NovaNav Launches a Dedicated CMS TEAM Substack for Hospital Leaders
January 2026 marks a fundamental shift in how surgical episodes are managed, measured, and paid for. Under CMS's Transforming Episode Accountability Model, hospitals are no longer accountable only for what happens in the operating room. They are accountable for outcomes, cost, and patient experience across the entire episode, including the critical 30-day post-discharge period.
To help hospital leaders navigate this shift, NovaNav has launched a dedicated CMS TEAM Substack focused entirely on what this model actually requires in practice.
Why This Substack Exists
This publication was created for executives, clinical leaders, and operational teams who need more than surface-level explanations. CMS TEAM is not theoretical. It requires hospitals to redesign care transitions, invest in new infrastructure, and coordinate across inpatient, post-acute, and ambulatory settings in ways many organizations are not yet structured to support.
What the CMS TEAM Substack Covers
The CMS TEAM Substack is intended to be a practical resource. Each post breaks down what CMS is truly requiring hospitals to do, how accountability changes under bundled payments, and where both risk and opportunity sit across the surgical journey. Rather than restating CMS language, the focus is on interpretation, implications, and execution.
NovaNav's Perspective
NovaNav brings a distinct perspective to this work. The platform was built to align directly with the CMS TEAM journey map, supporting patients before surgery, during hospitalization, and throughout the post-discharge period where outcomes are determined. That perspective shapes the content.
The goal is to help hospitals think clearly about how digital pathways, care coordination, patient-reported outcomes, and proactive recovery management fit into TEAM accountability.
What Readers Can Expect
Readers can expect insights on episode management strategy, post-acute coordination, surgeon alignment, patient engagement, and the operational blind spots that can quietly erode margins under TEAM. The content is written to support real decision-making, not compliance theater.
TEAM as an Operating Model
CMS TEAM does add work. It extends hospital responsibility into parts of the episode that have historically been fragmented and under-managed. Hospitals that approach TEAM as a strategic operating model rather than a regulatory burden will be better positioned to protect margins, improve outcomes, and deliver a more coherent patient experience.
Subscribe and Follow Along
The CMS TEAM Substack is now live and publishing regularly. Hospital leaders navigating TEAM are invited to subscribe and follow along as NovaNav continues to translate policy into practical execution across the surgical journey.