Christina Bell is a nationally recognized health care leader whose work at the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions is transforming how employers invest in and advance comprehensive primary care.
The Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) is delighted to recognize Christina Bell, Senior Director of Healthcare Advancement at the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, as its latest Primary Care Champion. In a recent interview with the PCC, Bell explored her passion for primary care and outlined the importance of policymakers and industry leaders investing in comprehensive primary care.
Bell’s passion for primary care was born from witnessing the harm that comes from communities lacking access. Through her work with the National Alliance and its regional partners, she saw firsthand the impacts of health inequities, consolidation of physician practices and clinician burnout. COVID-19 deepened her commitment as she reflected on her own experience as a patient navigating a system that often fails to address the full spectrum of a person’s needs.
At the National Alliance, Bell helps center the patient voice in health care improvement efforts, recognizing that lived experiences must drive meaningful change. Her team educates employers about alternative payment models and highlights those leading the way with investments in comprehensive primary care. Some employers are even bringing clinical teams onsite, meeting people where they are.
Bell believes strong primary care is the foundation for helping people manage their health before it becomes a crisis. It prevents unnecessary emergency room visits, boosts access to preventive care and supports better health. For employers, this is also an opportunity to build trust with employees through a long-term commitment to wellbeing.
A key message Bell shares with policymakers and health care leaders is the urgent need to move away from fee-for-service payment models, which reward volume over value and fragment care. She supports the PCC’s call for hybrid payment models that promote prevention, coordination and patient relationships while also controlling costs and allowing flexibility for providers.
If she could change one thing about the country’s health care system overnight, it would be transparency. Too many employers still don’t have access to meaningful data on health care costs and quality, making it difficult to design benefit plans that truly serve their populations. Greater transparency would empower employers to make better-informed decisions and is a critical step toward reform.