported by advanced predictive models to implement the optimal care plan for each patient, closing social gaps in care and incorporating clinical medicine, behavioral health, and motivational techniques.”
After completing his medical training, Russo held academic, clinical and administrative leadership positions in cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, and heart transplantation at Temple Medical School and Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, the Allegheny University in PA, and the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. He taught a postgraduate course on Health Organizations Performance at ISB (Indian School of Business) on behalf of the Wharton School of Business, and he was a Lecturer in Population Medicine on the faculty of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
Dr. Russo holds a certificate in Health Care Innovation and Health Care Administration/Management from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and received the Health Hero Award in Boston for his significant contributions to the health and welfare of the community.
About Spring Hills
Spring Hills Post-Acute Care, Assisted Living, and Memory Care communities and Home Care services provide comprehensive support for seniors and those with chronic health needs. All communities have a personal and distinctive approach and ensure the highest standards for proactive health care and quality of living, at every stage of a resident’s life.
Led by Alexander Markowits, Founder and President/CEO, Spring Hills is committed to providing seamless care experiences that meet the unique needs and preferences of residents, patients, and their families. Spring Hills has 28 facilities across seven states: Post-Acute Care in NJ; Assisted Living and Home Care in NJ, VA, OH, FL and NV; and Memory Care in TX, VA, NV and FL. For more information, visit www.spring-hills.com or www.poetswalk-springhills.com.
