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| Behavior Analysis in the Healthcare Ecosystem |
| Saturday, January 18, 2025 |
| 8:10 AM–9:00 AM |
| Sheraton New Orleans, Level 3, Napoleon Ballroom BC |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University) |
| CE Instructor: M. Christopher Newland, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: STEVEN MERAHN (Union In Action, Inc.) |
| Abstract: The growth of the applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based autism care system has forced the pediatric and behavior analytic communities into collaborative relationships where they 'share the care" of children with autism and their families, but do not have clear relationship practices, common principles of conduct, or mutual accountability. At the same time, the behavior analytic community is increasingly subject to working under principles, practices and cuture of the healthcare ecosystem with its own functions and operating model that may not be native to behavior analysis as a discipine or profession. This presentation will explore the risks of this knowledge/practice gap, and the opportunities inherent in the transformative integration of behavior analysis and pediatrics to affect outcomes for all children. Real-world examples will be used to explore the cultural, disciplinary, regulatory, and sustainability issues in such integration, and make specific programmatic recommendations to build mutually valuable bridges between the two professional disciplines, specifically related to the principles of collaborative treatment planning, care coordination, shared decision making, and 'whole-child' frameworks for outcomes measurement. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: Behavior Analysts |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Identify the role of ecosystem behavior and the structure of the healthcare environment on their function and performance as behavior analysts; (2) Effect changes in their model of care and behavior within the healthcare ecosystem to ensure better integration and acceptance of behavior analysis; (3) Advocate for expanded clinical applications of behavior analysis in healthcare beyond autism services. |
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| STEVEN MERAHN (Union In Action, Inc.) |
 Dr. Merahn is a veteran physician-executive and a recognized thought leader in systems-based practice and healthcare interaction design, with special focus on health disparities populations and communities with complex health-related needs. He is currently the Medical Director for two NYS-based non-profit organizations exclusively dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their circles of support: Care Design NY, a care coordination organization health home serving almost 30,000 members and Partners Health Plan, a CMS-authorized managed care demonstration project for fully integrated IDD care. He is also a Strategic Advisor to UNIFI Autism Care. Trained as a pediatrician, Dr Merahn is Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a member of the Autism Subcommittee of the AAP Council on Children with Disabilities and the Primary Care Committee of the AAP Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and the only physician on the Council of Autism Services Providers (CASP) Autism Commission on Quality. He is the former Chief Medical Officer for a national autism services provider, Chief Medical Officer of a national home-based primary care network and ACO serving complex/fragile and disabled patients, Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Director at Aetna’s Active Health Management Unit, and a Vice President at the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia where he led their organizational transformation initiative. He began his career as a Senior Medical Director with the NYC Department of Health, working on policies and program in maternal/child health. Dr. Merahn is an established thought leader on healthcare transformation and a vocal advocate for health equity for socially disadvantaged communities. He is the author of Care Evolution: Essays on Health Care as a Social Imperative which advocates for health as a social imperative and for healthcare as a fundamentally human endeavor rooted in collaboration, systems innovation, and healthcare interaction design. |
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