The Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN) is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare.http://www.hin.comen-usHealthcare Intelligence NetworkPodcasts by the Healthcare Intelligence NetworkThe Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN) is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare.Healthcare Intelligence Network Healthcare Intelligence Network mmatthews@hin.comno Hudson River HealthCare (HRHC) takes a team approach to disease management in the 3,400 adult patients with diabetes it serves, explains Kathy Brieger, RD, CDE, HRHC's chief operations officer. Ms. Brieger describes the multiple levels of care available to patients served by the HRHC Diabetes Collaborative, a four-point strategy for weight management that targets the most challenging aspect of managing diabetes, and HRHC's upcoming trial of telepsychiatry at selected FQHCs. Ms. Brieger presented during "Diabetes Management in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on January 26, 2012, providing the inside details on HRHC's diabetes management program and the program's impact on its diabetic patients. Brieger shared how to: identify and assess patients for diabetes management, including an analysis of literacy and learning and social barriers that could impact outcomes for complex patients; train staff and report quality data to drive further performance improvement; and much more. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BriegerDiabetes_Medical_Home_HS.mp3 Hudson River HealthCare (HRHC) takes a team approach to disease management in the 3,400 adult patients with diabetes it serves, explains Kathy Brieger, RD, CDE, HRHC's chief operations officer. Ms. Brieger describes the multiple levels of care available to patients served by the HRHC Diabetes Collaborative, a four-point strategy for weight management that targets the most challenging aspect of managing diabetes, and HRHC's upcoming trial of telepsychiatry at selected FQHCs. Ms. Brieger presented during "Diabetes Management in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on January 26, 2012, providing the inside details on HRHC's diabetes management program and the program's impact on its diabetic patients. Brieger shared how to: identify and assess patients for diabetes management, including an analysis of literacy and learning and social barriers that could impact outcomes for complex patients; train staff and report quality data to drive further performance improvement; and much more. 4:58 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:00:00 GMT The mapping between ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets will have two major impacts on healthcare, predicts Dennis Winkler, ICD-10 technical program director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which has created a roadmap for the transition that it is sharing with the industry. Winkler describes where health plans should be on the ICD-10 timeline at the start of 2012, and defines the two major challenges the health plan expects to face as it enters the testing phase of the transition. Dennis Winkler presented during, "Mapping the Way to ICD-10 Readiness: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's Approach," a 45-minute webinar, during which he will share BCBS of Michigan's mapping strategy along with other organizational readiness tactics for ICD-10. Winkler addressed: BCBSM's six dimensions of neutrality and how the BCBSM plan incorporates these aspects into ICD-10 readiness; working with external vendors and constituents; ICD-10 systems testing and training; and more. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Winkler_ICD10_BCBS_Michigan_1211.mp3 The mapping between ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets will have two major impacts on healthcare, predicts Dennis Winkler, ICD-10 technical program director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which has created a roadmap for the transition that it is sharing with the industry. Winkler describes where health plans should be on the ICD-10 timeline at the start of 2012, and defines the two major challenges the health plan expects to face as it enters the testing phase of the transition. Dennis Winkler presented during, "Mapping the Way to ICD-10 Readiness: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's Approach," a 45-minute webinar, during which he will share BCBS of Michigan's mapping strategy along with other organizational readiness tactics for ICD-10. Winkler addressed: BCBSM's six dimensions of neutrality and how the BCBSM plan incorporates these aspects into ICD-10 readiness; working with external vendors and constituents; ICD-10 systems testing and training; and more. 7:40 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:00:00 GMT When healthcare providers and health plan case managers join forces in the physician practice, the end result is "care completion," explains Dr. Randall Krakauer, medical director for Aetna Medicare. In his second HealthSounds interview, Dr. Krakauer describes how the meshing of complementary patient data and knowledge from payor and provider improves the "completion factor" of care that is ordered and provides feedback on the impact of this care. Dr. Krakauer will be presenting during the November 30, 2011 webinar, "Demonstrating the Value of the Embedded Case Manager for the Medicare Population," during which he will share the strategy supporting Aetna's embedded case management initiative, along with results from the program relating to healthcare utilization and member satisfaction. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Demonstrating_Value_Case_Manager_Krakauer_1111.mp3 When healthcare providers and health plan case managers join forces in the physician practice, the end result is "care completion," explains Dr. Randall Krakauer, medical director for Aetna Medicare. In his second HealthSounds interview, Dr. Krakauer describes how the meshing of complementary patient data and knowledge from payor and provider improves the "completion factor" of care that is ordered and provides feedback on the impact of this care. Dr. Krakauer will be presenting during the November 30, 2011 webinar, "Demonstrating the Value of the Embedded Case Manager for the Medicare Population," during which he will share the strategy supporting Aetna's embedded case management initiative, along with results from the program relating to healthcare utilization and member satisfaction. 6:05 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT HIN's fifth annual survey on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recorded the highest PCMH adoption levels to date, reports Melanie Matthews in this benchmarks podcast. A substantial number of medical homes expect to participate in an accountable care organization (ACO); Ms. Matthews also shares key metrics from the 2011 survey, including time required for medical home conversion and the PCMH effect on medication adherence and patient satisfaction. The survey also identified an impressive jump in the embedding of case managers in medical homes. Dr. Bruce Nash, senior VP of medical affairs and CMO for CDPHP, where embedded case managers are at the heart of CDPHP's clinical transformation, describes what sets his program apart from other medical home pilots. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/medical_home_benchmarks_2011.mp3 HIN's fifth annual survey on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recorded the highest PCMH adoption levels to date, reports Melanie Matthews in this benchmarks podcast. A substantial number of medical homes expect to participate in an accountable care organization (ACO); Ms. Matthews also shares key metrics from the 2011 survey, including time required for medical home conversion and the PCMH effect on medication adherence and patient satisfaction. The survey also identified an impressive jump in the embedding of case managers in medical homes. Dr. Bruce Nash, senior VP of medical affairs and CMO for CDPHP, where embedded case managers are at the heart of CDPHP's clinical transformation, describes what sets his program apart from other medical home pilots. 3:59 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT While hospitals might find CMS's pure Medicare bundled payments initiative too restrictive, it won't prevent them from addressing their costs in a bundled payments fashion, predicts Steve Valentine, president of The Camden Group. In advance of HIN's eighth annual industry forecast, Valentine weighs in on the expected growth of bundled payments, a surprising new trend in case management, why the proposed ACO rule disappointed, and the industry segment where accountable care is thriving. Steve Valentine will be back to illuminate key trends and opportunities for healthcare in the coming year during a November 2, 2011 webinar, "Healthcare Trends in 2012: A Strategic Industry Forecast." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Valentine_trends2012_1011.mp3 While hospitals might find CMS's pure Medicare bundled payments initiative too restrictive, it won't prevent them from addressing their costs in a bundled payments fashion, predicts Steve Valentine, president of The Camden Group. In advance of HIN's eighth annual industry forecast, Valentine weighs in on the expected growth of bundled payments, a surprising new trend in case management, why the proposed ACO rule disappointed, and the industry segment where accountable care is thriving. Steve Valentine will be back to illuminate key trends and opportunities for healthcare in the coming year during a November 2, 2011 webinar, "Healthcare Trends in 2012: A Strategic Industry Forecast." 7:28 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT CMS learned a few things from its first foray into bundled payments, explains Jim Reilly, managing partner with TRG Health Care Solutions. Having worked with all five participants in the Acute Care Episode (ACE) pilot a few years back, Reilly is ideally positioned to identify the three key benefits of participation in the upcoming CMS bundled payment initiative. But in order for episodic payments, bundled pricing and other alternative payment methodologies to be implemented successfully a key organizational process must take place, Reilly notes. Reilly examined the key distinctions between each of CMS' four bundled payment models and the organizational criteria that is most effective in bundled payment programs during an October 19, 2011 webinar, "Evaluating CMS' Bundled Payment Initiative: Operational, Financial and Clinical Considerations." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Reilly_bundled_payments_1011.mp3 CMS learned a few things from its first foray into bundled payments, explains Jim Reilly, managing partner with TRG Health Care Solutions. Having worked with all five participants in the Acute Care Episode (ACE) pilot a few years back, Reilly is ideally positioned to identify the three key benefits of participation in the upcoming CMS bundled payment initiative. But in order for episodic payments, bundled pricing and other alternative payment methodologies to be implemented successfully a key organizational process must take place, Reilly notes. Reilly examined the key distinctions between each of CMS' four bundled payment models and the organizational criteria that is most effective in bundled payment programs during an October 19, 2011 webinar, "Evaluating CMS' Bundled Payment Initiative: Operational, Financial and Clinical Considerations." 6:04 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT Embedded case managers are the latest step in CDPHP's clinical transformation, which began in 2008 with a transition to the patient-centered medical home model and continued with the introduction of new payment models in 2009 and 2010. Lisa Sasko, CDPHP director of clinical transformation, and Charlene Schlude, the organization's director of case management, describes the embedded case manager's role in a new era of healthcare, targeted patients and disease states and some of the operational and cultural issues surrounding the co-location of case managers in physician practices. Ms. Sasko and Ms. Schlude shared the business case for embedded case managers as well as an inside look at the day-to-day interactions of embedded case managers with providers in practices during a September 20, 2011 webinar "The Role of Embedded Case Managers in Clinical Transformation," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Schlude_Sasko_CDPHP0911.mp3 Embedded case managers are the latest step in CDPHP's clinical transformation, which began in 2008 with a transition to the patient-centered medical home model and continued with the introduction of new payment models in 2009 and 2010. Lisa Sasko, CDPHP director of clinical transformation, and Charlene Schlude, the organization's director of case management, describes the embedded case manager's role in a new era of healthcare, targeted patients and disease states and some of the operational and cultural issues surrounding the co-location of case managers in physician practices. Ms. Sasko and Ms. Schlude shared the business case for embedded case managers as well as an inside look at the day-to-day interactions of embedded case managers with providers in practices during a September 20, 2011 webinar "The Role of Embedded Case Managers in Clinical Transformation," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. 5:32 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT Spiritual support, in-room WIFI access, improved housekeeping and valet parking are just a few of the perks hospitals have added to boost patient satisfaction ratings. In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Melanie Matthews from the Healthcare Intelligence Network describes how 146 healthcare organizations rank their own efforts to improve patient satisfaction. She also shares key metrics from the 2011 survey on Improving Patient Satisfaction and Experience, including the most important aspect of the care delivery experience and preferred formats for patient surveys. Patient satisfaction is an important driver of core measurement scores. Dr. Steven Berkowitz, president of SMB Consulting, shares his formula for achieving 100 percent performance on core measures and describes an incentive program for drivers of the quality measures. Need more data from this survey? Download a complimentary executive summary at: http://www.hin.com/library/register_satisfaction2011.html. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/improving_patient_experience_benchmarks0811.mp3 Spiritual support, in-room WIFI access, improved housekeeping and valet parking are just a few of the perks hospitals have added to boost patient satisfaction ratings. In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Melanie Matthews from the Healthcare Intelligence Network describes how 146 healthcare organizations rank their own efforts to improve patient satisfaction. She also shares key metrics from the 2011 survey on Improving Patient Satisfaction and Experience, including the most important aspect of the care delivery experience and preferred formats for patient surveys. Patient satisfaction is an important driver of core measurement scores. Dr. Steven Berkowitz, president of SMB Consulting, shares his formula for achieving 100 percent performance on core measures and describes an incentive program for drivers of the quality measures. Need more data from this survey? Download a complimentary executive summary at: http://www.hin.com/library/register_satisfaction2011.html. 2:48 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:00:00 GMT Workflow rehearsals of key practice protocols ensure that the entire care team --- including the embedded case manager --- is prepared in advance, notes Robert Fortini, vice president and chief clinical officer at Bon Secours Health System. Fortini describes two workflows "rehearsed" by Bon Secours care teams, details the embedded case manager's contribution to medication compliance in the practice, and explains key steps that precede the case manager hiring process. Robert Fortini explained how Bon Secours has adapted the Geisinger Health System embedded case manager model to meet the needs of its own population during "Embedded Case Management in the Primary Care Practice: Program Design and Results," a 45-minute webinar on August 10, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Fortini_embedded_case_management0711.mp3 Workflow rehearsals of key practice protocols ensure that the entire care team --- including the embedded case manager --- is prepared in advance, notes Robert Fortini, vice president and chief clinical officer at Bon Secours Health System. Fortini describes two workflows "rehearsed" by Bon Secours care teams, details the embedded case manager's contribution to medication compliance in the practice, and explains key steps that precede the case manager hiring process. Robert Fortini explained how Bon Secours has adapted the Geisinger Health System embedded case manager model to meet the needs of its own population during "Embedded Case Management in the Primary Care Practice: Program Design and Results," a 45-minute webinar on August 10, 2011. 7:38 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:00:00 GMT The establishment of good core measure performance is good patient care, emphasizes Dr. Steve Berkowitz, president of SMB Consulting and former chief medical officer at St. David's HealthCare, which boasts a mortality index and CMS core measure ratings that are among the best in the nation. Dr. Berkowitz shares his formula for achieving 100 percent performance, describes an incentive program for drivers of the quality measures and weighs in on the need for an EHR to achieve core measure excellence. Dr. Berkowitz shared practical strategies for improving core measures, as well as modeling techniques to illustrate the impact of a hospital's failure to meet the measures during "Healthcare Performance Improvement: Exceeding Core Measure Targets for Value-Based Reimbursement," a 45-minute webinar on July 20, 2011 sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Berkowitz_healthcare_performance_improvement0611.mp3 The establishment of good core measure performance is good patient care, emphasizes Dr. Steve Berkowitz, president of SMB Consulting and former chief medical officer at St. David's HealthCare, which boasts a mortality index and CMS core measure ratings that are among the best in the nation. Dr. Berkowitz shares his formula for achieving 100 percent performance, describes an incentive program for drivers of the quality measures and weighs in on the need for an EHR to achieve core measure excellence. Dr. Berkowitz shared practical strategies for improving core measures, as well as modeling techniques to illustrate the impact of a hospital's failure to meet the measures during "Healthcare Performance Improvement: Exceeding Core Measure Targets for Value-Based Reimbursement," a 45-minute webinar on July 20, 2011 sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. 5:21 Tue, 5 Jul 2011 19:00:00 GMT Has the practice of embedding case managers at the point of care grown since 2010? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews analyzes trends in contemporary case management and the evolving responsibilities of today's case manager derived from HIN's January 2011 survey results. Toni Cesta, senior vice president of operational efficiency and capacity management at Lutheran Medical Center and Jan Van der Mei, the regional director of Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Regions care management programs, supplement this data with commentary on the case manager's role in their organizations. More actionable data on case management are contained in "2011 Benchmarks in Healthcare Case Management: Responsibilities, Results and ROI," a 40-page report packed with metrics and measures on current and planned initiatives, presented in more than 40 easy-to-follow graphs and tables. This data is derived from responses to the second annual Healthcare Intelligence Network Case Management Survey, which was conducted in January 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/2011_case_management_benchmarks0511.mp3 Has the practice of embedding case managers at the point of care grown since 2010? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews analyzes trends in contemporary case management and the evolving responsibilities of today's case manager derived from HIN's January 2011 survey results. Toni Cesta, senior vice president of operational efficiency and capacity management at Lutheran Medical Center and Jan Van der Mei, the regional director of Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Regions care management programs, supplement this data with commentary on the case manager's role in their organizations. More actionable data on case management are contained in "2011 Benchmarks in Healthcare Case Management: Responsibilities, Results and ROI," a 40-page report packed with metrics and measures on current and planned initiatives, presented in more than 40 easy-to-follow graphs and tables. This data is derived from responses to the second annual Healthcare Intelligence Network Case Management Survey, which was conducted in January 2011. 4:52 Tue, 31 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT An Ohio collaborative of Medicaid plans is using a rapid cycle quality improvement approach to reduce avoidable ER visits by its Medicaid beneficiaries. One of the five regions targeted by the collaborative is Toledo, Ohio --- known for having the highest emergency department utilization in the nation. Mina Chang, Ph.D., of the Bureau of Health Services Research for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, outlines the framework of the collaborative. She explains its population-based and patient-centered approach and describes some of the priority populations targeted by the collaborative's interventions. Dr. Chang described how the collaborative is developing actionable interventions to address the patient streams most likely to use the ED inappropriately during a June 23, 2011 webinar, "Reducing Avoidable ER Visits by Medicaid Patients Through Quality-Based Interventions," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Chang_Reduce_Avoidable_ER_Visits_Medicaid_Patients_0511.mp3 An Ohio collaborative of Medicaid plans is using a rapid cycle quality improvement approach to reduce avoidable ER visits by its Medicaid beneficiaries. One of the five regions targeted by the collaborative is Toledo, Ohio --- known for having the highest emergency department utilization in the nation. Mina Chang, Ph.D., of the Bureau of Health Services Research for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, outlines the framework of the collaborative. She explains its population-based and patient-centered approach and describes some of the priority populations targeted by the collaborative's interventions. Dr. Chang described how the collaborative is developing actionable interventions to address the patient streams most likely to use the ED inappropriately during a June 23, 2011 webinar, "Reducing Avoidable ER Visits by Medicaid Patients Through Quality-Based Interventions," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. 