Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 16, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 9 CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS HealthCare FORUM A Worcester Business Journal Event CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS HealthCare FORUM A Worcester Business Journal Event Presenting Sponsors Supporting Sponsor Business and government are keeping the pressure on providers to contain the cost of care, and in Massachusetts the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model is being rolled out with the goal of better care at lower prices. With continued uncertainty coming out of Washington, how are these efforts playing out in Massachusetts? What are the region's major players doing to lower costs and improve care? In this forum we've assemble a panel of experts to discuss the ACO/population health model and its implications for providers, consumers, businesses and the community. MODERATOR Thomas H. Ebert, M.D. Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Fallon Health Eric W. Dickson MD, MHCM, FACEP President & CEO, UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc. Jonathan Chines Vice President of Payer Contracting and Network Strategy, Reliant Medical Group PANELISTS TO DATE For further event details and to register: www.wbjournal.com/healthcareforum November 30, 2017 7:30 - 10:30AM Beechwood Hotel, Worcester Cost: $45 Pre-registration required. #WBJHealthCareForum MOVING THE NEEDLE ON HEALTH CARE COSTS Bikeshare to benefit specific people A new bikeshare program started in September in Worcester, with 400 bikes available to rent for $1 an hour. In July, a pedicab startup called WooRides began offering rides in foot-powered vehicles. When polled online, WBJ readers foresaw bikesharing having a profound impact on at least some people in Worcester. F L A S H P O L L How popular can bike-based alternative modes of transportation be in Worcester? "Good luck in January" COMMENTS: They will not be popular because it's still easiest to get around by car. They could drastically change how people get around in the city for commuting or leisure. 22% They will be useful to a core group such as college students or those living downtown. 44% They will have limited impact because of the city's topography and layout. 25% 9% "I, for one, am extremely hopeful that they will have a very positive impact on the city. Perhaps it will be somewhat limited for a while. But it is a great thing to have in Worcester!" "It has proven to be a great alternative in Boston, NYC and many other U.S. cities, so Worcester should be no different." Chandler and Pleasant streets through the city's western neighborhoods and Stafford Street in South Worcester. Jerry Powers, a WalkBike Worcester co-chair, said he had been encouraging more physical activity around the city but found it wasn't always practical because of the lack of bike lanes. "I quickly realized that's just not fea- sible here in Worcester," he said. Already, bike lanes have been put in place on Green Street, Water Street and a few other locations. An overhaul of Main Street will add bikes lanes in both directions by reducing the number of travel lanes from four to two and elimi- nating some parking. The city plans to install 30 bike racks this fall, and a detailed plan for bikes will be included in a soon-to-come master plan. A program City Manager Edward Augustus plans to approve this fall would require street projects to incorporate bike- and pedestrian- friendly features. "We're going to see the city much improved for bike users," Augustus said. Ofo tracks where bikes are ridden, which may help determine what streets might most need bike lanes. Making bikes a business In June, a pedicab service called WooRides began offering rides starting at $5. Every additional quarter-mile is another $5 – more than someone would pay Uber, but a different and emissions- free experience. They're available Thursday through Saturday nights, most often ferrying people from restau- rants to bars to home in areas like the Canal District. "We've definitely been solidly grow- ing, which is good." said Shahbaz Soofi, a co-founder and a 2014 WPI graduate. For all the work Soofi has put into WooRides, he sees ofo's bikeshare pro- gram less as competition and more as creating a bikeshare industry. "We look at ofo as, the more the mer- rier," he said. Ofo does not require riders to bring bikes back to a docking station. Instead, riders can grab any unused bike through an app. Rides are $1 an hour. In the first several weeks, each of the first 200 bikes initially in Worcester was ridden an average of three times a day, said Lin, the ofo vice president. "The ridership has been very good so far," she said. Ofo isn't exactly starting small in Worcester. The 400 bikes it's delivered to the city are more than are available in bikeshare systems in Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland or Houston, according to the Nartional Association of City Transportation Officials. Even more bikes could come. Augustus said the city has received inter- est from other bikeshare programs about bringing their systems to Worcester. W

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