Michael Makela
Physician Advocacy Liaison, Valley Preferred
One of three Physician Advocacy Liaisons (PALs), Mike reaches out directly to Valley Preferred members and provides whatever assistance they may need regarding their practice. This role covers management and documentation for the physician-directed Secure Provider Portal, and partnering with clinical leadership to update measures for the provider incentive program, Achieving Clinical Excellence® (ACE). In addition, Mike serves as ACO Patient Experience Manager, working with patient survey data for the purpose of improving patient engagement and providing a superior patient experience.
Prior to joining Valley Preferred, Mike was with the Lehigh Valley Physicians Group (LVPG), starting out as a data systems analyst and then moving to Patient Experience Manager, where he had oversight of the Patient Experience Quality & Improvement Program. He was the operational lead in defining the LVPG Physician Communication Center of Excellence, and was also the operational lead for LVPG’s Quarterly Management Action Plan (QMAP), where practices focus on improving care and service.