Last year, Healthmap Solutions established our Population Health Scholar program—a unique opportunity for nephrology fellows and recently certified nephrologists to work within our clinical team, share insights from their experience and studies, and gain exposure to population health management. We recently sat down with nephrologist Melinda Solomon, MD, Healthmap’s first Population Health Scholar, to learn about her experience in the program and how it has impacted her perspective on kidney health management.
Dr. Solomon’s path to nephrology began at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she received her medical degree and completed her internal medicine residency. After selecting nephrology as her specialty, she completed her fellowship at Boston Medical Center, where she is now a practicing nephrologist and instructor of medicine. She is also pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Research at Boston University. It was during her fellowship that her program director connected her with Healthmap, where she saw an opportunity to explore her interest in improving patient care.
As a practicing nephrologist, Dr. Solomon was particularly excited to learn about Healthmap’s approach to educating members in our Kidney Population Health Management program. She was impressed by Healthmap’s ability to deliver easy-to-understand information to patients and plans to use many of Healthmap’s online patient resources and coaching tactics with her own patients moving forward. A key takeaway from her experience was understanding the importance of providing specific, actionable guidance to patients. She explained, “Providers often focus on what we think patients should do. But to provide full care, you also need to think about what patients can do, and what they can reasonably incorporate into their lives. For example, it’s easy to tell someone to lose weight or eat less salt, but a lot of patients don’t know what that actually looks like day-to-day. While at Healthmap, I was able to work with our medical leaders to identify some opportunities for education and resources that could help patients make specific, manageable changes in their lives.”
One of Dr. Solomon’s projects focused on identifying a list of kidney-friendly recipes (now available on our website) for Healthmap’s nurses and dietitians to share with patients. She also met with our dietitians to learn about how Healthmap educates patients about dietary recommendations. She found that this initiative and similar projects gave her a new perspective on how to educate patients effectively and make information more accessible to them. “I’ve learned better ways to explain things to patients. It’s all about making it easy for them to implement the instructions,” Dr. Solomon shared. “If I can give them a list of recipes that are appropriate for them, they don’t need to worry about finding recipes themselves. I now have a list of recipes for day-to-day cooking, holidays, and family-friendly options that are renal-friendly. I’ve given the list to a few of my own patients already, and they’ve found it helpful.”
Dr. Solomon shared that Healthmap’s approach to patient education is not only beneficial to patients, but it has benefited her as a provider as well. She stated, “As a provider, you have limited time with your patients during their appointments. If a patient comes in with a very specific question, it’s much easier for the provider to fill in the knowledge gap. The resources that we’ve created at Healthmap can help patients understand what kinds of questions they should be asking their doctors, so they can feel like they are involved in their care, while also helping them make the most of the time they have with their providers.”
For nephrologists considering a Population Health Scholar position at Healthmap, Dr. Solomon emphasized the importance of curiosity and intention. “You get out what you put in,” she said. “If you have a specific interest that you’d like to dive into, like I did with patient education, Healthmap’s Population Health Scholar program gives you the ability to explore it deeply.”
Dr. Solomon’s thoughtful, practical approach to care is exactly what the Population Health Scholar program aims to foster. As she transitions back into a more traditional clinical role, we’re confident her time with Healthmap will continue to shape the way she supports her patients in the clinic and beyond.
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