Our world needs more empathy, and provider/payer relationships are no exception. On the latest episode of The Scope with Dr. K, Dr. Lawrence Kosinski and Lee McGrath discuss the importance of providers and payers finding common ground.

“We have to engage everyone – specialists included – to ensure all incentives are aligned so that payers and providers work together.” McGrath said. “Otherwise, we’ll still have people saying ‘One person’s win is another person’s loss, and we’ll never be successful.”

McGrath, senior vice president, Provider Strategy & Solutions, at Premera Blue Cross, was previously senior director of Value Based Contracts at BCBSIL. She also is the former president of Illinois Health Partners, one of the largest clinically integrated networks in Chicago.

The podcast, which airs on HealthcareNOW Radio, focuses on how specialists can participate in valued-based care, as well as McGrath’s experiences from both the provider and payer sides.

“I think it’s so important to be able to walk in the shoes of both sides of really complex problems to deeply understand them and have empathy,” McGrath said. “[Provider and payer] objectives are the same: to make communities healthier and happier. I’m really proud and excited that I’ve been able to see both sides of the problem, as we try to remap the entire healthcare system.”