Executives with Temple University Health System in Philadelphia and Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington were named to the 2021 class of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Innovators.
Steven R. Carson, the North Philadelphia health system's senior vice president of population health, was selected for his work to remove barriers to care that can negatively impact a person's health status.
Also making the list was Gina Altieri, executive vice president and enterprise chief communications officer at Nemours Children's Heath in Delaware. Altieri was selected for hew work leading the Nemours Center for Health Delivery Innovation along with strategic planning, project management and marketing. She is credited with building Nemours' electronic medical record platform, which plays an integral part of the system's digital health strategy.
Altieri joined Nemours in 1996 as practice administrator of Nemours duPont Pediatrics (formerly Nemours Children's Clinic) in Wilmington. Prior to joining Nemours full time, she worked at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children on a consulting basis while she was an employee for Thomas Jefferson University.
Modern Healthcare, an industry trade publication, created the recognition program to acknowledge individuals who "introduced ideas that engage consumers in new ways, lower health care costs and take unique approaches to managing population health.”
Michael A. Young, CEO of Temple University Hospital and Temple University Health System, praised Carson for his efforts to improve access to care through "innovative activities" to tackle social determinants of health.
“Whether it’s launching a robust community health worker program, collaborating on community-based substance use disorders programs, or focusing on food insecurity, Steve and his teams advance the health of Temple’s patients while increasing quality and accessibility of care for our community," Young said.
Carson helped forge a collaboration of government, community, and corporate partners which created Housing Smart, a program which reduces avoidable emergency room use and hospital readmissions among homeless individuals. The program features peer outreach, supportive services, and subsidized housing.
Initial results with the Housing Smart program's first 25 participants showed a:
- 75% decrease in emergency department visits,
- 79% decrease in inpatient admissions,
- 77% decrease in admissions for observation, and a
- 50% increase in outpatient appointments with a primary care provider.
“Steve saw what had to be done, mustered the resources, and made it happen,” Young said.
Carson, who joined the Temple University Health System in 2008, has more than 30 years of hospital, home health, and health system leadership experience. He began his career as a registered nurse.
