Nathan Tierney
Nathan a retired military officer and former Chief Operating Officer of a software development and analytics company. Since 2015, he has further dedicated his life to those in the service, as the Director within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In his role, he leads a team to measure value for VA portfolios focused on outcome-oriented results for Veterans. His book presents a ‘how-to’ guide to implementing value-based management and analytics in a healthcare organization.
Biography
Nathan Tierney began his career as a U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer in 1993 where he was awarded our nation’s highest peacetime medal for heroism for an at sea rescue. After five years of distinguished service in the Navy, he was selected for transfer and served 14 years as a Warrant Officer in the Army, where his exceptional motivation and integrity propelled him to excellence in Special Operations. Twice nominated for White House Fellowship, he authored various policies on behalf of Veterans, and the Returning Warriors to the Workplace Initiative. His military career culminated as the Chief of Standardization and Tactical Operations leading the technological development, and implementation of a $250 million change management program for over 29,000 personnel to create a Common Operating Picture (COP), and shift the organization towards a knowledge-centric culture. The interoperable technology solution enhanced situation awareness by providing real-time personnel and equipment status, secure communication, health information and predictive modeling to improve decision-making.After his service in the military, he continued this record of achievement in the private sector. He has provided concrete strategies, standardization and process improvement within various companies. Since 2015, he has further dedicated his life to those in the service, as a Director of Value Management within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He leads his Value Management team to address Congressional and General Accountability Office (GAO) findings, provide governance, and measure value for VA portfolios focused on outcome-oriented results for Veterans. He is a recognized subject matter expert in Value Management and performance measurement methodologies. Most recently, inspired by his son’s medical journey, he has led a team of active citizens to create an application focused on transparency in healthcare through outcomes measurement.
A Father's Perspective - http://www.valuemanagementhealthcare.com/2016/11/my-experience/
Education
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Masters
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Healthcare, analytics, information technology, process improvement, business process reengineering, and value management
Personal Interests
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Spending time with my wife and children. Currently, in the process of teaching my 4 year old and 1 year old daughter how to swim which has been amazing opportunity to connect with each of them.
Websites
Books
Articles
Book Excerpt, Value Management in Healthcare: How to Establish a Value Managemen
Published: Nov 16, 2017 by Medical Technologies
Authors: Nathan W. Tierney
Subjects:
Business & Management, Healthcare, Information Technology, Public Administration & Public Policy
So what does a father, or a parent do when it comes to a life changing health event for their child? Don’t we all want the best outcomes for our children’s health? How do we measure a value so that as parents we can make the right decision about medical care for our children…and ourselves?
A Focus on Value
Published: Nov 16, 2017 by Medical Technologies
Authors: Nathan W. Tierney
Subjects:
Business & Management, Healthcare, Information Technology, Public Administration & Public Policy
National governments and healthcare providers have struggled to respond to this dynamic landscape, causing the quality of care administered by healthcare networks to plummet, costs to rise, and patients to become increasingly unsatisfied with their healthcare options. Leading the change to resolve the systemic issues plaguing the patient population are countries from the developing world, who are attempting to understand and tackle their respective challenges head-on.
A Call to Action for Value Management
Published: Jul 27, 2017 by Medical Technologies
Authors: Nathan W. Tierney
Subjects:
Business & Management, Healthcare, Information Technology, Public Administration & Public Policy
In healthcare, the overarching goal for providers, as well as other stakeholders, must be improving value for patients. Here, value is defined as the health outcomes achieved that matter most to patients relative to the cost of achieving those outcomes. Improving value requires either improving one or more outcomes without raising costs, or lowering costs without compromising outcomes, or both.
News
Identifying Opportunities for Intervention by Applying Machine Learning
By: Nathan Tierney
Subjects: Healthcare, Information Technology
Population health records carry a wealth of data that can be used to help clinicians understand patterns in patient behavior that suggest an opportunity for an intervention.
The U.S Department of Veteran Affairs has developed systems that are determining the best way to alert clinicians of an opportunity for a beneficial intervention. The system looks at clinical data and identifies treatments that provided improved outcomes, measured the results and applied process improvement. The resulting data helps provide insight into care models that support improved outcomes, measure the results, and apply process improvement.
In this educational presentation, Nathan Tierney, Director, Value Management at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will share the strategy and planning process that went into this project.
To fix broken US healthcare system, deliver value, VA director says
By: Nathan Tierney
Subjects: Healthcare
BOSTON -- Veterans Affairs director of value management Nathan Tierney said that focusing on outcomes, rather than cost, is the key to improving healthcare.
“We know the healthcare system is broken,” Tierney said at the Pop Health Forum in Boston Tuesday.
Tierney listed the global aging population, growing affluence, a rise in chronic diseases and more informed patient populations as all “contributing to a rising demand for healthcare that’s just not sustainable.”
Population health picking up steam, IT maturing, but more innovation is needed
By: Nathan Tierney
Subjects: Healthcare, Information Technology
Population health picking up steam, IT maturing, but more innovation is needed
The U.S. healthcare system is broken, focusing on patients is the way to fix it, population health initiatives are on the rise, and executives need to prepare for more changes ahead.
Those were the overarching themes of the HIMSS and Healthcare IT News Pop Health Forum in Boston.
At the event, thought leaders and a technology vendor research study indicated that both pop health and value-based care are here to stay.
HIMSS Population Health Forum
By: Nathan Tierney
Subjects: Business & Management, Healthcare, Information Technology
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves almost 9 million patients annually with a host of physical, mental and behavioral problems. This presentation will cover their goal to utilize value management approaches within the VA healthcare system. The VA Value Management approach practices the use of business analytics, methodologies and Lean tools to identify and monitor key results and indicators with the goal to improve the outcomes of the disparate medical needs of their patients. The new value-oriented world, will consist of:
Collaboration
Transparency
Optimization of outcomes
Accountable care
Focus on populations (as VA, Veteran, and Congressional).
Key takeaways:
- Understand Michael Porter's equation to increase value for the patient.
- Time-driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC) is the catalyst for reforming Health Care Organizations.
- The transformation of HCO's will positively benefit patients, payers and providers.