Integrity. Commitment. Quality
Sappho Health Strategies, LLC's Managing Director, Nalini Pande, has nearly 25 years of experience in healthcare and health policy. She manages projects on health reform, health care systems, and health care delivery and design. Most recently she worked on an analysis of the different health reform proposals, including the public option, Medicare for All, the Medicare buy-in option and the Medicaid buy-in option. She has strong expertise in the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid, health policy, patient safety, and emerging payment models, including accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and patient-centered medical homes. Ms. Pande has significant experience in population health issues, quality measurement, health disparities, prevention, and health information technology. She also has considerable expertise in working with dual eligibles and the specific issues facing this unique population, such as coordination of benefits. Ms. Pande maintains a broad understanding of the challenges, barriers, and solutions to implementing integrated care models. Ms. Pande has conducted numerous trainings and key informant interviews as well as facilitated focus groups. She previously led the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) Coordinating Committee at NQF which focused on identifying measure sets for payment reform models, public reporting, and program evaluation in various settings such as clinician, hospital, post-acute care, and long-term care as well as for various populations including the dual eligible beneficiary population. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Department of Health Systems. Ms. Pande is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy.
In The News
Press related to Speech at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Population Health Conference
Health Affairs Article on Psychiatric Emergency Department Boarding
Past Reports, Publications and Speeches
“Addressing Health Equity and Implicit Bias in Health Payment Reform Models,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Health Law Summit, December 12, 2022.
“Behavioral Health Access & Payment: Covid's Impact and Where We Go From Here,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Emerging Issues Health Law Conference, April 29, 2022.
“ACO Reach Model,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Emerging Issues Health Law Conference, April 28, 2022.
“CMS’ Direct Contracting Model: Program Overview and Implications.” Speaker, Gerson Lehrman Group, Feb. 26, 2021.
“The Future of Healthcare Reform.” Speaker, Princeton University, PWN, January 25, 2021.
“Re-Opening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: Physician Guidance for Deciding Whether to Reopen and How to Reopen.” American Bar Association Health E-Source, June 2, 2020.
“Re-Opening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: “Reopening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: Guidance for Deciding Whether to Reopen and Legal Implications of Reopening,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Health Law Section Program. May 22, 2020.
“Medicare for All: Winners and Losers of the 2020 Health Policy Proposals,” Speaker, Gerson Lehrman Group. May 30, 2019.
Pande, Nalini. “Aligning Efforts to Improve Quality.” American Hospital Association. TrendWatch Report (Oct. 2018).
“Medicare Under MACRA: Year 2 of the Quality Payment Program and Beyond,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, March 29, 2018.
"MACRA and the Medicare Payment Medicare Incentive Payment System (MIPS),” Speaker, American Health Lawyers Association Webinar, January 10, 2018.
“Medicare Payments After MACRA and Beyond,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, March 6, 2017.
“The Changing Health Policy Landscape: Accountable Care Organizations, Health Reform and Increased Consumerism,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, January 27, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Patient-Centered Care: Health Literacy, HIT and Shared Decision-making.” Health Insights. January 20, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Prevention, Incentives and Medicare Costs.” Health Insights. January 6, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Population Health: Cockroaches, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants.” Health Insights. December 15, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “The Medicare Trajectory.” Health Insights. December 2, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “Dual Eligibles and HIT: Managing Not Just Measuring.” Health Insights. November 17, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “Dual Eligibles and ACOs: A Blueprint for Success.” Health Insights. November 4, 2014.
Thygeson, M, Frosch, D, Carman, K and N Pande. Patient and Family Engagement in a Changing Health Care Landscape. A brief written for attendees of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Convening on Patient and Family Engagement. February 2014.
Pande, N (2013, September). Population Health and ACO Policy Goals: Five Action Items Alliances Can Do Now. Presented at Bridging the Gap Between Health Care and Population Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Aligning Forces For Quality Conference, Dallas, TX. “State of the States: An Overview of Dual Eligibles Across the Country,” Speaker, 2013 DUALS Forum, Baltimore, Maryland, April 5, 2013.
Sherman, D, Pande, N et al. Bipartisan Policy Center: prevention economic analysis project. March 12, 2013.
“Perspectives on Quality: Upcoming Trends in Integrated Delivery System Models,” Speaker, 2012 Health Care Compliance Association Annual Compliance Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 2, 2012.
“An Evening with Industry Experts for Young Practitioners,” Speaker, DC Bar Health Law Section, Washington D.C., January 18, 2011.
Alakeson, Vidhya, Nalini Pande and Michael Ludwig, “A Plan to Reduce Emergency Room ‘Boarding’ of Psychiatric Patients. Health Affairs, 29 (9): 1637-41, September 2010.
“Psychiatric Boarding Falling Between the Cracks: Emergency Departments,” National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare's 39th Conference, San Antonio, Texas, April 8, 2009.