4:27 Tue, 31 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT As one of 10 participants in the CMS Physician Group Practice Demonstration, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has developed a competency in population health management that is being deployed in current and planned ACO pilots. Dr. Barbara Walters, Dartmouth-Hitchcock's senior medical director, describes how the CMS demo experience provided the building blocks for an ACO, the impact of its pilots on Medicare utilization and costs, and the critical elements in managing population health in an ACO. Dr. Walters will share how Dartmouth-Hitchcock pilots have demonstrated the value of an ACO by achieving efficiency, quality and cost targets during a June 1, 2011 webinar, "Leveraging Population Health Management To Meet ACO Efficiency Metrics," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Walters_population_health_management_ACO_0511.mp3 As one of 10 participants in the CMS Physician Group Practice Demonstration, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has developed a competency in population health management that is being deployed in current and planned ACO pilots. Dr. Barbara Walters, Dartmouth-Hitchcock's senior medical director, describes how the CMS demo experience provided the building blocks for an ACO, the impact of its pilots on Medicare utilization and costs, and the critical elements in managing population health in an ACO. Dr. Walters will share how Dartmouth-Hitchcock pilots have demonstrated the value of an ACO by achieving efficiency, quality and cost targets during a June 1, 2011 webinar, "Leveraging Population Health Management To Meet ACO Efficiency Metrics," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. 3:37 Thu, 19 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT Training community pharmacists in the art of motivational interviewing can boost medication adherence levels in the patients who visit them, according to Janice Pringle, Ph.D, director of the program evaluation research unit at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a unique intervention, the university is collaborating with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Rite-Aid pharmacies to deploy the training to 120 participating pharmacies to reduce medication non-adherence, a problem associated with an estimated $290 billion in avoidable medical spending every year, according to a recent New England Healthcare Institute estimate. Dr Pringle describes the three primary reasons for medication non-adherence driving the intervention, the benefits of training the pharmacists in motivational interviewing and the pharmacy's role in the project. Dr. Pringle will share how patients are identified for the intervention and the tools and strategies that pharmacists are using to improve adherence benchmark levels during, "Improving Medication Adherence Benchmarks Through Community Pharmacist Interventions," a May 25, 2011 webinar from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Pringle_medication_adherence_benchmarks_0511.mp3 Training community pharmacists in the art of motivational interviewing can boost medication adherence levels in the patients who visit them, according to Janice Pringle, Ph.D, director of the program evaluation research unit at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a unique intervention, the university is collaborating with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Rite-Aid pharmacies to deploy the training to 120 participating pharmacies to reduce medication non-adherence, a problem associated with an estimated $290 billion in avoidable medical spending every year, according to a recent New England Healthcare Institute estimate. Dr Pringle describes the three primary reasons for medication non-adherence driving the intervention, the benefits of training the pharmacists in motivational interviewing and the pharmacy's role in the project. Dr. Pringle will share how patients are identified for the intervention and the tools and strategies that pharmacists are using to improve adherence benchmark levels during, "Improving Medication Adherence Benchmarks Through Community Pharmacist Interventions," a May 25, 2011 webinar from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. 3:39 Thu, 5 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT To achieve the lowest rates of readmissions in its history, HealthCare Partners Medical Group of California first identifies patients at high risk for readmission. HealthCare Partners corporate medical director Dr. Stuart Levine describes HCP's four key strategies to risk-rank patients and suggests proactive measures to limit the number of individuals who are rehospitalized. Dr. Levine will discuss HCP's approach to hospital readmissions during, "Reducing Readmissions Through Multi-Disciplinary Post-Discharge Support," a May 18, 2011 webinar from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Levine_reduce_readmission_post_discharge_support.mp3 To achieve the lowest rates of readmissions in its history, HealthCare Partners Medical Group of California first identifies patients at high risk for readmission. HealthCare Partners corporate medical director Dr. Stuart Levine describes HCP's four key strategies to risk-rank patients and suggests proactive measures to limit the number of individuals who are rehospitalized. Dr. Levine will discuss HCP's approach to hospital readmissions during, "Reducing Readmissions Through Multi-Disciplinary Post-Discharge Support," a May 18, 2011 webinar from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. 3:19 Thu, 5 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT Functional decline in an elderly person can be the first indicator of a chronic condition ready to snowball out of control. Patricia Zinkus, director of case management at Fallon Community Health Plan, and Susan Legacy, FCHP's senior manager of case management, describe how their collaborative multidisciplinary intervention monitors for these changes, and why the program's social component is just as critical as home visits and case management outreach. Ms. Zinkus and Ms. Legacy will share details from FCHP's risk-sharing model during "Identifying Functional Decline in Chronic Care Patients To Reduce Preventable Healthcare Utilization," 45-minute webinar on April 27, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Legacy_Zinkus_identifying_functional_decline_chronic_care411.mp3 Functional decline in an elderly person can be the first indicator of a chronic condition ready to snowball out of control. Patricia Zinkus, director of case management at Fallon Community Health Plan, and Susan Legacy, FCHP's senior manager of case management, describe how their collaborative multidisciplinary intervention monitors for these changes, and why the program's social component is just as critical as home visits and case management outreach. Ms. Zinkus and Ms. Legacy will share details from FCHP's risk-sharing model during "Identifying Functional Decline in Chronic Care Patients To Reduce Preventable Healthcare Utilization," 45-minute webinar on April 27, 2011. 3:26 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT Whether extracted from an EHR or compiled with a spreadsheet program, there's nothing magical about a registry, explains Dr. Gregory Spencer, chief medical officer for Crystal Run Healthcare. Dr. Spencer demystifies the registry, describes how to leverage registry data in multiple ways and underscores registries' growing value in emerging care delivery models like the accountable care organization. Dr. Spencer will share patient registry best practices during an April 28, 2011 webinar, "Patient Registries: A Cornerstone in Creating and Delivering Accountable Care," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Spencer_patient_registry_accountable_care0411.mp3 Whether extracted from an EHR or compiled with a spreadsheet program, there's nothing magical about a registry, explains Dr. Gregory Spencer, chief medical officer for Crystal Run Healthcare. Dr. Spencer demystifies the registry, describes how to leverage registry data in multiple ways and underscores registries' growing value in emerging care delivery models like the accountable care organization. Dr. Spencer will share patient registry best practices during an April 28, 2011 webinar, "Patient Registries: A Cornerstone in Creating and Delivering Accountable Care," sponsored by The Healthcare Intelligence Network. 3:57 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT To avoid missing other opportunities inherent in the ACO model, payors and providers shouldn't get hung up waiting for CMS's rule for Medicare accountable care organizations, advises Greg Mertz, senior project director with the Healthcare Strategy Group. In this podcast, Mertz has advice for both providers and payors on how to maximize participation in an ACO. Mertz will provide a critical analysis of CMS's anticipated final rule on Medicare Shared Savings and how it will impact commercial ACOs during a 45-minute webinar on April 21, 2011, "Analyzing CMS's Medicare Shared Savings Final Rule: Implementation Advice for ACOs," sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Mertz_ACO_CMS_Shared_Savings0311.mp3 To avoid missing other opportunities inherent in the ACO model, payors and providers shouldn't get hung up waiting for CMS's rule for Medicare accountable care organizations, advises Greg Mertz, senior project director with the Healthcare Strategy Group. In this podcast, Mertz has advice for both providers and payors on how to maximize participation in an ACO. Mertz will provide a critical analysis of CMS's anticipated final rule on Medicare Shared Savings and how it will impact commercial ACOs during a 45-minute webinar on April 21, 2011, "Analyzing CMS's Medicare Shared Savings Final Rule: Implementation Advice for ACOs," sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network. 4:26 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT Working with a network of 40 skilled nursing facilities to hone the hospital-to-SNF transfer of care has accomplished two goals for Summa Health System: readmissions and lengths of stay for patients released to SNFs have been reduced, and the experience has made hospitals and SNFs more accountable for both the quality and cost of care they provide. Carolyn Holder, manager of transitional care for Summa Health System, describes what had to happen before this critical care transition could improve and why physicians had to rethink their approach to hospital-to-SNF transfers. Holder and Michael Demagall, administrator of Bath Manor and Windsong Care Center, an SNF participating in the network, will describe their collaboration during "Improving Transitions of Care Between Hospital and SNF: A Collaboration Supporting the Accountable Care Vision," a 60-minute webinar on April 6, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Holder_Hospital_SNF_Care_Transitions0311.mp3 Working with a network of 40 skilled nursing facilities to hone the hospital-to-SNF transfer of care has accomplished two goals for Summa Health System: readmissions and lengths of stay for patients released to SNFs have been reduced, and the experience has made hospitals and SNFs more accountable for both the quality and cost of care they provide. Carolyn Holder, manager of transitional care for Summa Health System, describes what had to happen before this critical care transition could improve and why physicians had to rethink their approach to hospital-to-SNF transfers. Holder and Michael Demagall, administrator of Bath Manor and Windsong Care Center, an SNF participating in the network, will describe their collaboration during "Improving Transitions of Care Between Hospital and SNF: A Collaboration Supporting the Accountable Care Vision," a 60-minute webinar on April 6, 2011. 3:46 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT Are accountable care organizations (ACOs) the new wave of healthcare delivery? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews analyzes the industry's acceptance of and participation in accountable care organizations derived from HIN's February 2011 survey results. Jeffrey Ruggiero, Esq., advises ACO participants to prepare for the legal and regulatory hurdles. More actionable data on accountable care organizations are contained in "2011 Benchmarks in Accountable Care Organizations: Metrics from Early ACO Adopters," a 40-page report that provides new market research on current and planned ACOs as well as the ACO metrics and measures used by ACO early adopters to evaluate success, quality, efficiency and satisfaction. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/ACO_Benchmarks2011.mp3 Are accountable care organizations (ACOs) the new wave of healthcare delivery? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews analyzes the industry's acceptance of and participation in accountable care organizations derived from HIN's February 2011 survey results. Jeffrey Ruggiero, Esq., advises ACO participants to prepare for the legal and regulatory hurdles. More actionable data on accountable care organizations are contained in "2011 Benchmarks in Accountable Care Organizations: Metrics from Early ACO Adopters," a 40-page report that provides new market research on current and planned ACOs as well as the ACO metrics and measures used by ACO early adopters to evaluate success, quality, efficiency and satisfaction. 3:10 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT Money may talk, but after 14 years of administering pay for performance (PFP) programs for its providers and specialists, HealthPartners has figured out what motivates physicians even more than financial incentives. Babette Apland, HealthPartners senior vice president of health and care management, shares this insight, as well as the measures by which HealthPartners evaluates pharmacies and specialists in its PFP program. Apland shared how HealthPartners is aligning physician incentives and shared savings with PFP programs and a total cost of care initiative during "Aligning Physician Incentives for Shared Risk and Reward Across the Healthcare Continuum," a 45-minute webinar on March 2, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Apland_physician_incentives.mp3 Money may talk, but after 14 years of administering pay for performance (PFP) programs for its providers and specialists, HealthPartners has figured out what motivates physicians even more than financial incentives. Babette Apland, HealthPartners senior vice president of health and care management, shares this insight, as well as the measures by which HealthPartners evaluates pharmacies and specialists in its PFP program. Apland shared how HealthPartners is aligning physician incentives and shared savings with PFP programs and a total cost of care initiative during "Aligning Physician Incentives for Shared Risk and Reward Across the Healthcare Continuum," a 45-minute webinar on March 2, 2011. 4:47 Wed, 2 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT Getting people to think about dying is not the first health behavior that comes to mind when employing incentives. However, incentives can be used anywhere in the healthcare continuum --- including end of life --- to influence behaviors, notes Neal Sofian, MSPH, director of member engagement at Premera Blue Cross. Sofian describes the barriers individuals face at this time in their lives and how the use of incentives can result in exactly the kind of care these patients want and need. Sofian shared the latest strategies to increase engagement and the results from these efforts during "Evaluating Health and Wellness Incentive Programs for Behavior Change," a 45-minute webinar on February 10, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Neal_Sofian_evaluate_health_wellness_incentive.mp3 Getting people to think about dying is not the first health behavior that comes to mind when employing incentives. However, incentives can be used anywhere in the healthcare continuum --- including end of life --- to influence behaviors, notes Neal Sofian, MSPH, director of member engagement at Premera Blue Cross. Sofian describes the barriers individuals face at this time in their lives and how the use of incentives can result in exactly the kind of care these patients want and need. Sofian shared the latest strategies to increase engagement and the results from these efforts during "Evaluating Health and Wellness Incentive Programs for Behavior Change," a 45-minute webinar on February 10, 2011. 3:19 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:00:00 GMT Capital District Physicians' Health Plan's (CDPHP) medical home pilot began in 2008, with the dual goals of reforming both the practice of primary care in the CDPHP network and payments to these physicians. Dr. Bruce Nash, CDPHP's senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer, explains what sets the two-phase CDPHP program apart from other medical home pilots, how participants met the challenge of practice transformation, and why preliminary pilot results mirror what's going on in the industry today. Dr. Nash described how CDPHP met the challenge of developing a novel risk adjustment methodology that would drive a global payment combined with a significant bonus structure to attract physician participation and encourage future growth by medical students to enter primary care during "Rewarding Primary Care Practice Reform with Physician Payment Reform: A Medical Home's Experience," 45-minute webinar on February 23, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Dr_Nash_reward_primary_care_practice_reform.mp3 Capital District Physicians' Health Plan's (CDPHP) medical home pilot began in 2008, with the dual goals of reforming both the practice of primary care in the CDPHP network and payments to these physicians. Dr. Bruce Nash, CDPHP's senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer, explains what sets the two-phase CDPHP program apart from other medical home pilots, how participants met the challenge of practice transformation, and why preliminary pilot results mirror what's going on in the industry today. Dr. Nash described how CDPHP met the challenge of developing a novel risk adjustment methodology that would drive a global payment combined with a significant bonus structure to attract physician participation and encourage future growth by medical students to enter primary care during "Rewarding Primary Care Practice Reform with Physician Payment Reform: A Medical Home's Experience," 45-minute webinar on February 23, 2011. 3:39 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:00:00 GMT How are healthcare organizations encouraging appropriate use of the emergency room in their populations? In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares metrics from HIN's July 2010 survey on reducing avoidable ER visits, with relevant commentary from Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs at WellPoint; and Sara Tracy, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. More actionable data on reducing avoidable ER use is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Reducing Avoidable ER Visits," a 50-page report derived from responses from 90 healthcare organizations. Presenting this data in more than 30 easy-to-follow graphs and tables, this resource documents trends and metrics from emergency departments across the country that are successfully managing ER utilization. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/benchmarks_avoidable_ER_visits_podcast.mp3 How are healthcare organizations encouraging appropriate use of the emergency room in their populations? In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares metrics from HIN's July 2010 survey on reducing avoidable ER visits, with relevant commentary from Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs at WellPoint; and Sara Tracy, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. More actionable data on reducing avoidable ER use is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Reducing Avoidable ER Visits," a 50-page report derived from responses from 90 healthcare organizations. Presenting this data in more than 30 easy-to-follow graphs and tables, this resource documents trends and metrics from emergency departments across the country that are successfully managing ER utilization. 4:22 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:00:00 GMT Even though the specifics of Medicare's Shared Savings Program have yet to be defined, physician organizations can still position themselves to achieve cost savings through an independent accountable care organization (ACO), notes Jeffrey R. Ruggiero, Esq., a partner in the law firm of Arnold and Porter LLP, who is advising the Queens County Medical Society on its ACO approach. The advisor to one of New York State's largest physician ACOs describes the advantages of a physician-run ACO as well as some of the regulatory, compliance and operational factors to consider prior to ACO launch. Ruggiero described the Queens County Medical Society's ACO development approach during "Physician-Owned ACOs: Overcoming the Legal and Regulatory Compliance Challenges," a 45-minute webinar on January 19, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Ruggiero_ACO_full0111.mp3 Even though the specifics of Medicare's Shared Savings Program have yet to be defined, physician organizations can still position themselves to achieve cost savings through an independent accountable care organization (ACO), notes Jeffrey R. Ruggiero, Esq., a partner in the law firm of Arnold and Porter LLP, who is advising the Queens County Medical Society on its ACO approach. The advisor to one of New York State's largest physician ACOs describes the advantages of a physician-run ACO as well as some of the regulatory, compliance and operational factors to consider prior to ACO launch. Ruggiero described the Queens County Medical Society's ACO development approach during "Physician-Owned ACOs: Overcoming the Legal and Regulatory Compliance Challenges," a 45-minute webinar on January 19, 2011. 8:37 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT Was 2010 a better year for healthcare than 2009, and what were the best and worst business ideas in healthcare over the last 12 months? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews reviews the top healthcare trends and concerns for 2011 derived from HIN's October 2010 survey results. More actionable data on healthcare trends as well as 2011 industry forecasts from healthcare thought leaders William Shea of Cognizant Business Consulting and Steven T. Valentine from The Camden Group are contained in "Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2011: Performance Expectations for the Healthcare Industry," a 35-page report that reviews the industry landscape for 2011 and suggests how healthcare organizations can best position themselves for the 12 months to come. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/2011trends_HS.mp3 Was 2010 a better year for healthcare than 2009, and what were the best and worst business ideas in healthcare over the last 12 months? In this month's healthcare performance benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network's Melanie Matthews reviews the top healthcare trends and concerns for 2011 derived from HIN's October 2010 survey results. More actionable data on healthcare trends as well as 2011 industry forecasts from healthcare thought leaders William Shea of Cognizant Business Consulting and Steven T. Valentine from The Camden Group are contained in "Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2011: Performance Expectations for the Healthcare Industry," a 35-page report that reviews the industry landscape for 2011 and suggests how healthcare organizations can best position themselves for the 12 months to come. 2:22 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT Co-locating healthcare case managers in care settings can improve communication with patients as they move through the continuum of care, says Jan Van der Mei, regional director of continuum case management for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region. Ms. Van der Mei describes the major issues that case managers face while helping patients navigate the Sutter system, as well as the key role of case managers in reducing hospital readmissions. Ms. Van der Mei is one of five contributors to the "Guide to Patient-Centered Case Management," a 110-page resource of best practices in identifying, stratifying and monitoring individuals for case management. It documents the returns generated by targeted case management interventions in place at Geisinger Health System and other organizations, and the Q and A chapter answers more than 50 questions on patient-centered case management. