Interview with Dr. Hans Van Lancker: Why Post-Acute Care Will Decide CMS TEAM Success

In this episode of The Surgical Journey, NovaNav Chief Strategy Officer Lisa Miller interviews Dr. Hans Van Lancker, Chair of Orthopedics (and Bone & Joint services) at Cambridge Health Alliance and an orthopedic trauma surgeon, for a practical conversation on what CMS's TEAM model is changing in orthopedics and post-acute care. Dr. Van Lancker explains why success under CMS TEAM must be measured across the full episode of care, not just surgical performance, and why the highest-cost and highest-risk portion of the bundle often occurs after discharge. He discusses the challenge of accountability when surgeons and hospitals are financially responsible for outcomes that depend heavily on post-acute settings, care coordination, and patient adherence. The conversation also explores the future of home recovery, including how health systems can reduce post-operative variability, strengthen patient advocacy, and build workflows that help patients and caregivers succeed at home. Dr. Van Lancker shares why nurse navigation, standardized education, and real-time patient visibility are critical, and how technology can support recovery without increasing clinician cognitive burden. The episode highlights the role of digital care pathways, patient-reported outcomes, and "top-of-license" work as healthcare organizations adapt to value-based care and new CMS reimbursement models.   EPISODE CONTENTS 0:00 Introduction to NovaNav 1:10 Guest Introduction: Dr. Hans Van Lancker 5:10 Orthopedics under CMS TEAM: defining success across the full episode of care 10:59 CMS TEAM care coordination: aligning the team beyond the surgeon and reducing post-op variability 14:02 Home care and workflows that mimic patient advocacy 17:45 Building a culture around patient advocacy 19:16 Post-op home care: supporting caregivers and increasing patient confidence with technology 23:10 Using technology to free up time for top-of-license work 27:55 Episode wrap-up