A Note from Valley Preferred Leadership – Fall 2026

 

From the Desks of John Stoeckle, MD, CHQS, Medical Director and Dan Bair, Executive Director of Valley Preferred

As we move into the final quarter of 2026, we want to thank our clinicians and practice teams for their continued dedication to providing high-quality, patient-centered care. The months ahead present an important opportunity to build on the progress we have made together while continuing to focus on the initiatives that strengthen both patient outcomes and practice success.

This edition of Clinical Connections highlights a central theme shaping healthcare today: the continued evolution toward value-based care. Through the new Primary Care Service Line educational series, we are providing resources and insights to help physicians and APCs better understand the changing healthcare landscape and the opportunities it creates for improving quality, coordination, and long-term patient health. As these models continue to expand, the engagement and leadership of our provider community remain essential.

As year-end approaches, we also encourage practices to focus on closing quality gaps and maximizing performance opportunities through the ACE program. Whether addressing preventive screenings, chronic disease management, wellness visits, or other quality measures, every improvement contributes to better outcomes for the patients we collectively serve. Our quality and population health teams remain available to support these efforts.

Education and collaboration continue to be hallmarks of our network. We look forward to connecting with many of you at upcoming events focused on celiac disease, colorectal cancer screening, depression screening, and other timely clinical topics. We also encourage those who missed September’s GLVIPA General Membership Meeting to view the presentation from Zhe Chen, MD, whose discussion on artificial intelligence in healthcare provided valuable insights into how innovation can enhance care while preserving the human connection at the center of medicine.

We are equally proud to showcase the work of our clinicians through our Quality Improvement Program. This issue’s featured project demonstrates how thoughtful, interdisciplinary approaches can improve safety and outcomes for vulnerable patient populations. These efforts exemplify the spirit of continuous improvement that exists throughout our network.

Finally, we encourage everyone to take advantage of the wellness resources available through Valley Preferred and Jefferson Health. Supporting clinician well-being is not only important for individual health but also strengthens our ability to care for patients, colleagues, and communities.

Thank you for your continued partnership, engagement, and commitment to excellence. Your work makes a meaningful difference every day, and we are honored to support you as we continue advancing high-value care together.