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/VanDerMei_case_management_0710_book.mp3 Co-locating healthcare case managers in care settings can improve communication with patients as they move through the continuum of care, says Jan Van der Mei, regional director of continuum case management for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region. Ms. Van der Mei describes the major issues that case managers face while helping patients navigate the Sutter system, as well as the key role of case managers in reducing hospital readmissions. Ms. Van der Mei is one of five contributors to the "Guide to Patient-Centered Case Management," a 110-page resource of best practices in identifying, stratifying and monitoring individuals for case management. It documents the returns generated by targeted case management interventions in place at Geisinger Health System and other organizations, and the Q and A chapter answers more than 50 questions on patient-centered case management. 5:27 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT The accountable care organization (ACO) is a staple of healthcare reform. CMS will launch its Shared Savings Program --- an ACO for Medicare patients --- in January 2012. John Harris, principal with the consulting firm of DGA Partners, advises potential participants in an ACO to lay the groundwork now. In this interview, he recommends eight elements of an ACO infrastructure and weighs in on the patient-centered medical home's role in an ACO. Harris is one of five contributors to "Essential Guide to Accountable Care Organizations: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities of the ACO Model," a 60-page resource that answers key questions surrounding ACOs so that hospitals, PHOs, IPAs and other physician organizations, networks or group practices can weigh the merits now of creating or joining an ACO before CMS's ACO launches next year. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/John_Harris_ACO_1210.mp3 The accountable care organization (ACO) is a staple of healthcare reform. CMS will launch its Shared Savings Program --- an ACO for Medicare patients --- in January 2012. John Harris, principal with the consulting firm of DGA Partners, advises potential participants in an ACO to lay the groundwork now. In this interview, he recommends eight elements of an ACO infrastructure and weighs in on the patient-centered medical home's role in an ACO. Harris is one of five contributors to "Essential Guide to Accountable Care Organizations: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities of the ACO Model," a 60-page resource that answers key questions surrounding ACOs so that hospitals, PHOs, IPAs and other physician organizations, networks or group practices can weigh the merits now of creating or joining an ACO before CMS's ACO launches next year. 4:07 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:00:00 GMT More than a third of healthcare organizations have launched nurse advice lines to reduce avoidable emergency room use and direct patients to the most appropriate care venue, according to a July 2010 survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network. The staffing and operation of Optima Health's nurse advice line is influenced by many factors, explains Patricia Curtis, director of operations, clinical care services for Optima Health. Curtis describes the distinct responsibilities of the LPNs and RNs who staff the advice line as well as the diverse needs of the member populations who call the advice line. Curtis will share how Optima's nurse advice line has evolved from a call center that supported a staff model HMO to a critical component of the organization's effort to improve the efficiency of healthcare utilization during "Maximizing the Nurse Advice Line To Ensure Appropriate Healthcare Utilization," a 45-minute webinar on January 6, 2011. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Curtis_nurse_advice_line1110.mp3 More than a third of healthcare organizations have launched nurse advice lines to reduce avoidable emergency room use and direct patients to the most appropriate care venue, according to a July 2010 survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network. The staffing and operation of Optima Health's nurse advice line is influenced by many factors, explains Patricia Curtis, director of operations, clinical care services for Optima Health. Curtis describes the distinct responsibilities of the LPNs and RNs who staff the advice line as well as the diverse needs of the member populations who call the advice line. Curtis will share how Optima's nurse advice line has evolved from a call center that supported a staff model HMO to a critical component of the organization's effort to improve the efficiency of healthcare utilization during "Maximizing the Nurse Advice Line To Ensure Appropriate Healthcare Utilization," a 45-minute webinar on January 6, 2011. 3:53 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:00:00 GMT Thinking about creating an accountable care organization? The clinical integration of healthcare providers can be the first step, facilitating the coordination of services required for shared accountability and reward. Dr. Mark Shields, senior medical director with Advocate Physician Partners, describes the logistics of training 3,400 providers on clinical integration, the importance of the physician peer group in this effort, and the business case for the devotion of three of Advocate's 41 performance measures to smoking cessation and prevention. Dr. Shields will share Advocate's clinical integration strategy during "How To Create an ACO Framework Through Clinical Integration with Independent Physicians," a 45-minute webinar on December 1, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Shields_ACO_framework1110.mp3 Thinking about creating an accountable care organization? The clinical integration of healthcare providers can be the first step, facilitating the coordination of services required for shared accountability and reward. Dr. Mark Shields, senior medical director with Advocate Physician Partners, describes the logistics of training 3,400 providers on clinical integration, the importance of the physician peer group in this effort, and the business case for the devotion of three of Advocate's 41 performance measures to smoking cessation and prevention. Dr. Shields will share Advocate's clinical integration strategy during "How To Create an ACO Framework Through Clinical Integration with Independent Physicians," a 45-minute webinar on December 1, 2010. 10:23 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT In the face of healthcare reform and new models of care delivery such as the patient-centered medical home, primary care physicians don't have to fly solo anymore, advises Dr. David Eitrheim, a family physician with the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. Dr. Eitrheim describes how his practice's team-based approach has changed the nature of the patient visit as well as the nurses' workload, and provides the secret to a productive patient visit. Dr Eitrheim will share how his practice made the transformation from a traditional practice to a team-based approach during "Redesigning the Physician Practice for Improved Efficiency and Increased Revenue," a 45-minute webinar on December 15, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Eitrheim_Redesign_Physician_Practice1110.mp3 In the face of healthcare reform and new models of care delivery such as the patient-centered medical home, primary care physicians don't have to fly solo anymore, advises Dr. David Eitrheim, a family physician with the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. Dr. Eitrheim describes how his practice's team-based approach has changed the nature of the patient visit as well as the nurses' workload, and provides the secret to a productive patient visit. Dr Eitrheim will share how his practice made the transformation from a traditional practice to a team-based approach during "Redesigning the Physician Practice for Improved Efficiency and Increased Revenue," a 45-minute webinar on December 15, 2010. 4:25 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT Who's using health risk assessments (HRAs), and how are they administered? What are the top incentives driving HRA completion, and what are the top three uses for HRA data? What completion rates can be expected? In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares the latest market research on HRA use. This month's metrics are derived from HIN's June 2010 survey on HRAs, with commentary from Dr. Marcia Wade, Aetna Medicare's senior medical director. More actionable data on ways that 116 healthcare organizations are using HRAs is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Health Risk Assessment Use," a 60-page resource providing metrics and measures on current and planned HRA initiatives as well as lessons learned and results from successful health assessment programs. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/HRA_Benchmark_HealthSounds.mp3 Who's using health risk assessments (HRAs), and how are they administered? What are the top incentives driving HRA completion, and what are the top three uses for HRA data? What completion rates can be expected? In this month's healthcare benchmarks podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares the latest market research on HRA use. This month's metrics are derived from HIN's June 2010 survey on HRAs, with commentary from Dr. Marcia Wade, Aetna Medicare's senior medical director. More actionable data on ways that 116 healthcare organizations are using HRAs is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Health Risk Assessment Use," a 60-page resource providing metrics and measures on current and planned HRA initiatives as well as lessons learned and results from successful health assessment programs. 3:01 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT In an atmosphere of increased state and federal oversight of health plan rates, healthcare organizations need a sound strategy for determining premium rate increases that meet regulatory approval. HealthScape Advisors managing directors Steve Young and John Steele describe the challenges of setting rates in this environment and the essential experience that can best prepare health plans for dealing with commercial plans. Young and Steele will share how health plans can develop a sound policy for premium rate increases that will meet with regulatory approval during "Health Plan Rate Setting: Balancing Premium Increases Against Regulatory Oversight," a 45-minute webinar on December 8, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Steele_Young_health_plan_rate_setting1110.mp3 In an atmosphere of increased state and federal oversight of health plan rates, healthcare organizations need a sound strategy for determining premium rate increases that meet regulatory approval. HealthScape Advisors managing directors Steve Young and John Steele describe the challenges of setting rates in this environment and the essential experience that can best prepare health plans for dealing with commercial plans. Young and Steele will share how health plans can develop a sound policy for premium rate increases that will meet with regulatory approval during "Health Plan Rate Setting: Balancing Premium Increases Against Regulatory Oversight," a 45-minute webinar on December 8, 2010. 3:39 Tue, 9 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT Medicaid managed care organizations can turn the tide on the rising cost of care management for their high-need, high-cost members by implementing integrated programs that simultaneously address medical and behavioral health conditions, says Dr. Sam Toney, Health Integrated's chief medical officer. In this podcast, Dr. Toney describes how integrated case management and integrated chronic condition management are especially beneficial to Medicaid's mostly vulnerable members as they navigate acute health crises as well as longer-term, sustainable efforts to improve their health status. For more information on Health Integrated, please visit: http://www.healthintegrated.com or call 800-323-0286. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/toney_health_integrated_1010.mp3 Medicaid managed care organizations can turn the tide on the rising cost of care management for their high-need, high-cost members by implementing integrated programs that simultaneously address medical and behavioral health conditions, says Dr. Sam Toney, Health Integrated's chief medical officer. In this podcast, Dr. Toney describes how integrated case management and integrated chronic condition management are especially beneficial to Medicaid's mostly vulnerable members as they navigate acute health crises as well as longer-term, sustainable efforts to improve their health status. For more information on Health Integrated, please visit: http://www.healthintegrated.com or call 800-323-0286. 13:36 Tue, 9 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT While the healthcare winds blew more favorably this year than they did in 2009, healthcare organizations will need key expertise to succeed in the year ahead, advises William Shea, a partner in health industry consulting for Cognizant Business Consulting. With the remix of healthcare delivery models brought on by healthcare reform, Shea identifies two challenges inherent in the trend toward patient-centered care that spans the entire continuum of care. Shea and Steven Valentine, president of The Camden Group, provided strategic advice healthcare companies can use to position themselves for success in the coming year during "Healthcare Trends in 2011: A Strategic Industry Forecast," a 60-minute webinar on October 20, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Shea_2011trends_1010.mp3 While the healthcare winds blew more favorably this year than they did in 2009, healthcare organizations will need key expertise to succeed in the year ahead, advises William Shea, a partner in health industry consulting for Cognizant Business Consulting. With the remix of healthcare delivery models brought on by healthcare reform, Shea identifies two challenges inherent in the trend toward patient-centered care that spans the entire continuum of care. Shea and Steven Valentine, president of The Camden Group, provided strategic advice healthcare companies can use to position themselves for success in the coming year during "Healthcare Trends in 2011: A Strategic Industry Forecast," a 60-minute webinar on October 20, 2010. 5:34 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT Organizations should advocate for a case manager in the emergency room, says Toni Cesta, senior vice president of operational efficiency and capacity management at Lutheran Medical Center. Making the business case for an ED-embedded case manager, Cesta shares key targets for case management intervention in the ED and describes how the ER case manager is positioned to improve patients' transitions in care. Cesta will explore how to effectively structure an ED-based case management program and the potential impacts of an embedded case manager in the ED during "Embedded Case Managers in the Emergency Department," a 60-minute webinar on November 3, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Cesta_case_manager_ED_1010.mp3 Organizations should advocate for a case manager in the emergency room, says Toni Cesta, senior vice president of operational efficiency and capacity management at Lutheran Medical Center. Making the business case for an ED-embedded case manager, Cesta shares key targets for case management intervention in the ED and describes how the ER case manager is positioned to improve patients' transitions in care. Cesta will explore how to effectively structure an ED-based case management program and the potential impacts of an embedded case manager in the ED during "Embedded Case Managers in the Emergency Department," a 60-minute webinar on November 3, 2010. 4:23 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT Healthcare reform offers two major opportunities for healthcare to bend the spend curve and improve profitability, says Steven Valentine, president of The Camden Group. Valentine also weighs in on the current state of healthcare, and why organizations can't think about healthcare reform without considering the current economy. Valentine and William Shea, a partner in health industry consulting for Cognizant Business Consulting, will provide strategic advice healthcare companies can use to position themselves for success in the coming year during "Healthcare Trends in 2011: A Strategic Industry Forecast," a 60-minute webinar on October 20, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Valentine_2011_trends1010.mp3 Healthcare reform offers two major opportunities for healthcare to bend the spend curve and improve profitability, says Steven Valentine, president of The Camden Group. Valentine also weighs in on the current state of healthcare, and why organizations can't think about healthcare reform without considering the current economy. Valentine and William Shea, a partner in health industry consulting for Cognizant Business Consulting, will provide strategic advice healthcare companies can use to position themselves for success in the coming year during "Healthcare Trends in 2011: A Strategic Industry Forecast," a 60-minute webinar on October 20, 2010. 4:09 Tue, 5 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT In a new monthly podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares the latest market research on key healthcare topics. This month's metrics are derived from HIN's July 2010 survey on Reducing Avoidable ER Visits, with commentary from Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs for WellPoint and Sara Tracy, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. More actionable data from 90 healthcare organizations on their efforts to reduce inappropriate use of the ED is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Reducing Avoidable ER Visits," a 50-page resource documenting trends and metrics from EDs across the country that are successfully managing ER utilization. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/benchmarks_avoidable_er_visits.mp3 In a new monthly podcast, Healthcare Intelligence Network executive VP and COO Melanie Matthews shares the latest market research on key healthcare topics. This month's metrics are derived from HIN's July 2010 survey on Reducing Avoidable ER Visits, with commentary from Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs for WellPoint and Sara Tracy, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. More actionable data from 90 healthcare organizations on their efforts to reduce inappropriate use of the ED is contained in "2010 Performance Benchmarks in Reducing Avoidable ER Visits," a 50-page resource documenting trends and metrics from EDs across the country that are successfully managing ER utilization. 4:23 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT To provide immediate feedback to participants in Colorado's accountable care organization (ACO) for Medicaid beneficiaries, program developers have chosen a handful of performance measures that will focus on program quality and cost containment, explains Laurel Karabatsos, deputy Medicaid director. The ACO is rapidly approaching its January 2011 launch date, and the development team has worked hard to garner support for an ACO that will provide health services for 60,000 Medicaid lives in the state. Karabatsos and Jerry Smallwood, Medicaid reform unit manager, will walk through Colorado's ACO development process during "The Colorado Accountable Care Collaborative: Practical Lessons from an ACO," a 45-minute webinar on September 29, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Karabatsos_Colorado_ACO_0910.mp3 To provide immediate feedback to participants in Colorado's accountable care organization (ACO) for Medicaid beneficiaries, program developers have chosen a handful of performance measures that will focus on program quality and cost containment, explains Laurel Karabatsos, deputy Medicaid director. The ACO is rapidly approaching its January 2011 launch date, and the development team has worked hard to garner support for an ACO that will provide health services for 60,000 Medicaid lives in the state. Karabatsos and Jerry Smallwood, Medicaid reform unit manager, will walk through Colorado's ACO development process during "The Colorado Accountable Care Collaborative: Practical Lessons from an ACO," a 45-minute webinar on September 29, 2010. 3:46 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT To create a virtual medical home --- also called a virtual healthcare home --- primary care providers partner with community organizations to deliver a full continuum of healthcare services in a manner that is transparent to patients and health plan members. Sarah Dixon-Gale, lead contract manager for the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association, explains how Iowa's virtual medical home program has improved access at Siouxland Community Health Center. Also in this podcast, Siouxland CEO Michelle Stephan describes a major challenge faced by the virtual medical home. Learn how this unique community partnership helps to position these organizations for federal Medicaid expansion in 2014. Dixon-Gale and Stephan will share more lessons learned from the virtual medical home during "Coordinating a Virtual Medical Home in Your Community: Lessons from the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network," a 45-minute webinar on September 23, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/DixonGale_Stephan_Virtual_Medical_Home0810.mp3 To create a virtual medical home --- also called a virtual healthcare home --- primary care providers partner with community organizations to deliver a full continuum of healthcare services in a manner that is transparent to patients and health plan members. Sarah Dixon-Gale, lead contract manager for the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association, explains how Iowa's virtual medical home program has improved access at Siouxland Community Health Center. Also in this podcast, Siouxland CEO Michelle Stephan describes a major challenge faced by the virtual medical home. Learn how this unique community partnership helps to position these organizations for federal Medicaid expansion in 2014. Dixon-Gale and Stephan will share more lessons learned from the virtual medical home during "Coordinating a Virtual Medical Home in Your Community: Lessons from the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network," a 45-minute webinar on September 23, 2010. 3:47 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT Three key factors influence consumers' use of the hospital emergency room today, according to Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs for WellPoint. In this podcast, Dr. Kasravi discusses how WellPoint is trying to close critical care gaps and encourage its members to utilize healthcare services more effectively. Dr. Kasravi and Dr. Karen Amstutz, vice president and medical director of Medicaid and senior markets, will describe WellPoint's efforts to reduce avoidable emergency room visits during "Reducing Avoidable Emergency Room Visits: Approaches to Redirect Patients to Cost-Effective Care Settings," a 45-minute webinar on September 1, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Wellpoint_ER_Visits.mp3 Three key factors influence consumers' use of the hospital emergency room today, according to Dr. Barsam Kasravi, managing medical director for state-sponsored programs for WellPoint. In this podcast, Dr. Kasravi discusses how WellPoint is trying to close critical care gaps and encourage its members to utilize healthcare services more effectively. Dr. Kasravi and Dr. Karen Amstutz, vice president and medical director of Medicaid and senior markets, will describe WellPoint's efforts to reduce avoidable emergency room visits during "Reducing Avoidable Emergency Room Visits: Approaches to Redirect Patients to Cost-Effective Care Settings," a 45-minute webinar on September 1, 2010. 