“Update on the State Children's Health Insurance Program,” Speaker, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., December 13, 2007.
“Where the Action Is: Innovative State Health Care Initiatives,” Journal of Health Law& Policy, Washington College of Law, American University (Fall 2007).
“Emphasis on Quality May Create New Type of Enforcement Actions,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., July 25, 2007.
“Where the Action Is: Innovative State Health Care Initiatives,” Speaker, American University Washington College of Law, Health Law Symposium, February 13, 2007.
“Policy Options Regarding Surplus Accumulation in the Washington Health Insurance Market.” (January 2007). N. Pande, N. Hawit, A. Wilk and T. Bubniak.
“Considerations for Appropriate Surplus Accumulation in the Rhode Island Health Insurance Market.” (August 2006). T. Savela, N. Pande and R. Owen.
“Fraud and the Pharmaceutical Industry,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., Jan. 23, 2006.
CareFirst Health Needs Assessment, prepared for CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, (Oct. 24, 2005), J. Bryant, N. Pande, and C. Koster.
“Considerations for Regulating Surplus Accumulation and Community Benefit Activities of Pennsylvania's Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans” (June 2005). B. Atlas, J. Bryant, G. Catterall, S. Woda, T. Sathiamoorthi, and N. Pande.
“Pay For Performance/Gainsharing: How to Reward Quality Care While Avoiding Violations,” Speaker, Health Care Compliance Association Audio Conference, May 24, 2005.
“Pay for Performance: Incentivizing Quality Care, Overcoming Legal Obstacles,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., February 8, 2005.
“Provider Reimbursement: Winners and Losers under the MMA,” Speaker, Crowell & Moring Healthcare Ounce of Prevention Seminar, October 22, 2004.
Guide to Medi-Cal Programs., (2nd Ed. March 2004) R. Boyle, N. Pande, and L. Lynch.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Opportunities and Challenges in Tight Fiscal Times., (June 2003) L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Options for the Assets Test., (June 2003). L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Options for the Income Test., (June 2003). L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
“Improving Medicaid and SCHIP Programs,” Speaker, Orange County Children’s Health Access Initiative Conference sponsored by CalOptima, Orange County, California, June 27, 2002.
“Access to Healthcare,” Speaker, Consumers Union and Children's Partnership Conference on Accepting the Challenge: Ensuring California's Children Have Access to Quality Healthcare, Pasadena, California, June 6, 2002.
“Successful Strategies for Medicaid and SCHIP Health Coverage,” Speaker, Consumers Union, Community Health Councils, Inc. and Covering Kids and Families Coalition Conference, San Francisco, California, May 16, 2002.
The Fine Line Between Innocent Mistake and Reckless Disregard, Journal of Health Care Compliance. Vol. 2, No.3 (May/June 2000).
Health Affairs Article on Psychiatric Emergency Department Boarding
Past Reports, Publications and Speeches
“Addressing Health Equity and Implicit Bias in Health Payment Reform Models,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Health Law Summit, December 12, 2022.
“Behavioral Health Access & Payment: Covid's Impact and Where We Go From Here,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Emerging Issues Health Law Conference, April 29, 2022.
“ACO Reach Model,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Emerging Issues Health Law Conference, April 28, 2022.
“CMS’ Direct Contracting Model: Program Overview and Implications.” Speaker, Gerson Lehrman Group, Feb. 26, 2021.
“The Future of Healthcare Reform.” Speaker, Princeton University, PWN, January 25, 2021.
“Re-Opening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: Physician Guidance for Deciding Whether to Reopen and How to Reopen.” American Bar Association Health E-Source, June 2, 2020.
“Re-Opening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: “Reopening Safely in the Time of COVID-19: Guidance for Deciding Whether to Reopen and Legal Implications of Reopening,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Health Law Section Program. May 22, 2020.
“Medicare for All: Winners and Losers of the 2020 Health Policy Proposals,” Speaker, Gerson Lehrman Group. May 30, 2019.
Pande, Nalini. “Aligning Efforts to Improve Quality.” American Hospital Association. TrendWatch Report (Oct. 2018).
“Medicare Under MACRA: Year 2 of the Quality Payment Program and Beyond,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, March 29, 2018.
"MACRA and the Medicare Payment Medicare Incentive Payment System (MIPS),” Speaker, American Health Lawyers Association Webinar, January 10, 2018.
“Medicare Payments After MACRA and Beyond,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, March 6, 2017.
“The Changing Health Policy Landscape: Accountable Care Organizations, Health Reform and Increased Consumerism,” Speaker, DC Bar Program, January 27, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Patient-Centered Care: Health Literacy, HIT and Shared Decision-making.” Health Insights. January 20, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Prevention, Incentives and Medicare Costs.” Health Insights. January 6, 2015.
