Better management of health at a population level is increasingly important as our nation works to improve the quality of healthcare at lower cost.  Alternative payment models, such as bundled payment and at-risk contracts, also put a premium on population health.  Physician leaders taking charge of their organizations’ population health strategy may wonder what this entails and seek to understand what their new roles actually mean.

Rita Numerof, Ph.D. provides a checklist for developing a successful population health strategy in her latest article, The Challenges Facing Dr. Population Health, appearing in the July issue of Population Health News. Ranging from defining which population needs managing to monitoring progress, the checklist provides a useful roadmap for anyone engaged in population health initiatives, whether new to the field or an expert.