3:44 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT As part of CareOregon's initiative to create a more robust care management program, the organization has found new ways of stratifying members and identifying high-risk members, explains Rebecca Ramsay, B.S.N., M.P.H., CareOregon's senior manager of care support and clinical programs. Ms. Ramsay also explains how daily data from CareOregon's emergency departments is informing their member outreach strategy. Ms. Ramsay will share the strategies that CareOregon is using to segment patients by complexity to ensure that case management resources are allocated effectively during "Case Management: Identifying, Monitoring and Managing Target Populations," a 60-minute webinar on September 16, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Ramsay_case_management_identify_monitor0810.mp3 As part of CareOregon's initiative to create a more robust care management program, the organization has found new ways of stratifying members and identifying high-risk members, explains Rebecca Ramsay, B.S.N., M.P.H., CareOregon's senior manager of care support and clinical programs. Ms. Ramsay also explains how daily data from CareOregon's emergency departments is informing their member outreach strategy. Ms. Ramsay will share the strategies that CareOregon is using to segment patients by complexity to ensure that case management resources are allocated effectively during "Case Management: Identifying, Monitoring and Managing Target Populations," a 60-minute webinar on September 16, 2010. 3:21 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT One of the advantages of co-locating healthcare case managers in various care settings is the improved level of communication for a patient as they move through the continuum of care, says Jan Van der Mei, regional director of continuum case management for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region. Ms. Van der Mei describes the major issues, such as medication reconciliation and patient and family education, that case managers face while helping patients to understand their health conditions and goals of care as they navigate the Sutter system. She also discusses how case managers can educate patients to avoid hospital readmissions through interventions and symptom management. Ms. Van der Mei will share details on Sutter Health's case management initiatives during "Best Practices in Case Management Patient Contact, Monitoring and Follow-up," a 45-minute webinar on August 25, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/VanDerMei_case_management_0710.mp3 One of the advantages of co-locating healthcare case managers in various care settings is the improved level of communication for a patient as they move through the continuum of care, says Jan Van der Mei, regional director of continuum case management for Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region. Ms. Van der Mei describes the major issues, such as medication reconciliation and patient and family education, that case managers face while helping patients to understand their health conditions and goals of care as they navigate the Sutter system. She also discusses how case managers can educate patients to avoid hospital readmissions through interventions and symptom management. Ms. Van der Mei will share details on Sutter Health's case management initiatives during "Best Practices in Case Management Patient Contact, Monitoring and Follow-up," a 45-minute webinar on August 25, 2010. 5:27 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT In another excerpt from a conversation with Metcare of Florida chief executives on its continuing medical home pilot with Humana, COO Dr. Jose Guethon describes the mechanics of sharing utilization and financial data with its physicians, and the impact of this practice and friendly competition between physicians has had on workflow, patient access, customer service and other key metrics. Dr. Guethon and Metcare CEO Mike Earley described how Metcare practices have made the transformation to patient-centered medical homes, with an eye on maintaining the profitability of their practices, during "Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: 9 Key Hurdles for Physician Practices To Overcome," a 45-minute webinar on May 12, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MetCareGeuthondatasharepod_0710.mp3 In another excerpt from a conversation with Metcare of Florida chief executives on its continuing medical home pilot with Humana, COO Dr. Jose Guethon describes the mechanics of sharing utilization and financial data with its physicians, and the impact of this practice and friendly competition between physicians has had on workflow, patient access, customer service and other key metrics. Dr. Guethon and Metcare CEO Mike Earley described how Metcare practices have made the transformation to patient-centered medical homes, with an eye on maintaining the profitability of their practices, during "Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: 9 Key Hurdles for Physician Practices To Overcome," a 45-minute webinar on May 12, 2010. 5:10 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT What constitutes healthcare quality improvement? CMS's definition of medical costs will likely coalesce around five key areas of quality improvement, say John Steele and Steve Young, managing directors for HealthScape Advisors. These CMS guidelines will impact health plans in January, when new medical loss ratio (MLR) regulations take effect. In this podcast, the advisors also describe the risk that insurers could incur on the rebate side if they don't adequately prepare for the January changes and the impact the regulations could have on consumers' medical care and choices. Steele and Young will provide an in-depth analysis of what health plans must do now to comply with the January deadline for MLRs and how this might impact health plans operationally and financially during "Minimum Medical Loss Ratios: How Health Plans Should Prepare for the January Compliance Requirements," a 60-minute webinar on July 21, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Steele_Young_medical_loss_ratio_0710.mp3 What constitutes healthcare quality improvement? CMS's definition of medical costs will likely coalesce around five key areas of quality improvement, say John Steele and Steve Young, managing directors for HealthScape Advisors. These CMS guidelines will impact health plans in January, when new medical loss ratio (MLR) regulations take effect. In this podcast, the advisors also describe the risk that insurers could incur on the rebate side if they don't adequately prepare for the January changes and the impact the regulations could have on consumers' medical care and choices. Steele and Young will provide an in-depth analysis of what health plans must do now to comply with the January deadline for MLRs and how this might impact health plans operationally and financially during "Minimum Medical Loss Ratios: How Health Plans Should Prepare for the January Compliance Requirements," a 60-minute webinar on July 21, 2010. 15:39 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT Nurse practitioners constitute a workforce already grounded in patient-centered care, explains Linda Lindeke, Ph.D., an RN and a nurse practitioner herself since 1978. Lindeke, who is also associate professor for the School of Nursing and Department of Pediatrics and director of Graduate Studies for the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota, describes the demographics where a nurse practitioner's contributions might need clarification, explains why there's not much mention of the medical home in nursing literature and assesses the impact of the Affordable Care Act's $15 million allocation to fund 10 nurse practitioner-led clinics that will provide primary care services to the medically underserved. Lindeke will examine how nurse practitioners are being utilized in the physician practice, hospital and clinic settings to increase access to care and coordinate care for patients with chronic conditions during "The Emerging Role of Nurse Practitioners in Expanding Access, Enhancing Revenue," a 45-minute webinar on July 28, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/LindaLindeke_emerging_role_NP0610.mp3 Nurse practitioners constitute a workforce already grounded in patient-centered care, explains Linda Lindeke, Ph.D., an RN and a nurse practitioner herself since 1978. Lindeke, who is also associate professor for the School of Nursing and Department of Pediatrics and director of Graduate Studies for the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota, describes the demographics where a nurse practitioner's contributions might need clarification, explains why there's not much mention of the medical home in nursing literature and assesses the impact of the Affordable Care Act's $15 million allocation to fund 10 nurse practitioner-led clinics that will provide primary care services to the medically underserved. Lindeke will examine how nurse practitioners are being utilized in the physician practice, hospital and clinic settings to increase access to care and coordinate care for patients with chronic conditions during "The Emerging Role of Nurse Practitioners in Expanding Access, Enhancing Revenue," a 45-minute webinar on July 28, 2010. 6:21 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT Along with the transformation to a patient-centered medical home came an acceptance of a model that coordinates care for an entire population, not just the patients showing up each day, notes Dr. Paul Kaye, medical director at Taconic IPA. And even though the 238 Taconic physicians at 11 sites have received Level III PPC(R)-PCMH(TM) recognition from the NCQA, Susan Stuard, executive director of THINC, explains that practice transformation doesn't stop there. Dr. Kaye and Ms. Stuard described how the sharing of data across its organization is improving physician performance and value-based reimbursement levels during "Improving Physician Performance and Value-Based Reimbursement Levels Through Meaningful Data Sharing," a 45-minute webinar on June 23, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Kaye_Stuard_improve_physician_performance_0610.mp3 Along with the transformation to a patient-centered medical home came an acceptance of a model that coordinates care for an entire population, not just the patients showing up each day, notes Dr. Paul Kaye, medical director at Taconic IPA. And even though the 238 Taconic physicians at 11 sites have received Level III PPC(R)-PCMH(TM) recognition from the NCQA, Susan Stuard, executive director of THINC, explains that practice transformation doesn't stop there. Dr. Kaye and Ms. Stuard described how the sharing of data across its organization is improving physician performance and value-based reimbursement levels during "Improving Physician Performance and Value-Based Reimbursement Levels Through Meaningful Data Sharing," a 45-minute webinar on June 23, 2010. 4:31 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT When primary care isn't available, several proxy healthcare services can sometimes fill the bill for certain conditions, helping to reduce the number of avoidable emergency room visits, explains Sara Gray, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. Ms. Gray describes two important steps hospitals can take when discharging patients to keep those patients from seeking post-discharge care in the ER, and suggests a hospital-SNF partnership to reduce preventable ER visits by SNF patients. Ms. Gray shared Kaiser's three-pronged approach to reducing inappropriate and avoidable ED use during "Reducing Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits: Strategies To Discourage Inappropriate Use and Reduce Preventable Visits," a 45-minute webinar on June 9, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Gray_Unnecessary_ER_Visits_0610.mp3 When primary care isn't available, several proxy healthcare services can sometimes fill the bill for certain conditions, helping to reduce the number of avoidable emergency room visits, explains Sara Gray, senior manager of emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. Ms. Gray describes two important steps hospitals can take when discharging patients to keep those patients from seeking post-discharge care in the ER, and suggests a hospital-SNF partnership to reduce preventable ER visits by SNF patients. Ms. Gray shared Kaiser's three-pronged approach to reducing inappropriate and avoidable ED use during "Reducing Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits: Strategies To Discourage Inappropriate Use and Reduce Preventable Visits," a 45-minute webinar on June 9, 2010. 3:40 Mon, 7 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMT As more payors test the patient-centered medical home model of care, what are the pros and cons of participation for physician practices? Dr. Marjie Harbrecht, medical and executive director of Health TeamWorks, describes the financial middle ground that is likely to satisfy payors and providers who sign on for medical home pilots and offers some additional selection criteria her organization (formerly the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative) may use in the future. Dr. Harbrecht examined how practices are recruited, selected and supported in medical home programs during "Physician Practices in the Medical Home: Recruiting, Evaluating, Supporting and Measuring the Patient-Centered Team," a 45-minute webinar on May 19, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Harbrecht_Physician_Practices_Medical_Home0510.mp3 As more payors test the patient-centered medical home model of care, what are the pros and cons of participation for physician practices? Dr. Marjie Harbrecht, medical and executive director of Health TeamWorks, describes the financial middle ground that is likely to satisfy payors and providers who sign on for medical home pilots and offers some additional selection criteria her organization (formerly the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative) may use in the future. Dr. Harbrecht examined how practices are recruited, selected and supported in medical home programs during "Physician Practices in the Medical Home: Recruiting, Evaluating, Supporting and Measuring the Patient-Centered Team," a 45-minute webinar on May 19, 2010. 4:28 Mon, 7 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMT Medicaid patients present their own unique set of needs during home visits, explain Dr. Larry Greenblatt, medical director, Chronic Care Program, Durham Community Health Network, Duke University Medical Center, and Jessica Simo, program manager, Durham Community Health Network for the Duke Division of Community Health. The duo explains the two types of patients that benefit most from home visits, the priorities of the home visit and the most common problems identified during home visits. Dr. Greenblatt and Ms. Simo will examine the features of a successful home visit initiative during "Home Visits in the Patient-Centered Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on May 20, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Greenblat_Simo_home_visits0510.mp3 Medicaid patients present their own unique set of needs during home visits, explain Dr. Larry Greenblatt, medical director, Chronic Care Program, Durham Community Health Network, Duke University Medical Center, and Jessica Simo, program manager, Durham Community Health Network for the Duke Division of Community Health. The duo explains the two types of patients that benefit most from home visits, the priorities of the home visit and the most common problems identified during home visits. Dr. Greenblatt and Ms. Simo will examine the features of a successful home visit initiative during "Home Visits in the Patient-Centered Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on May 20, 2010. 6:26 Thu, 13 May 2010 19:00:00 GMT In the first of several conversations with Metcare of Florida chief executives on its continuing medical home pilot with Humana, CEO Mike Earley and President and COO Dr. Jose Guethon describe Metcare's longstanding commitment to the management of care transitions for its Medicare patients, how its 10 medical home practices keep a handle on patient care in hospital settings, and the clinical and business returns that result from these efforts. Earley and Dr. Guethon will describe how Metcare practices have made the transformation to patient-centered medical homes, with an eye on maintaining the profitability of their practices, during "Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: 9 Key Hurdles for Physician Practices To Overcome," a 45-minute webinar on May 12, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MetCare_PCMH_transformation_0410.mp3 In the first of several conversations with Metcare of Florida chief executives on its continuing medical home pilot with Humana, CEO Mike Earley and President and COO Dr. Jose Guethon describe Metcare's longstanding commitment to the management of care transitions for its Medicare patients, how its 10 medical home practices keep a handle on patient care in hospital settings, and the clinical and business returns that result from these efforts. Earley and Dr. Guethon will describe how Metcare practices have made the transformation to patient-centered medical homes, with an eye on maintaining the profitability of their practices, during "Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: 9 Key Hurdles for Physician Practices To Overcome," a 45-minute webinar on May 12, 2010. 5:08 Fri, 7 May 2010 19:00:00 GMT Sharing the latest literature on the causes and prevention of hospital readmissions is Susan Shepard, the director of patient safety education for The Doctors Management Company. Ms. Shepard described the type of patient most at risk for readmission, some of the risks inherent in transitioning patients from one care site to another, and the contribution of the patient's primary physician to a successful discharge. Shepard identified key aspects of the hospital admission, stay and discharge that can reduce the likelihood of readmission during "A Coordinated Discharge Planning Approach to Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions," a 45-minute webinar on April 28, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Shepard_discharge_planning_reduce_readmissions_0410.mp3 Sharing the latest literature on the causes and prevention of hospital readmissions is Susan Shepard, the director of patient safety education for The Doctors Management Company. Ms. Shepard described the type of patient most at risk for readmission, some of the risks inherent in transitioning patients from one care site to another, and the contribution of the patient's primary physician to a successful discharge. Shepard identified key aspects of the hospital admission, stay and discharge that can reduce the likelihood of readmission during "A Coordinated Discharge Planning Approach to Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions," a 45-minute webinar on April 28, 2010. 5:50 Fri, 7 May 2010 19:00:00 GMT The patient-centered medical home is at the heart of Mesa County, Colorado's shared savings model, explains David West, M.D., a hospitalist, family physician and healthcare consultant from Grand Junction, Colorado. Dr. West describes how the shared savings model can be adapted across markets, including the conditions and factors that must be present for this approach to be feasible. He also shares a unique provider incentive that is keeping hospital stays of Medicare patients at less than one-third the national average, one of the factors that has the nation touting this area as a model for efficient healthcare delivery. Dr. West examined how to structure a shared savings agreement during "Shared Savings in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on March 31, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/West_shared_savings_medical_home0410.mp3 The patient-centered medical home is at the heart of Mesa County, Colorado's shared savings model, explains David West, M.D., a hospitalist, family physician and healthcare consultant from Grand Junction, Colorado. Dr. West describes how the shared savings model can be adapted across markets, including the conditions and factors that must be present for this approach to be feasible. He also shares a unique provider incentive that is keeping hospital stays of Medicare patients at less than one-third the national average, one of the factors that has the nation touting this area as a model for efficient healthcare delivery. Dr. West examined how to structure a shared savings agreement during "Shared Savings in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar on March 31, 2010. 5:20 Fri, 2 Apr 2010 19:00:00 GMT The contributions of an embedded case manager to the practice quickly become evident, explains Diane Littlewood, R.N., regional manager of case management for health services, Geisinger Health Plan, which in turn bolsters physician buy-in for the program. She describes the upfront basics that help to ensure that health plan and provider expectations for embedded case management are met. Ms. Littlewood examined an embedded case manager program, from the factors that will help determine if a program is right for an organization and deciding on the placement to defining roles and responsibilities for the program, during "Embedded Case Managers: Navigating Care Transitions, Gaps in Care and Patient Compliance," a 45-minute webinar on March 10, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Littlewood_embedded_case_managers_0310.mp3 The contributions of an embedded case manager to the practice quickly become evident, explains Diane Littlewood, R.N., regional manager of case management for health services, Geisinger Health Plan, which in turn bolsters physician buy-in for the program. She describes the upfront basics that help to ensure that health plan and provider expectations for embedded case management are met. Ms. Littlewood examined an embedded case manager program, from the factors that will help determine if a program is right for an organization and deciding on the placement to defining roles and responsibilities for the program, during "Embedded Case Managers: Navigating Care Transitions, Gaps in Care and Patient Compliance," a 45-minute webinar on March 10, 2010. 3:48 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT While neither colocation of team members nor an electronic health record is a prerequisite for a successful integrated care team, explains Dr. Jan Berger, chief medical officer of Silverlink Communications Inc., there are four essential factors that contribute to the confidence and comfort levels of both patients and team members. Dr. Berger will share practical examples on how the integrated care team can work together to support patients in adhering to care plans, including a model of care that places the pharmacist on the care team and another that incorporates technology, during "Achieving Medication and Care Plan Adherence Through an Integrated Care Team," a 45-minute webinar on March 17, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Berger_medication_care_plan_adherence_0310.mp3 While neither colocation of team members nor an electronic health record is a prerequisite for a successful integrated care team, explains Dr. Jan Berger, chief medical officer of Silverlink Communications Inc., there are four essential factors that contribute to the confidence and comfort levels of both patients and team members. Dr. Berger will share practical examples on how the integrated care team can work together to support patients in adhering to care plans, including a model of care that places the pharmacist on the care team and another that incorporates technology, during "Achieving Medication and Care Plan Adherence Through an Integrated Care Team," a 45-minute webinar on March 17, 2010. 