Webinars

Panel Discussion: Medicare, Nutrition, and Preventive Care

What role does nutrition play in Medicare’s evolving approach to preventive care, and how can you apply it in practice?

Presenter(s): Shelby Harrington, MS, RN; James Dorado, MD, MHA

Moderator: Amy Shepps, RDN, MBA 

Date: 19 May 2026

Time: Noon-1 PM ET

Location: Live webinar

Continuing Education Credits: Nurse Contact 1.0 CE; Dietitian 1.0 CPEU

Summary

In this free, live, accredited webinar, speakers will discuss how nutrition is critical in preventive care and healthy aging. It is also essential for achieving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vision of shifting the US health care paradigm from a system focused on sick care to one fostering prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management. This webinar outlines CMS actions that elevate the role of nutrition in preventive care, including through CMS quality measures and innovation models, rural health transformation grants, and Medicare beneficiary primary care visits.

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Panel Discussion: Medicare, Nutrition, and Preventive Care

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Key Takeaways:

  • Nutrition is no longer optional. It is a core component of improving outcomes, equity, and cost-effectiveness in Medicare.
  • Community-Based Nutrition Interventions Strengthen Preventive Care.
  • When aligned with Medicare priorities, nutrition interventions can support quality performance, patient satisfaction, and sustainability.

Related Questions:

  • Why is CMS placing greater emphasis on nutrition as part of preventive care?
    CMS recognizes nutrition as a key driver of chronic disease risk, functional decline, and healthcare costs. By integrating nutrition into quality measures and innovation models, CMS aims to improve health outcomes, support aging in place, reduce avoidable utilization, and promote health equity.
  • How does nutrition fit into Medicare quality measures and value-based care?
    Nutrition supports performance on quality measures related to chronic disease management, preventive screenings, functional status, and patient-reported outcomes. In value-based models, addressing nutrition risk can help reduce hospitalizations, improve adherence to care plans, and enhance overall quality scores.
  • How can nutrition assessments be implemented without adding burden to providers?
    Nutrition assessments can be embedded into existing workflows, annual wellness visits, intake processes, or community outreach programs. Leveraging interdisciplinary teams and community partners helps distribute the workload while maintaining clinical relevance.

References:

  • ASA blog on the Medicare Policy Change 
  • Medicare Preventive Services page

Presenter Bio(s):

Amy Shepps, RDN, MBA

Director of Corporate Reimbursement
Abbott Nutrition
Washington, DC, USA 

Amy Shepps, MBA, RD, serves as Director of Corporate Reimbursement as part of the Abbott Government Affairs team based in Washington, DC. Amy leverages her expertise in clinical nutrition, quality improvement, and clinical nutrition management to proactively assess trends, policies, and emerging issues in federal and state government for Abbott’s Nutrition division.

Shelby Harrington, MS, RN

Managing Director, Evidence & Strategy 
Avalere Health
Baltimore, MD, USA

Shelby is a Managing Director with Avalere Health’s Evidence & Strategy team, where she supports clients from the pharmaceutical industry, health plans, and patient advocacy organizations in navigating the transition to value-based care with a focus on quality of care, clinical and financial outcomes, and patient-centeredness. She is a nationally recognized expert in federal quality programs and measurement development processes, and is a member of the NCQA’s Industry Council. Before joining Avalere Health, Shelby led clinical product and strategy at Nurx, a direct-to-consumer telemedicine startup. Previously, she served as senior product director for quality and regulatory technology at Premier, Inc., overseeing hospital regulatory software, provider registries, provider MIPS solutions, and value analytics products. Before that, Shelby worked as director of clinical excellence for the Advisory Board Company’s Crimson Population Health software suite, where she led deployment of evidence-based care plans and launched a population health quality reporting solution. Shelby began her career at Carolinas HealthCare System—now Atrium Health—as a staff nurse in orthopedics and trauma care before progressing to leadership roles in quality and patient safety for inpatient acute and inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. Shelby holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University.

James Dorado, MD, MHA

Board Certified in Internal Medicine 
Board Member, Central Ohio Primary Care 
Westerville, OH, USA 

Dr Dorado is a full-time practicing physician in internal medicine with nearly 30 years of experience at Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC). COPC is the nation's largest independent primary care organization, with almost 500 providers serving nearly half a million patients in central Ohio. We believe in driving changes to improve the health of those we serve.

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, as a dedicated sports fan, he became accustomed to rooting for the underdog. This background sparked his passion for helping others. Dr Dorado earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from John Carroll University and then attended medical school at Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. After completing his residency, he became dual board-certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics, and also received a Master of Health Administration from Ohio University.

Dr Dorado began practicing in Columbus, Ohio, where he lives with his wife, Leslie, since 1997. They have enjoyed nearly 30 years together and have two children, Olivia, age 25, and Matthew, age 23, as well as two grandchildren, Connor, age 7, and Scarlett, age 1.

Dr Dorado’s desire to help others has led him to train numerous medical residents, nurse practitioners, and high school students; serves on various committees and boards for both COPC and Grace Clinics of Ohio; and advocate for patient care. One of his favorite roles has been serving on the COPC Charitable Foundation, where they assist the underserved populations in central Ohio. He had the opportunity to create a grassroots charity event called "Run 4 the Health of It," a 4-mile run/walk event that successfully raised over $350,000 for those in need over the past 14 years. In 2022, he was truly honored to be named the Free Clinic Physician of the Year by the Charitable Healthcare Network for his work with Grace Clinics of Ohio.

Category
CE CPEU Older Adult Healthcare Industry