New Leadership Takes Helm at Arizona Care Network

David Hanekom, M.D., a seasoned physician executive with expertise in both managed care and medical and population health management, has joined the physician-led and -governed, clinically integrated Arizona Care Network with ambitious plans to help physicians meet the physical and behavioral health needs of patients. “Providing accessible, local and personal care is our organization’s social responsibility,” Hanekom says, voicing his intent to further strengthen the accountable care organization that brings together what he describes as “three best-in-class hospital systems” — Abrazo Community Health Network, Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Care Network.

A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Hanekom comes to Phoenix from North Dakota, where he consulted with clients in the provider and health plan markets. Before that, he served as chief medical officer and senior vice president of business development at Alpharetta, Ga.-based SPH Analytics, which provides solutions and transformative technologies for provider, payer and health networks. He also was chief medical officer and vice president of medical management of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, where he designed and implemented the nationally acclaimed MediQHome Quality program for the state.

ACN has implemented a number of strategic initiatives designed to achieve the triple aim of improving patient care and satisfaction while reducing healthcare costs. Among them are organizing its provider network into four regional care “delivery pods” to bolster physician collaboration, embedding care coordination team members into physician offices to ensure that patients receive necessary services from their primary healthcare provider in a timely fashion, and creating clinical care pathways to ensure patients receive preventive cancer screenings and guidance in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. There are 5,000 physicians in ACN’s network in metropolitan Phoenix.

Moving forward, Hanekom says the organization will continue to define the current and future healthcare needs of ACN’s populations, establish physician-led, team- and evidence-based care protocols, and analyze and benchmark service utilization across its network. ACN is also undergoing growth in technology, analytics and hiring of subject-matter experts for more than 10 new positions.