4:07 Tue, 9 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT Even though more than a third of the elderly are online, they're not necessarily using the Internet to seek health assistance, explains Marcia Wade, M.D., F.C.C.P., M.M.M., senior medical director at Aetna Medicare. That's why Aetna delivers its health risk assessment for the elderly in an alternate format while making available other Web-based tools to web-savvy boomer beneficiaries. Dr. Wade also describes Aetna's user-friendly strategy for heading off high-risk complications among its elderly and how this contributes to an overall reduction in hospital readmissions. Dr. Wade explained what to assess in the elderly population, how to match interventions based on risk score and the impact of this type of initiative during "Assessing and Predicting Health Risk in the Elderly," a 45-minute webinar on February 10, 2010. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Wade_HRA_elderly_110.mp3 Even though more than a third of the elderly are online, they're not necessarily using the Internet to seek health assistance, explains Marcia Wade, M.D., F.C.C.P., M.M.M., senior medical director at Aetna Medicare. That's why Aetna delivers its health risk assessment for the elderly in an alternate format while making available other Web-based tools to web-savvy boomer beneficiaries. Dr. Wade also describes Aetna's user-friendly strategy for heading off high-risk complications among its elderly and how this contributes to an overall reduction in hospital readmissions. Dr. Wade explained what to assess in the elderly population, how to match interventions based on risk score and the impact of this type of initiative during "Assessing and Predicting Health Risk in the Elderly," a 45-minute webinar on February 10, 2010. 3:06 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT A year into the Colorado multi-payor medical home pilot whose practices provide care to 30,000 patients, Julie Schilz, B.S.N., M.B.A., prescribes a single tool that can help transform practices, improve quality and deliver evidence-based care. It's NOT an EHR, says the manager of the Improving Performance in Practice and Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiatives for the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative, who lists this tool's four key functionalities. Also in this interview, Schilz describes the influence of other reimbursement models on the Colorado pilot and identifies two opportunities for NCQA to enhance its PCMH recognition process. Schilz shared Colorado's experience to date in creating this multi-payor initiative --- from the development of the program to the challenges of working with multiple payors --- during the January 20, 2010 webinar, "Multi-Payor Medical Home Programs: Addressing Funding and Organizational Challenges." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Schilz_multi_payor_medical_home_110.mp3 A year into the Colorado multi-payor medical home pilot whose practices provide care to 30,000 patients, Julie Schilz, B.S.N., M.B.A., prescribes a single tool that can help transform practices, improve quality and deliver evidence-based care. It's NOT an EHR, says the manager of the Improving Performance in Practice and Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiatives for the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative, who lists this tool's four key functionalities. Also in this interview, Schilz describes the influence of other reimbursement models on the Colorado pilot and identifies two opportunities for NCQA to enhance its PCMH recognition process. Schilz shared Colorado's experience to date in creating this multi-payor initiative --- from the development of the program to the challenges of working with multiple payors --- during the January 20, 2010 webinar, "Multi-Payor Medical Home Programs: Addressing Funding and Organizational Challenges." 6:29 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:00:00 GMT The dismal economy of 2009 has been a bright spot for health coaching and other health improvement programs, notes Dr. Jim Reynolds, chief medical officer for Health Fitness Corporation. Dr. Reynolds also compares early results from a Massachusetts' smoking cessation program for Medicaid beneficiaries with outcomes in commercial populations, and describes what Year 1 of a coaching program for improved medication adherence might yield in the way of behavior change and cost impacts. Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Elizabeth Rula, clinical research manager at the Center for Health Research at Healthways Inc., shared how their organizations respond to the challenges of evaluating and reporting on health coaching ROI during the January 13, 2010 webinar, "Health Coaching Evaluation: Measuring the ROI on Healthcare Utilization and Costs." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Reynolds_health_coaching_evaluation_ROI_1209.mp3 The dismal economy of 2009 has been a bright spot for health coaching and other health improvement programs, notes Dr. Jim Reynolds, chief medical officer for Health Fitness Corporation. Dr. Reynolds also compares early results from a Massachusetts' smoking cessation program for Medicaid beneficiaries with outcomes in commercial populations, and describes what Year 1 of a coaching program for improved medication adherence might yield in the way of behavior change and cost impacts. Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Elizabeth Rula, clinical research manager at the Center for Health Research at Healthways Inc., shared how their organizations respond to the challenges of evaluating and reporting on health coaching ROI during the January 13, 2010 webinar, "Health Coaching Evaluation: Measuring the ROI on Healthcare Utilization and Costs." 4:13 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT The pharmacist has a natural and important role in patient medication reconciliation and review, explains Dr. Beth Chester, senior director of clinical pharmacy services and quality, Kaiser Permanente Colorado. She describes the dramatic impact that a pilot pharmacist intervention had on emergency department visits and mortality rates among patients just discharged from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) once the health plan's pharmacists stepped in to monitor medication therapy in this population. Dr. Chester detailed the roles of the physician practice's staff and the pharmacist in medication management, the use of technology and how financial incentives and reimbursement can play a role in improving medication compliance during the January 6, 2010 webinar, "Medication Therapy Management in the Patient-Centered Medical Home." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Chester_medication_therapy_management_medical_home_1209.mp3 The pharmacist has a natural and important role in patient medication reconciliation and review, explains Dr. Beth Chester, senior director of clinical pharmacy services and quality, Kaiser Permanente Colorado. She describes the dramatic impact that a pilot pharmacist intervention had on emergency department visits and mortality rates among patients just discharged from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) once the health plan's pharmacists stepped in to monitor medication therapy in this population. Dr. Chester detailed the roles of the physician practice's staff and the pharmacist in medication management, the use of technology and how financial incentives and reimbursement can play a role in improving medication compliance during the January 6, 2010 webinar, "Medication Therapy Management in the Patient-Centered Medical Home." 7:59 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Social and demographic factors such as chaos in the home or functional status can complicate care coordination for patients as much as clinical factors, explains Jeff Schiff, M.D., M.B.A., medical director of Minnesota Health Care Programs for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He identifies two key social/demographic factors getting close attention in Minnesota's new primary care reimbursement model and explains how the engagement of patient and family at the clinical level is paying off in improved patient safety, satisfaction and health outcomes. Dr. Schiff examined the risk factors that need to be considered in a risk-adjusted medical home reimbursement strategy during the December 16, 2009 webinar, "Risk Adjustment in the Medical Home: Building an Effective Reimbursement Strategy." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Dr_Schiff_risk_adjustment_medical_home_1209.mp3 Social and demographic factors such as chaos in the home or functional status can complicate care coordination for patients as much as clinical factors, explains Jeff Schiff, M.D., M.B.A., medical director of Minnesota Health Care Programs for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He identifies two key social/demographic factors getting close attention in Minnesota's new primary care reimbursement model and explains how the engagement of patient and family at the clinical level is paying off in improved patient safety, satisfaction and health outcomes. Dr. Schiff examined the risk factors that need to be considered in a risk-adjusted medical home reimbursement strategy during the December 16, 2009 webinar, "Risk Adjustment in the Medical Home: Building an Effective Reimbursement Strategy." 5:06 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Case managers and advanced practice nurses in Aetna's Transitional Care pilot have also successfully partnered to reduce readmissions. Dr. Randall Krakauer, national medical director, Medicare at Aetna, describes the key focus and the complementary roles that reduced 90-day readmissions by 25 percent. Dr. Krakauer also weighs in on the pros and cons of bundled payments, and why incentives alone will not significantly impact avoidable readmissions. Dr. Krakauer and Dianne Feeney, BSN, MS, associate director of quality initiatives for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), examined how to structure programs to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions, including the alignment of financial incentives, during the December 2, 2009 webinar, "Aligning Reimbursement To Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Krakauer_reimbursement_reduce_hospital_readmissions1109.mp3 Case managers and advanced practice nurses in Aetna's Transitional Care pilot have also successfully partnered to reduce readmissions. Dr. Randall Krakauer, national medical director, Medicare at Aetna, describes the key focus and the complementary roles that reduced 90-day readmissions by 25 percent. Dr. Krakauer also weighs in on the pros and cons of bundled payments, and why incentives alone will not significantly impact avoidable readmissions. Dr. Krakauer and Dianne Feeney, BSN, MS, associate director of quality initiatives for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), examined how to structure programs to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions, including the alignment of financial incentives, during the December 2, 2009 webinar, "Aligning Reimbursement To Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions." 5:06 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Maryland's Hospital Preventable Readmissions program rewards efforts that reduce hospital readmissions while improving care quality and decreasing cost. Dianne Feeney, associate director of quality initiatives for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), describes HSCRC's response to hospitals that claim they can't afford the empty beds that result from programs like these, as well as processes to help ensure that higher-risk patients are not refused admittance to hospitals. She also explains how partnerships with "siloed settings" --- nursing homes and home health providers --- can reduce common errors that occur during patient handoffs. Feeney and Dr. Randall Krakauer, national medical director, Medicare at Aetna, examined how to structure programs to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions, including the alignment of financial incentives, during the December 2, 2009 webinar, "Aligning Reimbursement To Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Feeney_aligning_reimbursement_hospital_readmissions_1109.mp3 Maryland's Hospital Preventable Readmissions program rewards efforts that reduce hospital readmissions while improving care quality and decreasing cost. Dianne Feeney, associate director of quality initiatives for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), describes HSCRC's response to hospitals that claim they can't afford the empty beds that result from programs like these, as well as processes to help ensure that higher-risk patients are not refused admittance to hospitals. She also explains how partnerships with "siloed settings" --- nursing homes and home health providers --- can reduce common errors that occur during patient handoffs. Feeney and Dr. Randall Krakauer, national medical director, Medicare at Aetna, examined how to structure programs to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions, including the alignment of financial incentives, during the December 2, 2009 webinar, "Aligning Reimbursement To Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions." 5:03 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Priority Health members play an active role in keeping themselves out of the hospital, explains Mary Cooley, manager of case and disease management at Priority Health. She describes the four-point strategy that is reducing readmissions at Priority Health, the challenges that still exist and the essential tool that Priority supplies to help providers identify and close care gaps. Cooley provided more details on the strategies that Priority Health is using to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions during "Reducing Avoidable Hospital Readmissions: A Case Study from Priority Health," a 45-minute webinar. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Priority_Health_hospital_readmissions_1109.mp3 Priority Health members play an active role in keeping themselves out of the hospital, explains Mary Cooley, manager of case and disease management at Priority Health. She describes the four-point strategy that is reducing readmissions at Priority Health, the challenges that still exist and the essential tool that Priority supplies to help providers identify and close care gaps. Cooley provided more details on the strategies that Priority Health is using to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions during "Reducing Avoidable Hospital Readmissions: A Case Study from Priority Health," a 45-minute webinar. 7:23 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Case managers are the backbone of the Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) Health Navigator(SM) program, a medical home partnership between primary care providers and GHP that has reduced 30-day hospital readmissions by 15 to 20 percent. Providing benchmarks for case manager caseloads and contact frequency, tools to support the case management effort, the key to smooth placement of case managers in the medical home and tips for better management of patients discharged to nursing facilities are Diane Littlewood, R.N., and Joann Sciandra, R.N., who are both regional managers of case management for health services at Geisinger Health Plan. Littlewood and Sciandra provided more detail on the key components of a winning case management program during "Effective Case Management in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar. The webinar is part of HIN's continuing "Medical Home Open House webinar series." http://www.hin.com/soundclips/case_management_medical_home_1109.mp3 Case managers are the backbone of the Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) Health Navigator(SM) program, a medical home partnership between primary care providers and GHP that has reduced 30-day hospital readmissions by 15 to 20 percent. Providing benchmarks for case manager caseloads and contact frequency, tools to support the case management effort, the key to smooth placement of case managers in the medical home and tips for better management of patients discharged to nursing facilities are Diane Littlewood, R.N., and Joann Sciandra, R.N., who are both regional managers of case management for health services at Geisinger Health Plan. Littlewood and Sciandra provided more detail on the key components of a winning case management program during "Effective Case Management in the Medical Home," a 45-minute webinar. The webinar is part of HIN's continuing "Medical Home Open House webinar series." 8:52 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT A forecast of 2010 healthcare trends would not be complete without some prognostication on the fate of healthcare reform. The Healthcare Intelligence Network asked William DeMarco, president and CEO of DeMarco and Associates, and Jim Knutson, risk manager and human resources director, Aircraft Gear Corporation, to predict the winners and losers from the controversial legislation, as well as the delivery date of the much-debated package. DeMarco and Knutson go beyond crystal-gazing to describe the implications for key healthcare stakeholders in the coming year with a special focus on payment reform in "Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2010: Performance Expectations for the Healthcare Industry," a new special report from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/healthcare_trends_2010_1009.mp3 A forecast of 2010 healthcare trends would not be complete without some prognostication on the fate of healthcare reform. The Healthcare Intelligence Network asked William DeMarco, president and CEO of DeMarco and Associates, and Jim Knutson, risk manager and human resources director, Aircraft Gear Corporation, to predict the winners and losers from the controversial legislation, as well as the delivery date of the much-debated package. DeMarco and Knutson go beyond crystal-gazing to describe the implications for key healthcare stakeholders in the coming year with a special focus on payment reform in "Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2010: Performance Expectations for the Healthcare Industry," a new special report from the Healthcare Intelligence Network. 3:57 Fri, 4 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Medical home innovators Group Health Cooperative, Greenhouse Internists and Grand Valley Health Plan describe practice level transformations that improve care delivery and move them along the path to NCQA medical home recognition in Part 2 of Medical Home Open House Highlights. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MHOH_Highlights_Part_2.mp3 Medical home innovators Group Health Cooperative, Greenhouse Internists and Grand Valley Health Plan describe practice level transformations that improve care delivery and move them along the path to NCQA medical home recognition in Part 2 of Medical Home Open House Highlights. 3:57 Fri, 4 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT Grand Valley Health Plan's (GVHP) workgroup approach helps the staff model HMO to successfully disseminate workflow changes resulting from its NCQA medical home recognition process, explains Barbara Luskin, GVHP quality manager, and also created location champions in the process. Luskin describes how GVHP demonstrates compliance with the most challenging NCQA "must-pass" elements and shares GVHP's early returns in patient satisfaction ratings, quality of care and healthcare utilization. Luskin, along with Dr. James Kerby, GVHP vice president of medical affairs, shared the basics of preparing for and achieving recognition from NCQA's Physician Practice Connections(R) - Patient-Centered Medical Home(TM) during Achieving NCQA's Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition, a 45-minute webinar on October 21, 2009. The webinar is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BLuskin_NCQA_medical_home_1009.mp3 Grand Valley Health Plan's (GVHP) workgroup approach helps the staff model HMO to successfully disseminate workflow changes resulting from its NCQA medical home recognition process, explains Barbara Luskin, GVHP quality manager, and also created location champions in the process. Luskin describes how GVHP demonstrates compliance with the most challenging NCQA "must-pass" elements and shares GVHP's early returns in patient satisfaction ratings, quality of care and healthcare utilization. Luskin, along with Dr. James Kerby, GVHP vice president of medical affairs, shared the basics of preparing for and achieving recognition from NCQA's Physician Practice Connections(R) - Patient-Centered Medical Home(TM) during Achieving NCQA's Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition, a 45-minute webinar on October 21, 2009. The webinar is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 4:34 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT Despite the challenges, cost and uncertain return of EHRs, practices should move quickly to adopt this tool, recommends Dr. Richard J. Baron, president and CEO of Greenhouse Internists, where the EHR is the backbone that supports the implementation of evidence-based practices. Dr. Baron shared his practice's evidence-based guidelines experience --- from working with physicians on documentation, staff training and work flow redesign to using the data to improve practice performance --- during an October 6, 2009 webinar, Adopting and Implementing Evidence-Based Guidelines in the Medical Home. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/RBaron2_EHR_0909.mp3 Despite the challenges, cost and uncertain return of EHRs, practices should move quickly to adopt this tool, recommends Dr. Richard J. Baron, president and CEO of Greenhouse Internists, where the EHR is the backbone that supports the implementation of evidence-based practices. Dr. Baron shared his practice's evidence-based guidelines experience --- from working with physicians on documentation, staff training and work flow redesign to using the data to improve practice performance --- during an October 6, 2009 webinar, Adopting and Implementing Evidence-Based Guidelines in the Medical Home. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 6:00 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT Through the implementation of innovative health management programs, we can improve the performance of our healthcare system, says Steve Wigginton, president of Health Integrated, a leading health management solutions company. This podcast discusses how Health plans that make investments in wellness, chronic condition management and technology can enjoy a healthy return on investment with improved health outcomes for their members. To download a case study of one health plan's successful use of health management solutions that improved outcomes and reduced costs, and for more information on Health Integrated, please visit: www.healthintegrated.com/HIN909A or call 800-323-0286. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/health_integrated_092309.mp3 Through the implementation of innovative health management programs, we can improve the performance of our healthcare system, says Steve Wigginton, president of Health Integrated, a leading health management solutions company. This podcast discusses how Health plans that make investments in wellness, chronic condition management and technology can enjoy a healthy return on investment with improved health outcomes for their members. To download a case study of one health plan's successful use of health management solutions that improved outcomes and reduced costs, and for more information on Health Integrated, please visit: www.healthintegrated.com/HIN909A or call 800-323-0286. 