The PACE Playbook

Ankur Patel

The PACE Playbook is a podcast dedicated to advancing the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Hosted by geriatrician, PACE leader, and international best-selling author Dr. Ankur Patel, the show features candid conversations with PACE executives, clinicians, innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders. Each episode shares practical strategies, lessons learned, innovative ideas, and real-world insights to help strengthen and grow PACE across the country. Increase PACE awareness. Accelerate growth. Share what works. Advance PACE together. The PACE Playbook is proudly presented by ChorusRx: chorusrx.com

Episodes

  1. 2h ago ·  Video

    25 Years of PACE: The Journey, the Legacy, and the Tipping Point

    Dr. Ankur Patel sits down with Robert Greenwood to look back on more than 25 years at the National PACE Association. Robert recalls how PACE moved from demonstration to permanent program, what Medicare Part D meant for providers, and how local teams adapted during COVID-19. He also shares practical advice for PACE teams looking to grow and explain the model in their communities. The conversation closes with what a quarter century of working with PACE leaders and teams taught him. The PACE Playbook is proudly presented by our exclusive founding sponsor, ChorusRx. Learn more about ChorusRx: https://chorusrx.com Follow The PACE Playbook in your podcast app and share the episode with a colleague. Chapters 00:00 Opening and episode title 00:08 Listening first: how PACE solves problems 00:30 Welcome and founding sponsor 01:19 Meet Robert Greenwood 04:53 How Robert joined NPA 06:14 PACE in 2001 and early provider approvals 07:43 The 2001 team photo 14:27 What Medicare Part D changed 20:26 Opening PACE to for-profit organizations 22:51 How PACE adapted during COVID-19 29:01 PACE and the tipping point 32:00 What could accelerate PACE growth 35:42 Challenges and contributions at NPA 43:48 Explaining PACE in the community 46:56 Rapid-fire questions 49:26 What 25 years in PACE taught Robert 50:39 Closing and sponsor

    25 Years of PACE: The Journey, the Legacy, and the Tipping Point

  2. Oct 30 ·  Video

    From File Clerk to CEO: The Playbook for Doubling PACE

    How do you expand access to PACE while protecting the mission that made it matter? In this episode of The PACE Playbook, Dr. Ankur Patel speaks with Maria Zamora, MBA, President & CEO of Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI), about growing a PACE organization with purpose and building the leaders who will carry that work forward. From her first healthcare job as a hospital file clerk to leading CEI, Maria shares how she approaches service-area planning, center expansion and board alignment. The conversation also explores mentorship, women in leadership, recognizing potential in existing teams, and the discipline of letting go of day-to-day work so other leaders can grow. Topics explored • Expanding access through thoughtful center planning and capacity decisions • Preserving PACE’s mission as an organization grows • Building trust with the board and bringing people through change • Staying curious and seeking opportunities beyond a formal job title • Mentorship, representation and women in leadership • Recognizing talent, developing the leadership bench and delegating with intention • Measuring success through community impact and building relationships across PACE For PACE executives, emerging leaders and healthcare teams, this conversation offers practical perspectives on growing organizations while keeping people, access and purpose at the center. The PACE Playbook is proudly sponsored by our exclusive founding sponsor, ChorusRx, partnering with PACE organizations to improve participant outcomes, reduce medical costs and streamline pharmacy workflows. Follow or subscribe to The PACE Playbook on your preferred platform. If this conversation is useful to your work, rate the podcast and share it with a colleague who is helping shape the future of PACE.

  3. Oct 8 ·  Video

    100,000 and Counting: What's Next for PACE?

    In this episode of The PACE Playbook Podcast, Dr. Ankur Patel sits down with Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of the National PACE Association, to examine where PACE stands today and where it is heading. They discuss PACE's growth toward 100,000 participants, the role states play in expanding access, why PACE can reduce reliance on more expensive institutional care, and how Medicaid funding changes may affect programs. Shawn also shares insights on FQHC and health-system sponsorship, supportive housing, caregiver burden, workforce development, the PACE Access Improvement Act, and the leadership practices that distinguish high-performing organizations. The conversation closes with Shawn's essential play for every PACE leader: understand where your organization is different, where it is better, and communicate that story clearly. The PACE Playbook Podcast is proudly sponsored by our exclusive founding sponsor,  ChorusRx, partnering with PACE organizations to improve patient outcomes, reduce medical costs, and streamline pharmacy workflows. Shawn Bloom is the President and CEO of the National PACE Association (NPA). He has spent decades advancing the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, supporting state and federal policy development, and expanding access to coordinated, community-based care for older adults. National PACE Association

  4. Sep 28

    The Accidental Doctor Who Found PACE: My Journey to The PACE Playbook

    In the first episode of The PACE Playbook, Dr. Ankur Patel shares the personal and professional journey that led him to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. He reflects on studying pharmacy in India, becoming an accidental doctor, choosing family medicine and geriatrics, and discovering a model of care that addresses both medical needs and the realities of daily life. Ankur also introduces Patel’s Three Ps: polypharmacy, POLST and goals of care, and preventive care. He explains how these principles help PACE teams reduce avoidable hospital visits, improve communication, and deliver care that treats every participant with the dignity we would want for our own family. The PACE Playbook features practical conversations with the leaders and professionals shaping PACE. Presented by founding sponsor ChorusRx.

  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The PACE Playbook is a podcast dedicated to advancing the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Hosted by geriatrician, PACE leader, and international best-selling author Dr. Ankur Patel, the show features candid conversations with PACE executives, clinicians, innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders. Each episode shares practical strategies, lessons learned, innovative ideas, and real-world insights to help strengthen and grow PACE across the country. Increase PACE awareness. Accelerate growth. Share what works. Advance PACE together. The PACE Playbook is proudly presented by ChorusRx: chorusrx.com

Information

  • Creator
    Ankur Patel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The PACE Playbook
  • Show Website
    The PACE Playbook

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