Full Name
Rachel Bembas PhD
Job Title
Principal Consultant
Company
Health Management Associates
Speaker Short Bio
Dr. Rachel Bembas is a distinguished leader with over 20 years of experience in Behavioral Health (BH) Quality Analytics, Outcome Evaluation, and Value-Based Payment (VBP) Transformation. She has an extensive background in developing and leading strategic initiatives for managed care organizations, state and local government agencies, and healthcare providers. Rachel excels in integrating health equity into quality improvement frameworks, advancing VBP systems, and driving measurable improvements in behavioral health outcomes through data-driven strategies.

Her work spans designing innovative performance measurement frameworks, implementing Measurement-Based Care (MBC) practices, and leading efforts to address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) to improve BH outcomes. Rachel's expertise includes integrating behavioral health into various care settings, such as child and adolescent health, physical health, corrections, and population health. She is highly skilled in developing inclusive metrics and enhancing quality management strategies for organizations. A significant focus of Rachel's work is embedding health equity into quality structures to ensure inclusive and intentional care for diverse populations.

Dr. Bembas is an expert in Measurement Strategy, Measurement-Based Care (MBC), guiding data analysis and performance measurement processes that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of BH interventions. She also has a strong understanding of reimbursement models, including alternative payment models (APMs) and pay-for-performance structures specific to behavioral health.

Through her leadership roles, Rachel has delivered comprehensive training programs on VBP and MBC principles to behavioral health providers, enabling them to adopt these practices successfully. Her projects have included developing key performance indicators (KPIs) and enhancing Quality Management strategies for organizations, along with leading pilot initiatives with meaningful measures for behavioral health in VBP design.

Rachel is committed to using her extensive experience and passion for behavioral health to cultivate quality-first, equity-driven, and data-informed care strategies that advance the field.
Rachel Bembas