11:27 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT Although Group Health Cooperative's increased their primary care staff, patients are still successful in connecting with their caregivers, says Michael Erikson, vice president of primary care services for Group Health Cooperative. In fact, the key to a patient's understanding of his care team lies in the physician's hands. In this podcast, Erikson discusses the effect Group Health's staff expansion has had on its patients, as well as the many benefits of contacting patients via phone and e-mail in lieu of in-person office visits. Erikson described the staffing strategies it implemented to reduce downstream utilization costs --- from the skill sets required by the staff to the workflow changes needed to accommodate this model of care during a September 9, 2009 webinar, Successful Models of Care for the Medical Home: Staffing and Roles of the Care Team. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Erikson_staffing_medical_home0909.mp3 Although Group Health Cooperative's increased their primary care staff, patients are still successful in connecting with their caregivers, says Michael Erikson, vice president of primary care services for Group Health Cooperative. In fact, the key to a patient's understanding of his care team lies in the physician's hands. In this podcast, Erikson discusses the effect Group Health's staff expansion has had on its patients, as well as the many benefits of contacting patients via phone and e-mail in lieu of in-person office visits. Erikson described the staffing strategies it implemented to reduce downstream utilization costs --- from the skill sets required by the staff to the workflow changes needed to accommodate this model of care during a September 9, 2009 webinar, Successful Models of Care for the Medical Home: Staffing and Roles of the Care Team. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 4:45 Tue, 1 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT Healthcare reform partially fueled Baptist Health System's desire to participate in the CMS Acute Care Episode (ACE) pilot that is testing bundled or episodic payments for selected orthopedic and cardiac procedures, explains Michael Zucker, Baptist's chief development officer. He describes some early returns from the experience, highlights the provider's role in Baptist's multi-pronged awareness campaign for Medicare beneficiaries and explains the committee-based approach to quality change and cost savings that has already improved communications among participating providers. Zucker shared Baptist Health System's experience thus far in the CMS bundled payment pilot and early feedback during a September 16, 2009 webinar, Medical Home Reimbursement: Exploring Bundled Payment Options. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Zucker_medical_home_reimbursement.mp3 Healthcare reform partially fueled Baptist Health System's desire to participate in the CMS Acute Care Episode (ACE) pilot that is testing bundled or episodic payments for selected orthopedic and cardiac procedures, explains Michael Zucker, Baptist's chief development officer. He describes some early returns from the experience, highlights the provider's role in Baptist's multi-pronged awareness campaign for Medicare beneficiaries and explains the committee-based approach to quality change and cost savings that has already improved communications among participating providers. Zucker shared Baptist Health System's experience thus far in the CMS bundled payment pilot and early feedback during a September 16, 2009 webinar, Medical Home Reimbursement: Exploring Bundled Payment Options. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 5:03 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:00:00 GMT The opening sessions of the Medical Home Open House webinar series delivered tips for improving care continuity, quality and access for patients assigned to a medical home. Healthcare thought leaders Barbara Wall, Doreen Salek and Liz Reardon describe how the medical home offers opportunities to improve patient education, transitions in care and the integration of behavioral and primary health. The remaining 45-minute sessions of the Medical Home Open House Series will explore strategies for staffing, reimbursement and attaining NCQA certification from early medical home adopters Group Health Cooperative, Baptist Health System and Taconic IPA. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MHOpenHousePt1.mp3 The opening sessions of the Medical Home Open House webinar series delivered tips for improving care continuity, quality and access for patients assigned to a medical home. Healthcare thought leaders Barbara Wall, Doreen Salek and Liz Reardon describe how the medical home offers opportunities to improve patient education, transitions in care and the integration of behavioral and primary health. The remaining 45-minute sessions of the Medical Home Open House Series will explore strategies for staffing, reimbursement and attaining NCQA certification from early medical home adopters Group Health Cooperative, Baptist Health System and Taconic IPA. 4:24 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:00:00 GMT The fragmentation in the U.S. healthcare system for the care of chronic conditions, like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and depression, causes the health of individuals with these chronic conditions to deteriorate while driving up expenses in emergency room visits and inpatient stays, says Steve Wigginton, president of Health Integrated, a health management solutions company. In this podcast, Wigginton describes how by closing gaps in care, addressing the interplay between medical and psychosocial health and providing day-to-day support for these patients, organizations can avoid costly emergency room visits and inpatient stays. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/health_integrated_081209.mp3 The fragmentation in the U.S. healthcare system for the care of chronic conditions, like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and depression, causes the health of individuals with these chronic conditions to deteriorate while driving up expenses in emergency room visits and inpatient stays, says Steve Wigginton, president of Health Integrated, a health management solutions company. In this podcast, Wigginton describes how by closing gaps in care, addressing the interplay between medical and psychosocial health and providing day-to-day support for these patients, organizations can avoid costly emergency room visits and inpatient stays. 5:58 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:00:00 GMT Geisinger Health Plan's successful Transitions of Care program is the health plan's response to rising rehospitalization rates among Medicare patients, a major concern of both CMS and private payors. Geisinger Health Plan's Doreen Salek defines the transition teams' key area of focus when providing a "clean and clear handoff" of a patient from one care site to another, with the goal of avoiding readmission to the hospital. The health plan's director of business operations of health services also defines the plan's ideal home health partner, its blueprint for a universal plan of care to improve care coordination and its expectations of patients and their families and caregivers. Salek, along with Janet Tomcavage, R.N., M.S.N., vice president of health services for Geisinger Health Plan, explained how a focus on transitions of care across the continuum can enhance care quality and reduce readmissions during an August 26, 2009 webinar, Constructing Care Transitions to Reduce Hospital Admissions. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/DSalek_care_transitions.mp3 Geisinger Health Plan's successful Transitions of Care program is the health plan's response to rising rehospitalization rates among Medicare patients, a major concern of both CMS and private payors. Geisinger Health Plan's Doreen Salek defines the transition teams' key area of focus when providing a "clean and clear handoff" of a patient from one care site to another, with the goal of avoiding readmission to the hospital. The health plan's director of business operations of health services also defines the plan's ideal home health partner, its blueprint for a universal plan of care to improve care coordination and its expectations of patients and their families and caregivers. Salek, along with Janet Tomcavage, R.N., M.S.N., vice president of health services for Geisinger Health Plan, explained how a focus on transitions of care across the continuum can enhance care quality and reduce readmissions during an August 26, 2009 webinar, Constructing Care Transitions to Reduce Hospital Admissions. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 10:29 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT Looking to jump-start patient outreach in the medical home? The appointment calendar is a great place to start, recommends Barbara Wall, a healthcare consultant who advises organizations on adoption of the patient-centered model of care. She describes the simple steps that medical home staff can follow to turn the appointment calendar into a patient teaching, recall and outreach tool. A featured presenter during HIN's Medical Home Open House webinar series, Wall explained the essential process changes that improve patient outreach and keep the patient at the center of the medical home during the August 5, 2009 webinar, Patient Engagement and Education in the Medical Home: Perspectives from Several Pilots. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BWall_medical_home_education.mp3 Looking to jump-start patient outreach in the medical home? The appointment calendar is a great place to start, recommends Barbara Wall, a healthcare consultant who advises organizations on adoption of the patient-centered model of care. She describes the simple steps that medical home staff can follow to turn the appointment calendar into a patient teaching, recall and outreach tool. A featured presenter during HIN's Medical Home Open House webinar series, Wall explained the essential process changes that improve patient outreach and keep the patient at the center of the medical home during the August 5, 2009 webinar, Patient Engagement and Education in the Medical Home: Perspectives from Several Pilots. 3:43 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT The accountable care organization (ACO) --- a network of primary care physicians, one or more hospitals, and subspecialists that provide patient-centered care --- is receiving increasing attention as healthcare reform unfolds. Not only do ACOs complement the medical home model, but they are inextricably linked, says Dr. Craig Samitt, M.B.A., president and CEO of Dean Health System. Dr. Samitt discusses how ACOs complement the medical home model, the pros and cons of mandatory and voluntary ACOs and creating reimbursement strategies for ACOs. Dr. Samitt shared how Dean Health System uses its best practices to create an ACO that provides a high-value patient-centered care experience during the July 29, 2009 webinar, Meet the Medical Home Neighbor: Accountable Care Organizations, part of the Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Samitt_ACO_medical_home.mp3 The accountable care organization (ACO) --- a network of primary care physicians, one or more hospitals, and subspecialists that provide patient-centered care --- is receiving increasing attention as healthcare reform unfolds. Not only do ACOs complement the medical home model, but they are inextricably linked, says Dr. Craig Samitt, M.B.A., president and CEO of Dean Health System. Dr. Samitt discusses how ACOs complement the medical home model, the pros and cons of mandatory and voluntary ACOs and creating reimbursement strategies for ACOs. Dr. Samitt shared how Dean Health System uses its best practices to create an ACO that provides a high-value patient-centered care experience during the July 29, 2009 webinar, Meet the Medical Home Neighbor: Accountable Care Organizations, part of the Medical Home Open House webinar series. 6:46 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT Increasingly, uninsured patients are seeking chronic care via the ER, where they are stabilized, possibly admitted and eventually discharged. However, this cycle is not conducive to managing chronic diseases, and, in the end, will result in high costs and poor quality of care for these individuals, says Dr. Ricardo Guggenheim, vice president of care management services at McKesson Health Solutions. Dr. Guggenheim discusses what areas stand to see improvements as a result of managed uncompensated care, why it is essential to invest in managing uninsured care costs and future plans for McKesson's Care Advisor program. Dr. Guggenheim, along with Robin Barca, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Health, described how, with a small up-front investment, Baptist was able to manage its health system costs more effectively and provide care for chronic diseases in more appropriate settings during the July 16, 2009 webinar, Reducing Uncompensated Care Costs for the Chronically Ill Through a Medical Home Approach: A Health System Case Study. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Guggenheim_care_cost.mp3 Increasingly, uninsured patients are seeking chronic care via the ER, where they are stabilized, possibly admitted and eventually discharged. However, this cycle is not conducive to managing chronic diseases, and, in the end, will result in high costs and poor quality of care for these individuals, says Dr. Ricardo Guggenheim, vice president of care management services at McKesson Health Solutions. Dr. Guggenheim discusses what areas stand to see improvements as a result of managed uncompensated care, why it is essential to invest in managing uninsured care costs and future plans for McKesson's Care Advisor program. Dr. Guggenheim, along with Robin Barca, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Health, described how, with a small up-front investment, Baptist was able to manage its health system costs more effectively and provide care for chronic diseases in more appropriate settings during the July 16, 2009 webinar, Reducing Uncompensated Care Costs for the Chronically Ill Through a Medical Home Approach: A Health System Case Study. 6:42 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT Baptist's Health's referral of patients to its family medicine residency program has given residents a greater understanding of the fiscal impact of the uninsured on the healthcare system, and the benefits don't end there. Robin Barca discusses the residents' experience with the medical home model, details of patient contracts and just how much of Baptist's uncompensated care falls into charity care. Barca, along with Dr. Ricardo Guggenheim, vice president of care management services at McKesson Health Solutions, described how, with a small up-front investment, Baptist was able to manage its health system costs more effectively and provide care for chronic diseases in more appropriate settings during the July 16, 2009 webinar, Reducing Uncompensated Care Costs for the Chronically Ill Through a Medical Home Approach: A Health System Case Study. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Barca_care_cost.mp3 Baptist's Health's referral of patients to its family medicine residency program has given residents a greater understanding of the fiscal impact of the uninsured on the healthcare system, and the benefits don't end there. Robin Barca discusses the residents' experience with the medical home model, details of patient contracts and just how much of Baptist's uncompensated care falls into charity care. Barca, along with Dr. Ricardo Guggenheim, vice president of care management services at McKesson Health Solutions, described how, with a small up-front investment, Baptist was able to manage its health system costs more effectively and provide care for chronic diseases in more appropriate settings during the July 16, 2009 webinar, Reducing Uncompensated Care Costs for the Chronically Ill Through a Medical Home Approach: A Health System Case Study. 5:48 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT There are several ways a healthcare organization can bring clinical credibility to the medical home contract negotiating table, explains Dr. Barbara Walters, senior medical director for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She describes the ways in which the medical home contracting process differs from the standard payor contracting experience and highlights some typical performance guarantees to include in a medical home contract. In a July 8, 2009 webinar, Medical Home Contracting: Building a Solid Framework, Dr. Walters shared how to effectively prepare, negotiate and contract with payors for the medical home model of care to better prepare organizations for a seat at the negotiating table. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Walters_medical_home_contracting.mp3 There are several ways a healthcare organization can bring clinical credibility to the medical home contract negotiating table, explains Dr. Barbara Walters, senior medical director for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She describes the ways in which the medical home contracting process differs from the standard payor contracting experience and highlights some typical performance guarantees to include in a medical home contract. In a July 8, 2009 webinar, Medical Home Contracting: Building a Solid Framework, Dr. Walters shared how to effectively prepare, negotiate and contract with payors for the medical home model of care to better prepare organizations for a seat at the negotiating table. The 45-minute session is part of HIN's continuing Medical Home Open House webinar series. 3:21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT A move backward in readiness to change should not be perceived as a failure on the client's part but rather as an opportunity to readjust behavior goals, observes Kate Larsen, president of Winning LifeStyles, Inc., an ICF-certified professional coach and a WellCoaches(R) faculty member and mentor coach. There's value in reminding clients that health coaching is a journey and in checking coaching egos at the door to improve listening skills and allow clients to own their behavior change goals, notes the author of "Progress, Not Perfection." Larsen and Claudine Reilly, wellness manager at CVS Caremark, a Certified Intrinsic Coach, and a Certified Health Education Specialist, provided different scenarios that coaches might encounter with patients and examples of how coaches can and should respond to assist clients in achieving the health behavior change they need during the July 15, 2009 webinar, Finding Success in Health Behavior Change, a 45-Minute Interactive Roundtable. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Larsen_health_behavior_change.mp3 A move backward in readiness to change should not be perceived as a failure on the client's part but rather as an opportunity to readjust behavior goals, observes Kate Larsen, president of Winning LifeStyles, Inc., an ICF-certified professional coach and a WellCoaches(R) faculty member and mentor coach. There's value in reminding clients that health coaching is a journey and in checking coaching egos at the door to improve listening skills and allow clients to own their behavior change goals, notes the author of "Progress, Not Perfection." Larsen and Claudine Reilly, wellness manager at CVS Caremark, a Certified Intrinsic Coach, and a Certified Health Education Specialist, provided different scenarios that coaches might encounter with patients and examples of how coaches can and should respond to assist clients in achieving the health behavior change they need during the July 15, 2009 webinar, Finding Success in Health Behavior Change, a 45-Minute Interactive Roundtable. 9:39 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT Early and costly proposals for healthcare reform are creating clouds of uncertainty on the healthcare horizon, providing scant relief for organizations stymied by the economy, patient safety issues and internal budget restraints, observes Paul Keckley, Ph.D, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. As he prepares a mid-year review of financial and legislative trends shaping the healthcare industry, Keckley anticipates a slow and bumpy road to EHR adoption and defines the three key elements of the platform for a new generation of care-giving and care consumption at a community level. Keckley examined how the industry is faring in 2009, including the impact of stimulus funding on the industry, the potential and expected shape for reform and other industry trends during the June 25, 2009 webinar, Healthcare Trends in 2009: A Mid-Year Financial and Legislative Update. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Keckley_healthcare_trends_2009.mp3 Early and costly proposals for healthcare reform are creating clouds of uncertainty on the healthcare horizon, providing scant relief for organizations stymied by the economy, patient safety issues and internal budget restraints, observes Paul Keckley, Ph.D, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. As he prepares a mid-year review of financial and legislative trends shaping the healthcare industry, Keckley anticipates a slow and bumpy road to EHR adoption and defines the three key elements of the platform for a new generation of care-giving and care consumption at a community level. Keckley examined how the industry is faring in 2009, including the impact of stimulus funding on the industry, the potential and expected shape for reform and other industry trends during the June 25, 2009 webinar, Healthcare Trends in 2009: A Mid-Year Financial and Legislative Update. 5:32 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT Individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses are likely to die 20 years earlier than people without such conditions, says Liz Reardon, president of Reardon Consulting and a member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) Integration Consulting Team. Putting the right medical home services in place for adults with chronic mental illness can help to reduce this disparity, suggests Reardon, explaining why the earliest medical homes for children with complex health needs are great models for behavioral healthcare organizations. Reardon, along with Laura Galbreath, NCCBH Director of Policy and Advocacy, kicked off HIN's Medical Home Open House webinar series when they presented current developments in the patient-centered medical home model with evidence-based approaches to integration of primary care and behavioral health during the July 1, 2009 webinar, Under One Roof: Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health in the Medical Home. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Reardon_medical_home.mp3 Individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses are likely to die 20 years earlier than people without such conditions, says Liz Reardon, president of Reardon Consulting and a member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) Integration Consulting Team. Putting the right medical home services in place for adults with chronic mental illness can help to reduce this disparity, suggests Reardon, explaining why the earliest medical homes for children with complex health needs are great models for behavioral healthcare organizations. Reardon, along with Laura Galbreath, NCCBH Director of Policy and Advocacy, kicked off HIN's Medical Home Open House webinar series when they presented current developments in the patient-centered medical home model with evidence-based approaches to integration of primary care and behavioral health during the July 1, 2009 webinar, Under One Roof: Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health in the Medical Home. 5:01 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT American Health Holding relies on the Patient Activation Measure(TM) (PAM) to assess a patient's level of engagement in their own overall disease management (DM), but it does more than just that. PAM scores are also used to gauge the success of the DM program and its coaches. Director of DM and wellness services Diane Bellard discusses PAM --- who is using it, how to deal with a decrease in PAM levels, how it fits with a patient's readiness to change and PAM's role in an organization's overall quality improvement. Bellard, along with Dr. Judith Hibbard, professor of health policy at the University of Oregon and developer of the Patient Activation Measure(TM), shared the research behind the development of the PAM, its potential for improving a patient's healthcare self-efficacy and examples of its use in a DM setting during the June 18, 2009 webinar, Patient Activation Measure(TM): Assessing the Engaged Healthcare Consumer for Self-Efficacy. