About this Learning Activity

Population Health Management 101: Foundations - Essential Practices

This course establishes foundational concepts that prepare learners for more advanced (201-level) study in population health, value-based care, and performance improvement. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how population health management (PHM) supports improved outcomes, cost efficiency, and equitable access across the healthcare ecosystem. Through real-world examples, simplified terminology, and practical frameworks, learners will explore core PHM components such as risk stratification, care coordination, data-driven decision-making, and performance measurement. This course emphasizes clarity, practical application, and operational relevance, making it ideal for individuals new to population health or those seeking a structured, comprehensive introduction to essential PHM practices.

Enroll in individual courses or save 15% with the full series bundle. Continuing education units for nurses are only offered through the Series and not through individual courses.

What You Will Learn

• Population Health Fundamentals
• Population Monitoring
• Risk Stratification
• Population Segmentation
• Care Coordination

Learning Objectives

• Describe the purpose and core components of population health management
• Identify key stakeholders involved in managing population health initiatives
• Explain how risk stratification and data analytics inform care strategies
• Recognize key concepts such as care coordination, social determinants of health, quality measures, and performance benchmarks
• Describe how population health strategies improve outcomes, cost efficiency, and member experience

• Explain how population health management influences quality, cost, access, and health outcomes
• Describe key operational components of PHM programs and identify compliance and performance considerations
• Apply foundational PHM concepts to real-world healthcare scenarios
• Communicate population health principles effectively with clinical, operational, and leadership stakeholders

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for professionals who are new to population health management or who collaborate with PHM teams and want to strengthen their foundational understanding. Ideal participants include:

• Population health and care management professionals
• Care coordinators, case managers, and community health staff
• Quality improvement and performance improvement professionals
• Managed care, value-based care, and health plan staff
• Data analysts and healthcare informatics professionals

Faculty

Adrianna Nava, PhD, MPA, RN, FAAN

Adrianna Nava, PhD, is an Applied Research Scientist at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), where she leads applied research and digital quality measure development focused on primary care delivery, prevention, and social drivers of health. She previously served as Chief Nurse of Quality and Systems Improvement at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital. Dr. Nava served as President (2021–2024) of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), where she led advocacy efforts to advance health equity, workforce safety, and culturally responsive care. She is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Boston, contributing to nursing workforce development in population health and evidence-based practice, and serves as Capstone Faculty for the Safety, Quality, Informatics, and Leadership (SQIL) Program at Harvard Medical School. She holds an MPA (2020) from Harvard University; a PhD (2019) from the University of Massachusetts Boston; an MSN (2012) from the University of Pennsylvania; and a BSN (2009) from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. She was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Emerging Healthcare Leaders in 2023.

Vince Pereira, MHA

Vince Pereira, MHA is a Senior Manager at the National Committee for Quality Assurance in Washington, DC with over 13 years of experience in health policy, strategic implementation, and interprofessional training. In his current role, Vince leads initiatives that enhance organizational readiness of health plans, health systems, community-based organizations, and their partners. Mr. Pereira is a Fellow of the Academy for Healthcare Management (FAHM), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), and holds a Master of Health Administration from the George Mason University.

Continuing Education

This is a non-accredited activity.
This course grants 1 optional Continuing Education Unit (CEU) points for PCMH Certified Content Experts.

*Please note – You must complete the entire program to be eligible for total number of contact hours.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) endorses the Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education which specify that sponsors of continuing medical education activities and presenters at and planners for these activities disclose any relevant financial relationships either party might have with commercial companies whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations.

For sponsors, relevant financial relationships include large research grants, institutional agreements for joint initiatives, substantial gifts, or other relationships that benefit the institution.  For presenters or planning committee members, relevant financial relationships include the receipt of research grants from a commercial company, consultancies, honoraria, travel, or other benefits, or having a self-managed equity interest in a company; or having an immediate family member or partner with such a relationship.

Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Relevant financial relationships exist with the following companies/organizations:

Faculty:

Adrianna Nava: None
Vince Pereira: None

This program was developed by NCQA staff.
This program received no commercial support.