Meet Erik Helms, CCA’s SVP of Provider Contracting and Performance. Erik joined CCA in January 2024 and is focused on advancing CCA’s mission through the strengthening of our provider network – both growing the footprint in which we serve members and deepening our relationships with our provider partners.
Q: Welcome to CCA! Tell us about yourself and what drew you to CCA?
Over the past 22 years, I have had the pleasure of leading multi-disciplinary teams at organizations across the healthcare industry, including several health plans in Michigan, as well as at Centene, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, and most recently, as the SVP and Chief Payor Performance Officer at Novant Health, Inc. I joined CCA to be part of its mission of improving the health and well-being of people with the most significant needs in our communities. I was drawn to CCA’s unique history and model, as it speaks to my background in helping achieve successful business results in both the provider and payor spaces.
Q: What have you learned about CCA’s providers so far?
As I just mentioned, I was drawn to CCA’s mission. Our provider network is one of the strongest and most important resources we have in achieving that mission. CCA has phenomenal providers. I have met, and continue to meet, so many of our provider partners who are committed to serving people with the most significant needs, whose needs extend well beyond the walls of the traditional healthcare system. Our providers are the linchpin in tackling the challenging yet incredibly rewarding work in supporting the populations we mutually serve.
Q: Where do you think CCA can strengthen our provider relationships?
My role has a distinct focus on quality and member outcomes. We can’t do that without the partnership and collaboration of our providers. In April, I was so pleased to visit five of our Health Home providers and see the great work they’re doing firsthand. I already have four more visits scheduled in May and look forward to meeting with as many of you as I can.
I know that there’s room for improvement when it comes to CCA’s work with our provider partners, and I – along with the shared commitment of our executive leadership team – am leaning in to help head us in the right direction. Our providers are critically important to CCA’s work and I am so looking forward to continuing to hit the road and meet with and learn from as many of our providers as I can.
In recent weeks, we’ve taken some time to assess how we communicate important information to you. We want to make sure we are reaching you in the most efficient and meaningful way, to ensure you have what you need from CCA to provide high quality care to the individuals we mutually serve – our members who are your patients. To start, we have redesigned CCA Provider News and we hope to make this a more frequent and useful resource for you moving forward.
Q: What are your top priorities and goals in the coming months?
My top priority is to deepen our relationships with providers across our markets and lead efforts that benefit both CCA’s members and our network providers who care for them. I’ll be working to grow and expand our provider network, leading CCA’s value-based contracting transformation strategy, and enhancing our provider network performance and partnership development. As I work to elevate CCA’s provider relationships and strategies to the next level, I’m focused on integrating and aligning provider network strategy and operations with CCA’s strategic objectives and taking a deep dive into our credentialing and data management.
Q: Anything else you’d like our providers to know?
We want to hear from you! I am getting out on the road and meeting personally with as many providers as I can. If you or a team member would like to connect with CCA to discuss ways that our organizations can collaborate even more effectively, please email us at [email protected].