Konstantinos “Kosta” Deligiannidis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, and the Medical Director of Northwell Health’s House Calls program, a home-based primary and palliative care program in the largest health system in New York. Northwell’s House Calls program participated in CMS’s Independence at Home demonstration program throughout its course, and is now participating in CMS’s High-Needs ACO-REACH program.
20 years ago, Kosta began his career as a full-spectrum family physician in a small-town health center in Central Massachusetts, where he cared for patients in the inpatient setting, on Labor and delivery, in nursing homes, and in the outpatient setting. He particularly enjoyed home visits, where care for vulnerable patients was meaningful and comprehensive, and precepted many learners while doing so. Additionally, he was an inaugural member of UMass Chan Medical School’s Quality Scholars program, where he learned the foundations of Quality Improvement, and sparked his passion in QI and system-based improvements. He took this enthusiasm for QI, and then as Quality Improvement director at his health center, he taught learners and led them in projects which were presented at state and national conferences.
Building on these experiences, he joined Northwell’s House Calls program in 2016 as Education Director, increasing its educational footprint at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine as well as at Northwell’s Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residency programs, and fellowship programs in geriatrics, palliative care, and geriatric psychiatry. He then also become its Quality Director, leading many quality improvement initiatives (including homebound vaccination programs) and joining the National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network. Since becoming Medical Director in 2021, he has grown the program in its geographic reach and more than doubled its patients served, and improved the financial standing of the program with value-based arrangements with private payors, and demonstrating value, quality and savings in CMS’s IAH and now HN-ACO-REACH programs.