Heavner, van der Sommen Win

2nd Annual Streck Fellowship

COOPERSTOWN – The William F. Streck, MD, Fellowship in Health Policy and Management, created to acknowledge Bassett Hospital’s retired 30-year president, has been awarded to Philip Heavner, MD, FAAP, chief of pediatrics, and Susan van der Sommen, executive director of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.

Established in 2014, the fellowship will be awarded annually to one or two Bassett employees to pursue a non-degree educational opportunity to study health policy and management for rural populations.

Heavner, who has administrative oversight of pediatrics, the Birthing Center and School-Based Health, will attend the Integrated Health System Series (American Association of Physician Leadership) in Orlando, Fla., in January. The program will explore key trends, developments and guidelines to help shape integrated clinical practice in pediatrics and other areas throughout Bassett Healthcare Network. Heavner joined Bassett in 2005.

Van der Sommen’s DSRIP program is dedicated to improving the health of the Medicaid population and reducing the cost of care. Van der Sommen will attend the Jefferson College of Population Health Academy next April, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to learn how the Bassett network and its leaders can make a successful shift from a fee-for-service model to one based on population health management and quality of care.

Dr. William F. Streck, president & CEO of Bassett from 1984 to 2014, was one of the longest serving health system executives in New York State and the country and a recognized leader and innovator in health care design delivery and policy. Streck also served five New York State governors on advisory boards, key Department of Health committees, state policy groups, and numerous community and organizational boards—including HANYS’ board of trustees—from 1988 to 2014, serving as HANYS’ board chair in 2000. He is currently the chief medical and health systems innovation officer at HANYS.