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Bellard_patient_activation_measure.mp3 American Health Holding relies on the Patient Activation Measure(TM) (PAM) to assess a patient's level of engagement in their own overall disease management (DM), but it does more than just that. PAM scores are also used to gauge the success of the DM program and its coaches. Director of DM and wellness services Diane Bellard discusses PAM --- who is using it, how to deal with a decrease in PAM levels, how it fits with a patient's readiness to change and PAM's role in an organization's overall quality improvement. Bellard, along with Dr. Judith Hibbard, professor of health policy at the University of Oregon and developer of the Patient Activation Measure(TM), shared the research behind the development of the PAM, its potential for improving a patient's healthcare self-efficacy and examples of its use in a DM setting during the June 18, 2009 webinar, Patient Activation Measure(TM): Assessing the Engaged Healthcare Consumer for Self-Efficacy. 5:31 Mon, 8 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT There are many ways to administer the Patient Activation Measure(TM) (PAM) and many socioeconomic factors that influence its outcomes, explains Dr. Judith Hibbard, developer of the PAM and professor of health policy at the University of Oregon. Dr. Hibbard identifies the PAM scores that signal a behavior change and the value of adding patient activation assessment to a health improvement initiative. Dr. Hibbard, along with Diane Bellard, director of disease management and wellness services for American Health Holding, shared the research behind the development of the PAM, its potential for improving a patient's healthcare self-efficacy and examples of its use in a DM setting during the June 18, 2009 webinar, Patient Activation Measure(TM): Assessing the Engaged Healthcare Consumer for Self-Efficacy. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Hibbard_patient_activation_measure.mp3 There are many ways to administer the Patient Activation Measure(TM) (PAM) and many socioeconomic factors that influence its outcomes, explains Dr. Judith Hibbard, developer of the PAM and professor of health policy at the University of Oregon. Dr. Hibbard identifies the PAM scores that signal a behavior change and the value of adding patient activation assessment to a health improvement initiative. Dr. Hibbard, along with Diane Bellard, director of disease management and wellness services for American Health Holding, shared the research behind the development of the PAM, its potential for improving a patient's healthcare self-efficacy and examples of its use in a DM setting during the June 18, 2009 webinar, Patient Activation Measure(TM): Assessing the Engaged Healthcare Consumer for Self-Efficacy. 4:16 Mon, 8 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT Health IT is extremely important in improving an organization's communication and prevention strategies, says Ewa Matuszewski, CEO of Medical Network One. In this podcast, Matuszewski also comments on how health IT supports the joint principles of the PCMH and describes how her health IT tool of choice can be a stepping stone to further implement IT within an organization. Matuszewski, along with Dr. James Crawford, senior vice president for laboratory services and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, presented case studies on the use of health IT in the medical home and its impact on care access, quality and cost during a May 28, 2009 webinar, Wiring the Medical Home: Healthcare IT to Power a Patient-Centered Model. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Matuszewski_medical_home_HIT.mp3 Health IT is extremely important in improving an organization's communication and prevention strategies, says Ewa Matuszewski, CEO of Medical Network One. In this podcast, Matuszewski also comments on how health IT supports the joint principles of the PCMH and describes how her health IT tool of choice can be a stepping stone to further implement IT within an organization. Matuszewski, along with Dr. James Crawford, senior vice president for laboratory services and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, presented case studies on the use of health IT in the medical home and its impact on care access, quality and cost during a May 28, 2009 webinar, Wiring the Medical Home: Healthcare IT to Power a Patient-Centered Model. 5:32 Fri, 22 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT Implementing an EHR into your organization is not the same as implementing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care, according to Dr. James Crawford, senior vice president for laboratory services and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. To be a PCMH, the practice workflow has to change as well. In this podcast, Dr. Crawford discusses the key process change that has to accompany the adoption of health IT by a medical home as well as health IT's impacts on care coordination and findings from the PCPCC's survey of physician practices on their use of health IT in support of the medical home model. Dr. Crawford, along with Ewa Matuszewski, CEO, Medical Network One, presented case studies on the use of health IT in the medical home and its impact on care access, quality and cost during a May 28, 2009 webinar, Wiring the Medical Home: Healthcare IT to Power a Patient-Centered Model. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/James_Crawford_full0509.mp3 Implementing an EHR into your organization is not the same as implementing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care, according to Dr. James Crawford, senior vice president for laboratory services and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. To be a PCMH, the practice workflow has to change as well. In this podcast, Dr. Crawford discusses the key process change that has to accompany the adoption of health IT by a medical home as well as health IT's impacts on care coordination and findings from the PCPCC's survey of physician practices on their use of health IT in support of the medical home model. Dr. Crawford, along with Ewa Matuszewski, CEO, Medical Network One, presented case studies on the use of health IT in the medical home and its impact on care access, quality and cost during a May 28, 2009 webinar, Wiring the Medical Home: Healthcare IT to Power a Patient-Centered Model. 7:16 Tue, 19 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT Health claims are still scrutinized during risk stratification, but today's analysts examine these data points through a slightly different lens, explains John Harris, chief wellness officer and senior vice president for Healthways. Harris explains why the focus has shifted from ICD-9 coding patterns to the financial trends evident in the claims, and what accelerating or decelerating costs reveal about an individual's health status. Harris, along with Dr. William Vennart, vice president of medical management and national medical director with CareAdvantage Inc., described how their organizations have approached health risk stratification, from how individuals are identified for stratification purposes to the effectiveness of risk stratification programs during the webinar, Reducing Acute and Chronic Care Costs Through an Effective Health Risk Stratification Model. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/John_Harris_full0409.mp3 Health claims are still scrutinized during risk stratification, but today's analysts examine these data points through a slightly different lens, explains John Harris, chief wellness officer and senior vice president for Healthways. Harris explains why the focus has shifted from ICD-9 coding patterns to the financial trends evident in the claims, and what accelerating or decelerating costs reveal about an individual's health status. Harris, along with Dr. William Vennart, vice president of medical management and national medical director with CareAdvantage Inc., described how their organizations have approached health risk stratification, from how individuals are identified for stratification purposes to the effectiveness of risk stratification programs during the webinar, Reducing Acute and Chronic Care Costs Through an Effective Health Risk Stratification Model. 4:25 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT Predictive modeling and health risk stratification can help providers identify members for case management and disease management interventions, says Dr. William Vennart, vice president of medical management and national medical director with CareAdvantage Inc. These methods ensure that patients receive treatment for their chronic conditions early on and, in turn, reduce unnecessary utilization and lower acute and chronic care costs. Dr. Vennart, along with John Harris, chief wellness officer and senior vice president for Healthways, described how their organizations have approached health risk stratification, from how individuals are identified for stratification purposes to the effectiveness of risk stratification programs during the webinar, Reducing Acute and Chronic Care Costs Through an Effective Health Risk Stratification Model. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Dr_Vennart_full0409.mp3 Predictive modeling and health risk stratification can help providers identify members for case management and disease management interventions, says Dr. William Vennart, vice president of medical management and national medical director with CareAdvantage Inc. These methods ensure that patients receive treatment for their chronic conditions early on and, in turn, reduce unnecessary utilization and lower acute and chronic care costs. Dr. Vennart, along with John Harris, chief wellness officer and senior vice president for Healthways, described how their organizations have approached health risk stratification, from how individuals are identified for stratification purposes to the effectiveness of risk stratification programs during the webinar, Reducing Acute and Chronic Care Costs Through an Effective Health Risk Stratification Model. 4:30 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT Nightly data mining has helped Vanderbilt University and Medical Center identify and make contact with high-risk high-volume patients, explains Dr. Dexter Shurney, which has vastly improved patient outcomes and closed care gaps. But the medical director of Vanderbilt's Employee Health and Care Plan would like to see even more data put in front of physicians at the point of care --- especially regarding certain patients with no claims history. Dr. Shurney describes these "bombs waiting to explode," as well as the impact of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care on disease management and why wellness and prevention services may be the best responses to individuals with comorbidities. Dr. Shurney, along with Dr. Ariel Linden, Dr.P.H., M.S., president of Linden Consulting Group, examined how disease management programs can continue to prove their worth and new developments in disease management that are netting results during The Strategic Ongoing Role of Disease Management in the Healthcare Continuum: Achieving the ROI. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Dexter_Shurney_full0409.mp3 Nightly data mining has helped Vanderbilt University and Medical Center identify and make contact with high-risk high-volume patients, explains Dr. Dexter Shurney, which has vastly improved patient outcomes and closed care gaps. But the medical director of Vanderbilt's Employee Health and Care Plan would like to see even more data put in front of physicians at the point of care --- especially regarding certain patients with no claims history. Dr. Shurney describes these "bombs waiting to explode," as well as the impact of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care on disease management and why wellness and prevention services may be the best responses to individuals with comorbidities. Dr. Shurney, along with Dr. Ariel Linden, Dr.P.H., M.S., president of Linden Consulting Group, examined how disease management programs can continue to prove their worth and new developments in disease management that are netting results during The Strategic Ongoing Role of Disease Management in the Healthcare Continuum: Achieving the ROI. 10:42 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT Aetna's practice of sending its providers periodic "care considerations" --- detailed clinical data that identify opportunities to improve care --- has been formalized in its patient-centered medical home (PCMH) pilot with Partners in Care (PIC), explains Dr. Don Liss, the regional medical director of Aetna's mid-Atlantic region. PIC providers' engagement with the care considerations is now a factor in the pay for performance aspect of the pilot. Dr. Liss shares some short-term indicators that demonstrate that the PCMH is working as well as the long-term view for medical home ROI, which can vary greatly for payors and providers. Dr. Liss, along with George Chedraoui, healthcare leader with IBM and immediate past president of Bridges to Excellence, shared different viewpoints --- the healthcare payor and purchaser --- and their strategies for achieving an ROI from the medical home during, Medical Home Metrics and Measurements for Achieving ROI. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Don_Lissfull0309.mp3 Aetna's practice of sending its providers periodic "care considerations" --- detailed clinical data that identify opportunities to improve care --- has been formalized in its patient-centered medical home (PCMH) pilot with Partners in Care (PIC), explains Dr. Don Liss, the regional medical director of Aetna's mid-Atlantic region. PIC providers' engagement with the care considerations is now a factor in the pay for performance aspect of the pilot. Dr. Liss shares some short-term indicators that demonstrate that the PCMH is working as well as the long-term view for medical home ROI, which can vary greatly for payors and providers. Dr. Liss, along with George Chedraoui, healthcare leader with IBM and immediate past president of Bridges to Excellence, shared different viewpoints --- the healthcare payor and purchaser --- and their strategies for achieving an ROI from the medical home during, Medical Home Metrics and Measurements for Achieving ROI. 11:49 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT IBM spends about $2 billion a year on healthcare for its 500,000 employees but doesn't believe it's getting its money's worth from the current system, explains George Chedraoui, healthcare leader with IBM and immediate past president of Bridges to Excellence. Chedraoui explains why IBM is banking on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) --- with its focus on disease prevention and wellness --- to deliver this value, what impact $19 billion in health IT incentives will have on physician practices, and why it will take more than technology to transform a physician practice into a medical home. Chedraoui, along with Dr. Don Liss, regional medical director for the mid-Atlantic region of Aetna, shared different viewpoints --- the healthcare payor and purchaser --- and their strategies for achieving an ROI from the medical home during, Medical Home Metrics and Measurements for Achieving ROI. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/George_Chedraoui_full0309.mp3 IBM spends about $2 billion a year on healthcare for its 500,000 employees but doesn't believe it's getting its money's worth from the current system, explains George Chedraoui, healthcare leader with IBM and immediate past president of Bridges to Excellence. Chedraoui explains why IBM is banking on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) --- with its focus on disease prevention and wellness --- to deliver this value, what impact $19 billion in health IT incentives will have on physician practices, and why it will take more than technology to transform a physician practice into a medical home. Chedraoui, along with Dr. Don Liss, regional medical director for the mid-Atlantic region of Aetna, shared different viewpoints --- the healthcare payor and purchaser --- and their strategies for achieving an ROI from the medical home during, Medical Home Metrics and Measurements for Achieving ROI. 9:12 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT According to Paul Terry, Ph.D., president and CEO of StayWell Health Management, when evaluating health coaching and population health programs, it is rare to see a return on investment in a program's first year, but generally by the second and third years, ROI begins to build. In addition to discussing ROI trends, Terry evaluates the value of self-reported data and the impact health coaching can have on an organization's productivity, presenteeism and absenteeism, and also gives some benchmarks for ROI in health coaching. Terry, along with Dr. Craig Nelson, director of health services research for American Specialty Health, described the measures to look at when evaluating health coaching and population health programs and provided case studies of how they are actually using these measures to demonstrate a health management ROI during a March 25, 2009 webinar, Calculating the Health Coaching ROI: Models and Results. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/PaulTerryfull0309.mp3 According to Paul Terry, Ph.D., president and CEO of StayWell Health Management, when evaluating health coaching and population health programs, it is rare to see a return on investment in a program's first year, but generally by the second and third years, ROI begins to build. In addition to discussing ROI trends, Terry evaluates the value of self-reported data and the impact health coaching can have on an organization's productivity, presenteeism and absenteeism, and also gives some benchmarks for ROI in health coaching. Terry, along with Dr. Craig Nelson, director of health services research for American Specialty Health, described the measures to look at when evaluating health coaching and population health programs and provided case studies of how they are actually using these measures to demonstrate a health management ROI during a March 25, 2009 webinar, Calculating the Health Coaching ROI: Models and Results. 7:12 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT According to Dr. Bruce Bagley, the cornerstone of PQRI is quality improvement, and any bonus payments physicians receive for reporting efforts are just that --- by-products of the process. Dr. Bagley, medical director of quality improvement for the American Academy of Family Physicians, also shares his views on the value of patient registries and other healthcare IT for PQRI, and advises physicians who may be frustrated by their PQRI experiences. Dr. Bagley, along with Betsy Nicoletti, consultant, Medical Practice Consulting, LLC, described how PQRI can provide physician practices with a great start on registries and measurement and reporting and provided practical hands-on PQRI coding and auditing strategies during a March 18, 2009 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting Initiative in 2009: How To Avoid Submission Errors and Improve Reimbursement. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BruceBagleyfull0309.mp3 According to Dr. Bruce Bagley, the cornerstone of PQRI is quality improvement, and any bonus payments physicians receive for reporting efforts are just that --- by-products of the process. Dr. Bagley, medical director of quality improvement for the American Academy of Family Physicians, also shares his views on the value of patient registries and other healthcare IT for PQRI, and advises physicians who may be frustrated by their PQRI experiences. Dr. Bagley, along with Betsy Nicoletti, consultant, Medical Practice Consulting, LLC, described how PQRI can provide physician practices with a great start on registries and measurement and reporting and provided practical hands-on PQRI coding and auditing strategies during a March 18, 2009 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting Initiative in 2009: How To Avoid Submission Errors and Improve Reimbursement. 5:05 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT According to Dr. Agostino Villani, when it comes to pain management, the doctor-patient relationship far outweighs the pain treatment itself. Dr. Villani notes that patients who experience quality doctor-patient relationships are much more successful in their management of pain than those who do not. In part 2 of this interview, the internationally recognized expert on chronic pain, CEO of Triad Healthcare, Inc., and author of "Pain is Not a Disease," further discusses the physician-patient relationship, measuring the outcomes of pain management and med school curricula on pain management. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/VILLANIPAINPODCAST_Part2_complete.mp3 According to Dr. Agostino Villani, when it comes to pain management, the doctor-patient relationship far outweighs the pain treatment itself. Dr. Villani notes that patients who experience quality doctor-patient relationships are much more successful in their management of pain than those who do not. In part 2 of this interview, the internationally recognized expert on chronic pain, CEO of Triad Healthcare, Inc., and author of "Pain is Not a Disease," further discusses the physician-patient relationship, measuring the outcomes of pain management and med school curricula on pain management. 13:49 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT Too often, pain management tends to focus on the conditions rather than the people experiencing the pain, says Dr. Agostino Villani, internationally recognized expert on chronic pain, CEO of Triad Healthcare, Inc., and author of "Pain is Not a Disease." According to Dr. Villani, this way of thinking depersonalizes the experience of pain and treats it as a disease instead of the complex, personal event that it really is. In Part 1 of this interview with Dr. Villani, he discusses his new book as well as pain management programs, pain level reduction strategies, side effects of pain medications and the fight against commercialization of pain management. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/VILLANIPAINPODCASTPart1complete3.mp3 Too often, pain management tends to focus on the conditions rather than the people experiencing the pain, says Dr. Agostino Villani, internationally recognized expert on chronic pain, CEO of Triad Healthcare, Inc., and author of "Pain is Not a Disease." According to Dr. Villani, this way of thinking depersonalizes the experience of pain and treats it as a disease instead of the complex, personal event that it really is. In Part 1 of this interview with Dr. Villani, he discusses his new book as well as pain management programs, pain level reduction strategies, side effects of pain medications and the fight against commercialization of pain management. 14:04 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT The daily engagement of Medicaid beneficiaries in self-care health monitoring programs can help healthcare organizations avoid many of the challenges inherent in working with this frequently underserved population, explains Pharos Innovations CEO Dr. Randall Williams. Once participants are identified, they are very receptive to the daily contact, which has resulted in extremely high program engagement rates. Dr. Williams, along with Dr. Thomas Kline, medical director, Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, and Katherine Scher, R.N., C.C.M., program manager for the Center for Clinical Care Design at Henry Ford Health System, examined the factors that can impact engagement and explain how to continually strive to improve engagement rates during Improving Patient Engagement in Telephonic and Online Health Improvement Programs for Lasting Behavior Change. