In this episode, Susan Dentzer, President and CEO of America's Physician Groups, shares a grounded perspective shaped by her work across journalism, policy, and now with physician groups accountable for both cost and quality.
Susan explains why healthcare is less a “system” and more a fragmented set of incentives. We discuss why fee-for-service still dominates, what makes value-based care difficult to scale, and how payment models continue to reward volume over outcomes.
She also shares what is actually working on the gro...
In this episode, Susan Dentzer, President and CEO of America's Physician Groups, shares a grounded perspective shaped by her work across journalism, policy, and now with physician groups accountable for both cost and quality.
Susan explains why healthcare is less a “system” and more a fragmented set of incentives. We discuss why fee-for-service still dominates, what makes value-based care difficult to scale, and how payment models continue to reward volume over outcomes.
She also shares what is actually working on the ground. Physician groups taking on full accountability are improving care, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, and building systems that benefit broader patient populations.
We also explore the pressures facing healthcare today, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and an aging population, and why these forces make change more urgent.
In our conversation, we examine what is real versus noise, what is holding the system back, and why there may be no viable alternative to value-based care.
Listen to the full episode for a clear view of where healthcare is heading and what it will take to move it forward.
Susan Dentzer Bio:
Susan Dentzer is President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Physician Groups, the nonprofit organization representing more than 360 large physician groups focused on patient-centered, coordinated, and integrated health care that is accountable for both costs and quality. Dentzer is a highly respected health and health policy thought leader, a frequent speaker and commentator, and an author of commentaries in Modern Healthcare, the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, the American Journal of Public Health, and other prominent publications. She is also the editor and lead author of the book Health Care Without Walls: A Roadmap for Reinventing U.S. Health Care. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations and is a fellow of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the Hastings Center. Dentzer graduated from Dartmouth and also holds a master’s degree in health care delivery science from the institution. She is a trustee emerita of Dartmouth, chaired the institution’s Board of Trustees from 2001-2004, and served on the board of Dartmouth Health as well as the Board of Advisors of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Dentzer serves on the advisory boards of the Robert J. Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University; the Center for Global Health Equity at Dartmouth; and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California – San Francisco (UCSF). From March 2021-March 2023, Dentzer chaired the Board of Directors of Research!America, which advocates for health-related research, and formerly chaired the board of the Global Health Council. Dentzer was also a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the International Rescue Committee, the organization that works in more than 40 countries to help those affected by humanitarian crises survive and rebuild their lives, and currently serves on IRC’s Board of Advisors.
Music Credit:
"Upbeat Corporate" by Music For Creators is licensed under CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) via freemusicarchive.org.
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