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Episode 5 of Policy Prescriptions Podcast | September 23, 2026

The Doctor Advising HHS on America's Healthcare Future | Dr. Clive Fields

Listen to Episode 5 of the Policy Prescriptions Podcast Series 

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About This Episode
Dr. Clive Fields — co-founder of VillageMD and Chair of the MAHA workgroup on the HHS/CMS Healthcare Advisory Committee — joins the Zen Lobbyist, Gary Jacobs and Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder and President of Healthsperien, to go inside the commission shaping U.S. healthcare policy. They cover the structure of the 16-member advisory committee, why end-of-life conversations fail patients, the case for the collaborative care model in mental health, rural healthcare access, deprescribing, and what it will take to scale value-based primary care nationally.
What You’ll Learn:
  • How the HHS/CMS Healthcare Advisory Committee is structured — 16 members, 6 workgroups, and how it actually operates day to day
  • What the “MAHA workgroup” is focused on and how it defines its mission
  • Why so few patients get meaningful end-of-life conversations — and why data access (not conversation) is often the real failure point
  • The difference between measuring “process” (did the box get checked) vs. “outcomes” in healthcare quality
  • Why Dr. Fields thinks lifestyle factors (exercise, nutrition, loneliness) are the “real vital signs”
  • The case for the collaborative care model as a fix for the mental health access gap in primary care
  • Why deprescribing should be led by primary care physicians, not specialists
  • How rural communities are solving access gaps through academic medical center partnerships
  • Why the U.S. primary care shortage can’t be solved by producing more doctors — and what team-based care means as an alternative
  • Dr. Fields’ take on the quality and motivations of career staff inside HHS and CMS

Policy Prescriptions is powered by Healthsperien, a health policy consulting firm that helps organizations navigate Washington with data-driven insights and strategic guidance.

Learn more about Gary Jacobs and The Zen Lobbyist at garymjacobs.com.

Subscribe for more conversations about healthcare policy, leadership, and practical solutions that can improve the lives of patients and communities.

0:00   The Evolution of Healthcare Policy Advocacy
2:33    From Family Practice to National Reform
6:14     Inside the Health Advisory Commission
9:27   Redefining End-of-Life Conversations
17:19    The Vital Signs of Lifestyle Medicine
22:22  Bridging the Rural Healthcare Divide
31:21    Integrating Mental Health into Primary Care

Dr. Clive K. Fields

Dr. Clive K. Fields is Co-Founder and previous Chief Medical Officer of VillageMD. Focused on prevention, wellness and the management of chronic illness, VillageMD grew to become one of the nation’s leading Primary Care led value-based care platforms, serving millions of patients through more than 680 clinics nationwide. Dr. Fields has pioneered innovative primary care delivery models integrating high-touch clinical care with advanced technology and risk-based contracting. With more than 30 years of frontline clinical experience as a practicing family medicine physician, Dr. Fields has additionally served as Chief Medical Officer of Accretive Health (NYSE: AH) and held leadership positions in multiple risk bearing physician organizations. He has held academic appointments at Baylor College of Medicine and at the University of Texas Health Science Center/Houston. He has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 most influential leaders in healthcare and as one of the top 50 most influential clinical executives. He has received the Robert Graham Physician Executive of the Year Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians and has published in The American Journal of Managed Care and Health Affairs on primary care transformation and provider-led ACO performance. Dr. Fields earned his Medical Doctorate from Rosalind Franklin University’s Chicago Medical School, completed his Family Medicine residency, and served as Chief Resident at Baylor College of Medicine, and holds board certification from the American Board of Family Practice.

Tom Koutsoumpas

Tom Koutsoumpas is a leading figure in health care policy and advocacy, with deep expertise in Medicare, elder care, advanced illness, and hospice care. He serves as CEO of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, uniting over 90 providers to deliver patient-centered care, and as Chairman of the Board at Capital Caring Health, guiding one of the region’s foremost palliative and hospice care organizations. Tom also co-founded and co-chairs the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, driving policy and coalition-building to improve access and quality of life for patients with serious illness, and co-founded ACT NOW for Mental Health, expanding services and addressing stigma in underserved communities. With experience in the U.S. Senate and the Indiana Governor’s Office, he brings firsthand insight into how policy, advocacy, and lobbying influence legislation and shape healthcare delivery, giving him a distinctive perspective on the strategies that drive meaningful change.

Read Tom’s full bio.