Joseph Wiley, M.D., Serving as First Medical Director of Population Health at LifeBridge Health
Joseph, "Joe" Wiley, M.D., is now serving full-time as the inaugural medical director of Population Health at LifeBridge Health, a department tasked with coordinating and managing care to improve the health and wellness of people in local neighborhoods, surrounding communities, and throughout the LifeBridge Health system.
"I am honored to be working with this important program that has the potential to make such a huge difference in people's daily lives," says Dr. Wiley. "The population health initiative in medicine is based on the time measured philosophy of maintaining and improving health. By recognizing the social, environmental and behavioral factors that, in addition to medical care, may influence an individual's health, we can look for new and innovative ways to help our patients and our communities that will hopefully benefit people for decades to come."
The mission of Population Health at LifeBridge Health is to improve wellness by ensuring that patients receive the right level of services based on their needs, increase access to preventive care and develop connections to community programs and social services that support better health.
"Dr. Wiley's three-plus decades of clinical, research and administrative leadership experience made him the ideal inaugural medical director of Population Health at LifeBridge Health," says Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health. "His ability to understand the complexities of providing preventive medical care combined with his boundless compassion for his patients and their families are exactly what we need to make this crucial initiative effective."
Dr. Wiley previously served as chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai. He is well respected for his vision to redefine patient and family-centered care and to oversee the design, construction and fundraising of the state-of-the-art children's hospital.
Dr. Wiley became division chief of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology when he joined Sinai in 2000 and was appointed chief of the Department of Pediatrics in 2001, a role he held until he took over as head of population health.
At LifeBridge Health, Population Health initiatives are organized into three key areas:
The first is "Prevention and Chronic Care Management." LifeBridge Health is committed to helping patients make strides in achieving and sustaining lasting wellness, and in managing ongoing conditions. Outreach programs include diabetes management, heart disease, high-risk pregnancies, behavioral health, and an HIV management center and a rapid HIV testing program in the Sinai emergency department. LifeBridge Health also works with community organizations to provide improved connections to support services. One example is the AccessHealth program in the Sinai Hospital emergency department, which coordinates social support connections for patients who might not know how to access such services.
Another component of Population Health is the idea of "Right Care at the Right Time," ensuring that patients receive the right amount and level of care for their individual needs and circumstances. LifeBridge Health provides a uniquely comprehensive system that promotes continuity of care with acute hospitals, an exten