Preparing For CalAIM – Developing A Strategy For New & Innovative Service Line Development

June 14, 2023

California Advancing and​ Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is a long-term commitment to transform and strengthen CA Medicaid (Medi-Cal), offering 14M+ beneficiaries a more equitable, coordinated​, and person-centered approach to maximizing their health.​​​​ The CA Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is transforming the Medi-Cal delivery system moving Medi-Cal towards a population health approach that prioritizes prevention and whole person care. CalAIM will offer Medi-Cal enrollees coordinated and equitable access to services that address physical, behavioral, developmental, dental, and long-term care needs. ​​​​​​​​ In the multi-year implementation, some provisions went live in 2022, including new managed care plan contracts with specialty provider organizations/CBOs to deliver Enhanced Care Management and Community Support services for adults with severe mental illness. Similar agreements will begin in 2023 for youth (SED), and the final provisions of CalAIM are projected to go live by 2027.

As CalAIM unfolds, the fundamentals of sustainability will change for most provider organizations – including the services delivered and reimbursement models. The question for executives of specialty care and primary care organizations is how to approach developing a sustainable strategy within the current climate of payment reform. Executive teams need to monitor service line(s) performance and financial strength – and create plans for adopting and developing new services for changing Medicaid, managed care, and health plans evolving service needs and expectations.

This session will cover:

  • New service line opportunities for specialty provider organizations and primary care organizations
  • Best practice approaches for service line development and integrated models of care
  • Best practice strategies for sustainability in a changing Medicaid landscape
  • Innovative service delivery of mental health services in whole person care environment

Featured Speakers

  • Stuart Buttlaire, Ph.D., MBA Regional Director of Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine, Kaiser Permanente
    Stuart Buttlaire, Ph.D., is the Regional Director Of Inpatient Psychiatry and continuing care for Northern California Kaiser Permanente, the lead mental health representative within Kaiser’s State Program Initiatives, and the designated resource management director for behavioral health. He is also the Permanente Medical Group lead in designing and developing the new inpatient psychiatric hospital in Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center, set to open in 2010. Prior to coming to Kaiser in 1987, Dr. Buttlaire was chief of acute and subacute services for Marin County Mental Health. He has more than 30 years of clinical and management experience, providing leadership and direction in health care delivery in the public and private sectors. Dr. Buttlaire was elected to the California Hospital Association Behavioral Health Board in 2008 and served as co-chair of the IBHI Collaborative on Emergency Department and Behavioral Health in 2007- 2008. He has been on numerous national quality panels, most recently involving involuntary seclusion procedures, and is a member of IHI. In both 1997 and 2002, Dr. Buttlaire was awarded “Most Valuable Psychologist in Northern California” by the Kaiser Permanente Regional Psychological Society, and he received the 2005 Chair of the Chiefs of Psychiatry Award. Dr. Buttlaire also served as a behavioral health representative on the State Programs Policy Implementation Group. A graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Dr. Buttlaire has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado’s Institute of Integral Studies and a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on health care management, finance, and marketing.
  • Dee DeWitt, Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

    Dee DeWitt has extensive experience as a consultant and corporate leader in the health care field, bringing over 28 years of experience in finance and operations, M&A, use of technology, strategic planning, and change management in health care organizations to OPEN MINDS as a Senior Associate.

    Previously, Mr. DeWitt was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Momentum for Health, a CARF-accredited non-profit behavioral health organization providing services to individuals with a diagnosed serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance abuse disorder, in San Jose, California. During his tenure, Mr. DeWitt increased outpatient productivity by 25% and contributed to growing revenues from $55 million to a projected $71+ million for the fiscal year of 2023. Mr. DeWitt also oversaw Momentum ‘s pilot with Santa Clara County’s transition to Netsmart Provider Connect and led a successful grant award and implementation of a multi-year paid intern program in partnership with Santa Clara University, San Jose University, and Palo Alto University.

    Mr. DeWitt was also the CFO and COO of Veridian Financial Group, a strategic consulting firm specializing in performing long-term, on-site C-level and Director roles, evaluating and implementing financial strategies, strategic operational planning, and development strategies for companies that are poised for significant growth, change, or require turnaround attention, in San Jose, California.

    Mr. DeWitt served as CFO and a Consultant in Strategic Planning and Finance for Home Recovery – Home Aid, Inc.; as CFO of Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc., and as Chief Financial and Technology Officer for The Filson, and Director of Strategic Development for Signature Healthcare, LLC. He also held the positions of Deputy Director of Behavioral Health at the County of Ventura, CA Behavioral Health Services Department, and Director of Finance and Management Services of the Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS), a joint commissioned accredited non-profit.

  • Richard Louis, Vice President, Western Region, OPEN MINDS

    Richard Louis, III, brings extensive experience in public and for-profit behavioral healthcare administration and business development to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Louis was formerly the Executive Director of Strategic Development and Planning, Pacific Region, for Providence Service Corporation. Prior to OPEN MINDS, Mr. Louis served as the Assistant Director of the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, the 4th largest county behavioral health system in California, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations of a system serving over 50,000 unduplicated consumers annually through 31 county-operated facilities and 60 contract provider organizations.