At the second session of the Chief Network Officer Roundtable, two seasoned leaders—Dr. Tarek Elsawy, EVP at Emerja Corporation and Melissa Kittelson, Chief Network Transformation Officer at Andros—offered a candid, provider perspective on where health plans get it right, where they don’t, and how to build better partnerships going forward.
While the conversation touched on everything from administrative burden to innovative readiness, one theme was clear throughout: the payer-provider relationship is overdue for reinvention. And that reinvention starts with trust, transparency, and shared design.
Acknowledge the relationship is strained, but fixable
Dr. Elsawy opened the discussion with a reality check: despite good intentions on both sides, the relationship between providers and payers is deeply strained, with the root issue being a lack of understanding and trust. Health plans are often seen as middlemen with little connection to patient care, and providers frequently feel burdened by layers of administrative requirements that don’t meaningfully improve outcomes. But progress is possible.
“You can’t fix a problem unless you acknowledge it exists. When everybody enters a conversation thinking everything is business as usual, you’re already behind.”
He encouraged health plans to get closer to the provider experience, both physically and operationally. “Spend more time with providers than with your own colleagues,” he advised. That insight sparked discussion on the importance of co-creating solutions together, not dictating them from a distance.
Move from contracting to relationship management
The conversation continued to build on this theme of co-creation, with an emphasis on shifting from transactional contracting to strategic partnership. Melissa shared examples of health plans that are embracing a provider concierge model—cross-functional teams trained to navigate tech tools, reimbursement models, and operational hurdles on behalf of providers.
“It’s time to treat providers as strategic partners, not just contracted entities. That means embedding them in shared planning, offering transparency, and rewarding collaboration—not just controlling costs.”
Too often, she noted, providers are handed scorecards or reporting tools that feel punitive or misaligned. But when health plans engage providers in building those tools, and tailor them to what providers actually value, adaptation and impact soar.
Technology isn’t the problem—design is
The discussion also explored why so many technology rollouts fail to gain traction in a clinical setting. Both speakers agreed: it’s not the tech, it’s the disconnect between design and reality. “Innovation that adds administrative burden or disrupts workflow—even when it’s well-intended—undermines trust and outcomes,” Melissa cautioned.
Tarek echoed that point, urging technology teams to spend time in the field saying, “Be where the action is. Don’t presume you know what problem they’re trying to solve.”
A call for small, fast experiments
In the face of slow-moving systems, the speakers offered one of the most actionable takeaways of the session: don’t wait for enterprise-wide transformation. Start small. Pick a defined problem in a market with strong relationships, run a short-term pilot, and track measurable results.
“We all have bosses and we all fear failed experiments. But if you define the problem well and set quitting criteria upfront, you’ll learn quickly and move forward faster.”
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 first session of the Chief Network Officer Roundtable here: Leading The Shift: How Chief Network Officers Drive Organizational Transformation.