Pande, Nalini. “Population Health: Cockroaches, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants.” Health Insights. December 15, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “The Medicare Trajectory.” Health Insights. December 2, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “Dual Eligibles and HIT: Managing Not Just Measuring.” Health Insights. November 17, 2014.
Pande, Nalini. “Dual Eligibles and ACOs: A Blueprint for Success.” Health Insights. November 4, 2014.
Thygeson, M, Frosch, D, Carman, K and N Pande. Patient and Family Engagement in a Changing Health Care Landscape. A brief written for attendees of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Convening on Patient and Family Engagement. February 2014.
Pande, N (2013, September). Population Health and ACO Policy Goals: Five Action Items Alliances Can Do Now. Presented at Bridging the Gap Between Health Care and Population Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Aligning Forces For Quality Conference, Dallas, TX. “State of the States: An Overview of Dual Eligibles Across the Country,” Speaker, 2013 DUALS Forum, Baltimore, Maryland, April 5, 2013.
Sherman, D, Pande, N et al. Bipartisan Policy Center: prevention economic analysis project. March 12, 2013.
“Perspectives on Quality: Upcoming Trends in Integrated Delivery System Models,” Speaker, 2012 Health Care Compliance Association Annual Compliance Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 2, 2012.
“An Evening with Industry Experts for Young Practitioners,” Speaker, DC Bar Health Law Section, Washington D.C., January 18, 2011.
Alakeson, Vidhya, Nalini Pande and Michael Ludwig, “A Plan to Reduce Emergency Room ‘Boarding’ of Psychiatric Patients. Health Affairs, 29 (9): 1637-41, September 2010.
“Psychiatric Boarding Falling Between the Cracks: Emergency Departments,” National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare's 39th Conference, San Antonio, Texas, April 8, 2009.
“Update on the State Children's Health Insurance Program,” Speaker, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., December 13, 2007.
“Where the Action Is: Innovative State Health Care Initiatives,” Journal of Health Law& Policy, Washington College of Law, American University (Fall 2007).
“Emphasis on Quality May Create New Type of Enforcement Actions,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., July 25, 2007.
“Where the Action Is: Innovative State Health Care Initiatives,” Speaker, American University Washington College of Law, Health Law Symposium, February 13, 2007.
“Policy Options Regarding Surplus Accumulation in the Washington Health Insurance Market.” (January 2007). N. Pande, N. Hawit, A. Wilk and T. Bubniak.
“Considerations for Appropriate Surplus Accumulation in the Rhode Island Health Insurance Market.” (August 2006). T. Savela, N. Pande and R. Owen.
“Fraud and the Pharmaceutical Industry,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., Jan. 23, 2006.
CareFirst Health Needs Assessment, prepared for CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, (Oct. 24, 2005), J. Bryant, N. Pande, and C. Koster.
“Considerations for Regulating Surplus Accumulation and Community Benefit Activities of Pennsylvania's Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans” (June 2005). B. Atlas, J. Bryant, G. Catterall, S. Woda, T. Sathiamoorthi, and N. Pande.
“Pay For Performance/Gainsharing: How to Reward Quality Care While Avoiding Violations,” Speaker, Health Care Compliance Association Audio Conference, May 24, 2005.
“Pay for Performance: Incentivizing Quality Care, Overcoming Legal Obstacles,” Moderator, DC Bar Health Law Section Luncheon, Washington D.C., February 8, 2005.
“Provider Reimbursement: Winners and Losers under the MMA,” Speaker, Crowell & Moring Healthcare Ounce of Prevention Seminar, October 22, 2004.
Guide to Medi-Cal Programs., (2nd Ed. March 2004) R. Boyle, N. Pande, and L. Lynch.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Opportunities and Challenges in Tight Fiscal Times., (June 2003) L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Options for the Assets Test., (June 2003). L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
Simplifying Medi-Cal Enrollment: Options for the Income Test., (June 2003). L. Chimento, A. Theisen, M. Forbes, J. Menges, and N. Pande.
“Improving Medicaid and SCHIP Programs,” Speaker, Orange County Children’s Health Access Initiative Conference sponsored by CalOptima, Orange County, California, June 27, 2002.
“Access to Healthcare,” Speaker, Consumers Union and Children's Partnership Conference on Accepting the Challenge: Ensuring California's Children Have Access to Quality Healthcare, Pasadena, California, June 6, 2002.
“Successful Strategies for Medicaid and SCHIP Health Coverage,” Speaker, Consumers Union, Community Health Councils, Inc. and Covering Kids and Families Coalition Conference, San Francisco, California, May 16, 2002.
The Fine Line Between Innocent Mistake and Reckless Disregard, Journal of Health Care Compliance. Vol. 2, No.3 (May/June 2000).