AU Health/Medical College of Georgia launched a Value Based Care Competition for first-year medical students, in response to the changing CMS payment models that prioritize quality of services over quantity of services rendered. The competition itself led to value-based interventions such as promoting and implementing team-based care. Every unit in the hospital now has a pharmacist, physical therapist, case worker and social worker, all working with the physician to provide inpatient care and coordinate the patient’s discharge process. This has decreased overall length of stay in the hospital and reduced ER visits for the most vulnerable patients. Interventions have also decreased financial losses due to readmissions and fines.

These evidence-based recommendations can drive change in health care systems that improve management and communication with patients and their families, reducing complications and repeat admissions. Recommendations also have the potential to improve clinician well-being through increased efficiency and communication. Early medical student exposure to value-based care can drive change in the present and transform the health care system in the future.