This episode features Dr. Martin Portillo, President and Chief Medical Officer at Cone Health Medical Group & SVP of the Ambulatory and Cancer Center at Cone Health. Here, he discusses his background, his focus on driving costs down & increasing access to care, his experience being a first generation immigrant, and more.
Summary
Meet Dr. Martin Portillo: President and CMO at Cone Health Medical Group
Dr. Martin Portillo, President and Chief Medical Officer at Cone Health Medical Group & SVP of Ambulatory Enterprises at Cone Health, is a renowned internal medicine physician who has spent most of his career improving healthcare access and advocating for patient equality.
The Story of a First-generation Immigrant
Dr. Portillo was only ten years old when he moved from Honduras to America. It was a big move for the then young Portillo, who was excited to learn English and become part of a new culture. In college, he studied at Rutgers University where he also attended medical school. Subsequently, he worked at Kaiser Permanente for 21 years, where he learned a lot about population health.
Enabling Access to Affordable Care
When Dr. Portillo joined Cone Health Medical Group in 2017, the group already had 480 healthcare providers and 124 practices. Under his leadership, Cone Health's providers have grown to 900 with 170 practices. One of his primary focuses is reducing healthcare costs and increasing accessibility to care throughout the Cone Health system.
Creating New Revenue Streams Whilst Focusing on Patient Experience
Dr. Portillo's interest in driving down healthcare costs extends to creating new revenue streams for Cone Health Medical Group. This, he says, will ensure the group remains financially sustainable and can continue to provide top-notch healthcare for its patients. He also focuses on improving patient experience by standardizing templates for primary care and centralizing referrals.
Advocating for the Latino Community
As an internal medicine physician, Dr. Portillo came to realize the significant challenges faced by Latino patients in accessing basic healthcare. Hence, he opted to address the issue head-on by conducting extensive research and advocating for his patients. His work in the field makes him a respected healthcare provider and a true champion of patient equality.
Dr. Portillo's story is truly inspirational and highlights the transformative impact healthcare providers can have by advocating for their patients' care rights and being mindful of the unique barriers specific communities within the healthcare system may face.
Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to podcasts@beckershealthcare.com
This episode aired on 05/07/2023 and can be listened here.
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