UNC Urology’s Dr. David Johnson recently participated in the American Urological Association’s 2026 Advocacy Summit, contributing to a national discussion on the evolving role of value-based care in urology.
Although severe weather disrupted in-person programming this year, Dr. Johnson was able to deliver his portion of the presentation virtually as part of a featured session titled “Aligning Incentives through Urologic Value-Based Care: The Past, the Present, and the Future.” He joined fellow speakers Dr. Ruchika Talwar and Dr. Avinash Maganty to explore how payment reform and health system redesign are shaping the future of specialty care.
Advancing Policy Priorities for Urologic Care
Each year, the AUA Advocacy Summit brings together physician leaders from across the country to engage policymakers on issues that directly affect patient care and physician practice. The 2026 summit focused on three major priorities: establishing a federal Office of Men’s Health, reforming burdensome prior authorization practices, and addressing ongoing challenges with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
These priorities reflect growing concerns within the medical community about access to care, administrative burden, and the sustainability of physician practices. Advocates emphasized the need for national strategies that encourage men to seek preventive care earlier, reduce delays caused by insurance authorization processes, and ensure that Medicare payment policies better reflect the realities of modern medical practice.
Within this broader policy context, the session featuring Dr. Johnson explored how evolving payment models and value-based frameworks may help align incentives across healthcare systems to improve outcomes while maintaining access to high-quality specialty care.
Bridging Clinical Practice and Healthcare Innovation
Dr. Johnson’s participation reflects his longstanding work at the intersection of clinical medicine, health policy, and healthcare innovation. A fellowship-trained urologic oncologist with training in economics, public health, and health services research, his career has focused on transforming healthcare delivery systems so that incentives align with high-quality, affordable care that benefits both patients and providers.
In addition to his clinical and academic role at UNC Urology, Dr. Johnson has also been deeply involved in the development of new care models outside of traditional academic medicine. He currently serves as Chief Physician Executive of Atlas Oncology Partners, a value-based oncology physician enablement company that he co-founded in his prior role as Clinical Operating Partner at Rubicon Founders.
Through forums like the AUA Advocacy Summit, physician leaders help shape national conversations about the future of healthcare delivery. Dr. Johnson’s perspective, grounded in both frontline patient care and experience designing value-based care systems, continues to contribute to those efforts, helping advance policies and innovations that support better care for patients across North Carolina and beyond.