Inspiring Conversations with Hallie Woods of Accessum Health

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hallie Woods.

Hi Hallie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The first healthcare worker I knew was my mom. She was a nurse for 35 years and although we never talked about it explicitly, I understood her job was more than punching a clock: She was caring for people in their most vulnerable times. I wanted to bring that same level of compassion and helping people to my career. So, after a short stent in journalism, I went into healthcare. But, I wanted to understand processes and help people through leadership, so instead of an MD or an RN, I got my MBA and went into healthcare administration.

For 15 years I climbed the ladder and became the Chief Operating Officer of a large hospital in Denver. I was proud of that work and worked alongside amazing people: nurses, doctors, ultrasound techs, mechanics, food service workers, housekeepers, all people that showed up daily to help people. But, unfortunately, we were working in a system with misaligned incentives. A system designed to make money on people being sick.

Then, one day, I got a call from an Emergency Medical Services Personnel while at work that said my mother, a health 62-year-old nurse, was found dead in her front yard gardening. She was gone immediately. My mother had an unknown heart condition that was causing her heart muscle to die for months prior to her death, and even though she had seen her primary care doctor for their quick 5-minute visit, she had been assured nothing was likely wrong and no follow up was needed. That was my first personal experience with the failure of the healthcare system.

As an executive, I more and more saw how the system was designed to profit off of people being sick, not help people be healthy. Then, one day, driving home, I had chest pain. After my mother’s death, I pushed hard to see a specialist, have blood work, have all of the scans and ensure I was OK. My heart was fine, but on one of the scans, they found early-stage cancer. And, just 45 days prior, I had been in my primary care doctor’s office and checked out “fine.”

That diagnosis, though early and treatable, made me pivot. We only get so much time here on earth, and I was working in a system designed to treat sick people. We don’t help people be healthy, we don’t help people navigate the complexity of the system. Insurance companies deny care based on AI algorithms and then expect people to comply with their care.

This wasn’t the system I wanted to work on. So, I left my job co-leading a large hospital, and created Accessum Health. We are a vertically integrated, healthcare platform designed to deliver better healthcare outcomes. We act as a provider of healthcaer and a guide through a healthcare system that isn’t designed to serve you. Whether it be a new diagnosis, like cancer, MS, dementia, or ongoing preventive, chronic care we help you gain access to the best local and national doctors for second opinions, treatment, etc. You are assigned a Nurse Navigator who coordinates all of your care, helps explain your options, you care, and how to achieve the right needs for you. We work alongside insurance, but help you access your benefits in a way that will be most cost effective to you, yet advocate for your healthcare needs.

Our platform includes 7 domains that include: Unmatched Access, Concierge Specialty Care, Integrated Primary Care and Nurse Navigation, Healthcare Management, Insurance Advocacy, Advanced Preventive Care and Longevity Services.

Of all things to put to chance, it’s not your health. That’s where Accessum comes in. Our team of nurse navigators, dietitians, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Specialists are all working to optimize your healthcare outcomes for the duration of your life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! Innovating a new model is anything but smooth, as you have to engage people in understanding how a new model benefits them. And, when you are creating a new model that people don’t understand, selling them on your services is really hard.

I came from a large corporate organization where we had 2,000 people and another 1,000 physicians. While we had corporate bureaucracy, we also had structure and processes. Building all of that in a new company over the past few years has been challenging, especially in the heavily regulated industry that is healthcare.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I feel like I shared a lot in my journey, but I am very proud of the work Accessum does. Clients included any age, but we customize our membership to the needs of the person. A busy, 48-year-old executive who wants to ensure she is healthy but need someone to hold her hand, give her advanced preventive, care, schedule her mammogram for her, etc is one type of our client. So is a 65-year-old who was just diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t know where to start. Do I get a second opinion? Where? What is insurance going to pay for? How can I access ancillary therapies that will help me be healthy throughout the treatment. Unfortunately, our healthcare system is so fragmented and so overwhelmed, all of the “figuring out” of these types of things get pushed onto the patient.

Here is a link to our overview:
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/439278425/14/

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Go work for someone in the field you want to be in. Gain experience, cut your teeth, and then don’t be afraid to take a leap once you have years of experience under your belt.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.accessumhealth.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568652312089
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessum-health/?viewAsMember=true