In the latest session of the Chief Network Officer Roundtable, the focus shifted squarely to the member. Featuring speakers Scott VandeSand, Director, Health Program Support and World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program at Karna, and Jeff Fritz, CEO at Andros, they explored how data, empathy, and proactive planning can create more responsive and resilient provider networks.
Precision starts with understanding the population
The conversation began with Scott sharing lessons from the World Trade Center Health Program, which serves a unique population of 9/11 first responders and survivors. Scott emphasized the key to serving diverse, disparate and unique populations is to know your members—clinically, behaviorally, and emotionally.
“You can’t look at an individual and predict exactly what they’ll need. But at a population level, we can make educated guesses that help steer strategy and set priorities.”
Rather than chasing access metrics, Scott’s team uses predictive analytics to anticipate member needs before they arise. This proactive approach ensures providers are available in the right geographies at the right time. It’s a model rooted in trauma-informed care and one that more health plans should consider as they look to transform their approach.
Healthcare should learn from consumer industries
Healthcare isn’t the only industry dealing with complex user needs. Financial services and retail have set the bar for personalization, leveraging data to anticipate behavior and tailor experiences.
“The winners in healthcare will be those who move beyond cost and generic quality metrics and instead deliver tailored, member-first experiences with precision and purpose.”
In healthcare, the stakes are higher. But so is the potential impact. The speakers called on the industry to follow suit—break down data silos, embrace adaptable network lifecycle platform solutions, and treat provider network design as a strategic differentiator.
Experience is the new frontier for network strategy
Throughout the conversation, both speakers stressed that experience, both for members and providers, must be elevated as a top priority. That means designing networks not just for access and cost control, but for empathy, mission alignment, and long-term value.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the members. We put aside differences of opinion and personal preferences because if something is in the best interest of the program and its members, we support it. We even design our services to ensure continuity of care, whether we’re the vendor or not.”
From insight to action: the time to start is now
The shift to a member-first network strategy doesn’t require a massive overhaul overnight. It starts with small, intentional experiments that prioritize insight, agility, and empathy. The message was clear: don’t wait. The opportunity to drive real change is here. And it starts with centering the member in every decision.
If your team is ready for the next step and you want to start building better relationships and a higher-performing network, Andros’s NLP Transformation Services are ready to support you. Reach out to learn more today!
Did you miss the live webinar? We’ve got you. You can watch it back anytime you’d like on-demand.
And, in case you missed it, you can also watch the other two sessions of the Chief Network Officer Roundtable here:
