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Penn LDI and Monogram Health Announce Second Research Partnership

Initiative Supports Studies on Value-Based Care for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions

June 24, 2026

By:

Hoag Levins

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The University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Monogram Health have launched a second research initiative, backed by a $600,000 gift, to improve care for patients with multiple chronic conditions. The gift represents the first phase of a planned $1.8 million contribution.

The Penn LDI Research Program on Care for Medically Complex Patients will focus on generating new knowledge that will inform ways to improve the management of medically complex patients, particularly those with chronic kidney disease.

This new LDI-Monogram Health collaboration comes four years after the original $2.5 million Penn LDI Research Initiative on Improving Management of Chronic Kidney Disease.

While the earlier partnership focused on chronic kidney disease and racial disparities, the new research program targets a larger and increasingly urgent challenge: the growing number of Americans living with multiple chronic illnesses.

According to a 2025 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, the share of Americans with multiple chronic conditions rose from 47.1% in 2013 to 51.4% in 2023 and continues to rise, driving higher health care costs and placing sustained pressure on public programs, particularly Medicare and Medicaid.

Fragmented System

“Patients dealing with more than one chronic condition often face a fragmented health care system that is not designed around the complexity of their needs,” said Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD, LDI Executive Director. “Through this new research initiative with Monogram Health, we have an opportunity to produce rigorous evidence about how to better support these patients, improve care, and advance models of care that are more responsive, equitable, and effective.“ Werner is the Robert D. Eilers Memorial – William Maul Measey Professor in Health Care Management and Economics at the Wharton School and Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine.

The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics is the University’s hub of health services research, with more than 500 Senior and Associate Fellows involved in interdisciplinary health care research. Penn LDI Fellows drive real-world impact through transformative research that addresses the nation’s most pressing challenges in health and health care.

Treating the Whole Patient

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Monogram Health is a multispecialty provider of in-home, evidence-based care for patients with multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, depression, and COPD. Its comprehensive model treats the whole patient, combining medical care with support for daily needs such as nutrition, transportation, and financial assistance.

“We are proud to partner with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics as an impartial academic leader in health care innovation and policy to expand the body of rigorous research in multi-specialty, values-based treatment models,” said Dr. Shaminder Gupta, Chief Medical Officer at Monogram Health. “As Americans continue to live longer, they will acquire more chronic illnesses as they age. This leading industry research will provide much needed insights for policymakers, health care payers, and providers alike, to help them address and prepare for the ever-changing landscape of longitudinal care in America.”

Two Research Projects

This new initiative will competitively fund two research projects in its first year. Applications will open on June 24 for LDI Senior Fellows. See further information here.