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Williams_Pharoh.mp3 The daily engagement of Medicaid beneficiaries in self-care health monitoring programs can help healthcare organizations avoid many of the challenges inherent in working with this frequently underserved population, explains Pharos Innovations CEO Dr. Randall Williams. Once participants are identified, they are very receptive to the daily contact, which has resulted in extremely high program engagement rates. Dr. Williams, along with Dr. Thomas Kline, medical director, Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, and Katherine Scher, R.N., C.C.M., program manager for the Center for Clinical Care Design at Henry Ford Health System, examined the factors that can impact engagement and explain how to continually strive to improve engagement rates during Improving Patient Engagement in Telephonic and Online Health Improvement Programs for Lasting Behavior Change. 11:29 Mon, 9 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT There are so many benefits to implementing the medical home model, that they more than justify the initial investment needed, says Dr. Charles DeShazer, market medical officer at Humana. These benefits range from a decrease in fragmentation of care to an increase in quality care processes to even allowing physicians to manage their time more efficiently. DeShazer also discusses the importance of patient involvement, overcoming patient resistance and measuring the success of your medical home. Dr. DeShazer, along with Dr. Anita Murcko, medical director of clinical informatics and provider adoption with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), examined the various approaches to medical home assignment and the factors that can impact effective assignment in a February 12, 2009 webinar, Patient Assignment into the Medical Home: Building a Collaborative Patient-Centric Approach. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/CharlesDeShazerfull0209.mp3 There are so many benefits to implementing the medical home model, that they more than justify the initial investment needed, says Dr. Charles DeShazer, market medical officer at Humana. These benefits range from a decrease in fragmentation of care to an increase in quality care processes to even allowing physicians to manage their time more efficiently. DeShazer also discusses the importance of patient involvement, overcoming patient resistance and measuring the success of your medical home. Dr. DeShazer, along with Dr. Anita Murcko, medical director of clinical informatics and provider adoption with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), examined the various approaches to medical home assignment and the factors that can impact effective assignment in a February 12, 2009 webinar, Patient Assignment into the Medical Home: Building a Collaborative Patient-Centric Approach. 5:49 Wed, 4 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT According to Dr. Anita Murcko, medical director of clinical informatics and provider adoption with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), patient involvement and collaboration with providers are the keys to any successful medical home assignment --- not only understanding what a medical home can provide patients but also how this model of care can empower them. Dr. Murcko, along with Dr. Charles DeShazer, market vice president, clinical innovations at Humana, examined the various approaches to medical home assignment and the factors that can impact effective assignment in a February 12, 2009 webinar, Patient Assignment into the Medical Home: Building a Collaborative Patient-Centric Approach. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/AnitaMurckofull0109.mp3 According to Dr. Anita Murcko, medical director of clinical informatics and provider adoption with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), patient involvement and collaboration with providers are the keys to any successful medical home assignment --- not only understanding what a medical home can provide patients but also how this model of care can empower them. Dr. Murcko, along with Dr. Charles DeShazer, market vice president, clinical innovations at Humana, examined the various approaches to medical home assignment and the factors that can impact effective assignment in a February 12, 2009 webinar, Patient Assignment into the Medical Home: Building a Collaborative Patient-Centric Approach. 10:47 Wed, 4 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT With a revenue cycle that is measured by claims denials, collaborative data mining by billing and IT can identify origins of financial "bleeding" and turn these problems into actionable items, explain Beacon Partner experts Kevin Burchill, director; Sean McDonagh, practice director; and Ben Tobin, management consultant. Patient-friendly IT can also improve the patient experience on the front end while obtaining data to improve collections on the back end. This is a practice frequently employed by more financially robust providers. The three experts also debate the merits of offering patient discounts for prompt payment and placing patient credit reports in providers' hands. Burchill, McDonagh and Tobin, along with Beacon senior consultant Greg Adams and principal Phil Villacci, provided practical strategies, techniques and tools to improve patient collections without alienating patients during Improving Patient Collections in an Unhealthy Economy: Technologies and Processes to Speed Payments. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BeaconPartnersfull0109.mp3 With a revenue cycle that is measured by claims denials, collaborative data mining by billing and IT can identify origins of financial "bleeding" and turn these problems into actionable items, explain Beacon Partner experts Kevin Burchill, director; Sean McDonagh, practice director; and Ben Tobin, management consultant. Patient-friendly IT can also improve the patient experience on the front end while obtaining data to improve collections on the back end. This is a practice frequently employed by more financially robust providers. The three experts also debate the merits of offering patient discounts for prompt payment and placing patient credit reports in providers' hands. Burchill, McDonagh and Tobin, along with Beacon senior consultant Greg Adams and principal Phil Villacci, provided practical strategies, techniques and tools to improve patient collections without alienating patients during Improving Patient Collections in an Unhealthy Economy: Technologies and Processes to Speed Payments. 13:50 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT Delaying of healthcare for economic reasons is causing volatility in hospital emergency room volumes that is expected to intensify. To handle staffing, equipment and treatment challenges posed by these census variations, hospital EDs must rethink processes and protocols. At Edward Hospital in Naperville, Il., a "culture of certification" that includes cash bonuses for certification and peer support during exam preparation helps to raise the caliber of the ER staff and maintain patient satisfaction levels. Cindy Rentsch, Edward Hospital's clinical director of emergency services, describes the culture of certification that has raised the caliber of Edward's ER staff, a marketing campaign to divert mental health patients from the ER and protocols for treatment of pediatric ER patients. Rentsch is joined by Joan Heater, director of nursing emergency services, Banner Gateway Medical Center and Kevin Roche, director of the management engineering program at Banner Health Corporation, during Emergency Room Utilization: Developing a Team Approach to Address Overcrowding Factors That Increase Wait Time, a January 14, 2009 webinar. The three presenters shared organizational strategies that improve throughput in the ER as well as increase efficiencies, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/CindyRentschfull09.mp3 Delaying of healthcare for economic reasons is causing volatility in hospital emergency room volumes that is expected to intensify. To handle staffing, equipment and treatment challenges posed by these census variations, hospital EDs must rethink processes and protocols. At Edward Hospital in Naperville, Il., a "culture of certification" that includes cash bonuses for certification and peer support during exam preparation helps to raise the caliber of the ER staff and maintain patient satisfaction levels. Cindy Rentsch, Edward Hospital's clinical director of emergency services, describes the culture of certification that has raised the caliber of Edward's ER staff, a marketing campaign to divert mental health patients from the ER and protocols for treatment of pediatric ER patients. Rentsch is joined by Joan Heater, director of nursing emergency services, Banner Gateway Medical Center and Kevin Roche, director of the management engineering program at Banner Health Corporation, during Emergency Room Utilization: Developing a Team Approach to Address Overcrowding Factors That Increase Wait Time, a January 14, 2009 webinar. The three presenters shared organizational strategies that improve throughput in the ER as well as increase efficiencies, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. 11:20 Tue, 6 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT Richland Care Medical Home's member services department serves as health navigator and problem solver for its clients, guiding patients to appropriate services within the medical home network, explains program director Marcus Barnes. Patient engagement in the Richland Care Medical Home often begins when a prospective client visits the emergency room, and often takes staff members out of the office to health fairs and community events to publicize the program. Richland Care also conducts home visits for the chronically ill. Barnes described how Palmetto Health has implemented a successful medical home model that ensures the goals of the medical home program are met, including reduced hospital admissions and improved quality of care and outcomes for the patients, during Medical Home Collaborations: How Hospitals Are Benefiting from Partnerships in Patient-Centric Primary Care, a December 17, 2008 webinar. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MarcusBarnesfull08.mp3 Richland Care Medical Home's member services department serves as health navigator and problem solver for its clients, guiding patients to appropriate services within the medical home network, explains program director Marcus Barnes. Patient engagement in the Richland Care Medical Home often begins when a prospective client visits the emergency room, and often takes staff members out of the office to health fairs and community events to publicize the program. Richland Care also conducts home visits for the chronically ill. Barnes described how Palmetto Health has implemented a successful medical home model that ensures the goals of the medical home program are met, including reduced hospital admissions and improved quality of care and outcomes for the patients, during Medical Home Collaborations: How Hospitals Are Benefiting from Partnerships in Patient-Centric Primary Care, a December 17, 2008 webinar. 6:00 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT Integrative medicine includes the best of conventional medicine but expands the definition and focus of health to the person's body, mind, spirituality and community, explains Ruth Wolever, Ph.D., clinical health psychologist and director of research at Duke Integrative Medicine. Central to Duke's integrative health coaching program is mindfulness training and the "Wheel of Health" --- a key to defining health and assessing the individual's readiness to change. Encouraging health coaches to implement their own personalized health plans allows them to "walk the talk" and empathize with the client's position. Dr. Wolever, along with Dr. Karen Lawson, program director for the health coaching track at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, the University of Minnesota, examined integrative health coaching --- how health coaches can benefit from training in motivational interviewing, self-management and even spirituality and healing --- during, From Passive to Partner: Integrative Health Coach Training Using Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/RuthWoleverfull08.mp3 Integrative medicine includes the best of conventional medicine but expands the definition and focus of health to the person's body, mind, spirituality and community, explains Ruth Wolever, Ph.D., clinical health psychologist and director of research at Duke Integrative Medicine. Central to Duke's integrative health coaching program is mindfulness training and the "Wheel of Health" --- a key to defining health and assessing the individual's readiness to change. Encouraging health coaches to implement their own personalized health plans allows them to "walk the talk" and empathize with the client's position. Dr. Wolever, along with Dr. Karen Lawson, program director for the health coaching track at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, the University of Minnesota, examined integrative health coaching --- how health coaches can benefit from training in motivational interviewing, self-management and even spirituality and healing --- during, From Passive to Partner: Integrative Health Coach Training Using Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change. 7:47 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT The definition of community in an individual's change process is unique to that individual, explains Dr. Karen Lawson, program director for the health coaching track at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, the University of Minnesota. In this interview, Dr. Lawson discusses healing and spirituality within the framework of a health coaching exchange and the appropriate moments for a coach to broach these subjects. While a health coach cannot be an expert in all available therapies, the coach can be a "curious explorer" who "dips their toes" into alternative health therapies and systems along with the client. Dr. Lawson, along with Ruth Wolever, Ph.D., clinical health psychologist and director of research at Duke Integrative Medicine, examined integrative health coaching --- how health coaches can benefit from training in motivational interviewing, self-management and even spirituality and healing --- during, From Passive to Partner: Integrative Health Coach Training Using Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/KarenLawsonfull08.mp3 The definition of community in an individual's change process is unique to that individual, explains Dr. Karen Lawson, program director for the health coaching track at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, the University of Minnesota. In this interview, Dr. Lawson discusses healing and spirituality within the framework of a health coaching exchange and the appropriate moments for a coach to broach these subjects. While a health coach cannot be an expert in all available therapies, the coach can be a "curious explorer" who "dips their toes" into alternative health therapies and systems along with the client. Dr. Lawson, along with Ruth Wolever, Ph.D., clinical health psychologist and director of research at Duke Integrative Medicine, examined integrative health coaching --- how health coaches can benefit from training in motivational interviewing, self-management and even spirituality and healing --- during, From Passive to Partner: Integrative Health Coach Training Using Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change. 10:09 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT Hospitals should take advantage of the typically competitive nature of physicians to encourage collaboration, says Nathan Kaufman, managing director of Kaufman Strategic Advisors. Kaufman notes that "quality dialogue" between hospitals and physicians is key to engagement. In this podcast, he also discusses how a physician champion can drive success and explains physicians' reluctance to adding technology to their systems of care. Kaufman, along with Dr. Todd Rowland, director of medical informatics at Bloomington Hospital and executive director of HealthLINC, will provide a thorough understanding of physician engagement strategies during a December 10, 2008 webinar, Physician Engagement: Creating Trust and Alignment Between Management and Physicians. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/NathanKaufmanfull08.mp3 Hospitals should take advantage of the typically competitive nature of physicians to encourage collaboration, says Nathan Kaufman, managing director of Kaufman Strategic Advisors. Kaufman notes that "quality dialogue" between hospitals and physicians is key to engagement. In this podcast, he also discusses how a physician champion can drive success and explains physicians' reluctance to adding technology to their systems of care. Kaufman, along with Dr. Todd Rowland, director of medical informatics at Bloomington Hospital and executive director of HealthLINC, will provide a thorough understanding of physician engagement strategies during a December 10, 2008 webinar, Physician Engagement: Creating Trust and Alignment Between Management and Physicians. 4:10 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT To Dr. Todd Rowland, director of medical informatics at Bloomington Hospital and executive director of HealthLINC, the definition of an "engaged physician" includes working with others to find solutions to the problems of the healthcare industry at large. A self-described engaged physician, Dr. Rowland gives advice on how to become an engaged physician, discusses the impact of technology on physician engagement and shares how his organization has changed as a result. Dr. Rowland, along with Nathan Kaufman, managing director of Kaufman Strategic Advisors, will provide a thorough understanding of physician engagement strategies during a December 10, 2008 webinar, Physician Engagement: Creating Trust and Alignment Between Management and Physicians. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/ToddRowlandfull08.mp3 To Dr. Todd Rowland, director of medical informatics at Bloomington Hospital and executive director of HealthLINC, the definition of an "engaged physician" includes working with others to find solutions to the problems of the healthcare industry at large. A self-described engaged physician, Dr. Rowland gives advice on how to become an engaged physician, discusses the impact of technology on physician engagement and shares how his organization has changed as a result. Dr. Rowland, along with Nathan Kaufman, managing director of Kaufman Strategic Advisors, will provide a thorough understanding of physician engagement strategies during a December 10, 2008 webinar, Physician Engagement: Creating Trust and Alignment Between Management and Physicians. 4:27 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT The health coaching resume looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, explains Sean Slovenski, CEO and president of Hummingbird Coaching. Drawing upon his decade of experience in health coaching, he suggests key questions to ask during the coaching vetting process, shares a five-point strategy for ongoing health coach skill support and offers two true measures of success of a health coaching initiative. Slovenski, along with Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist for Ceridian Lifeworks, will explore hiring and training practices for health coaching that reflect developments in the field during a November 19, 2008 webinar, A Health Coach Hiring and Training Game Plan That Yields Improved Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/SeanSlovenskifull08.mp3 The health coaching resume looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, explains Sean Slovenski, CEO and president of Hummingbird Coaching. Drawing upon his decade of experience in health coaching, he suggests key questions to ask during the coaching vetting process, shares a five-point strategy for ongoing health coach skill support and offers two true measures of success of a health coaching initiative. Slovenski, along with Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist for Ceridian Lifeworks, will explore hiring and training practices for health coaching that reflect developments in the field during a November 19, 2008 webinar, A Health Coach Hiring and Training Game Plan That Yields Improved Outcomes. 7:00 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT With so many companies focusing on wellness and prevention, it's a great time to be a health coach, explains Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist for Ceridian Lifeworks. She describes the criteria for pairing a health coach with a client and reviews the importance of a veteran Ceridian health coach in the 100 hours of training delivered to the company's health coaches each year. Hurlbert, along with Sean Slovenski, CEO and president of Hummingbird Coaching, will explore hiring and training practices for health coaching that reflect developments in the field during a November 19, 2008 webinar, A Health Coach Hiring and Training Game Plan That Yields Improved Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/DarcyHurlbertfull08.mp3 With so many companies focusing on wellness and prevention, it's a great time to be a health coach, explains Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist for Ceridian Lifeworks. She describes the criteria for pairing a health coach with a client and reviews the importance of a veteran Ceridian health coach in the 100 hours of training delivered to the company's health coaches each year. Hurlbert, along with Sean Slovenski, CEO and president of Hummingbird Coaching, will explore hiring and training practices for health coaching that reflect developments in the field during a November 19, 2008 webinar, A Health Coach Hiring and Training Game Plan That Yields Improved Outcomes. 4:11 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT According to Roger Reed, chief consumer engagement architect with Gordian Health Solutions Inc., about two-thirds of the coaching population would prefer not to use the telephone as their preferred coaching modality. Consequently, a new generation of health coaches needs to be able to "serve it up to the individual any way they want it," using new methods and techniques, such as alternative medicine, coaching without a coach and other Health 2.0 developments. Reed also predicts how online personal health coaching methods will affect traditional coaching methods. Reed, along with Jennifer Hidding, director of interactive health management of consumer solutions at OptumHealth, will examine how health coaching is evolving as an industry as the growth in health coaching continues during a November 12, 2008 webinar, Health and Wellness Coaching in 2009. They will also look at what trends will impact health and wellness coaching in 2009, including incentive and technology use, coaching theories and ROI developments. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/RogerReedfull08.mp3 According to Roger Reed, chief consumer engagement architect with Gordian Health Solutions Inc., about two-thirds of the coaching population would prefer not to use the telephone as their preferred coaching modality. Consequently, a new generation of health coaches needs to be able to "serve it up to the individual any way they want it," using new methods and techniques, such as alternative medicine, coaching without a coach and other Health 2.0 developments. Reed also predicts how online personal health coaching methods will affect traditional coaching methods. Reed, along with Jennifer Hidding, director of interactive health management of consumer solutions at OptumHealth, will examine how health coaching is evolving as an industry as the growth in health coaching continues during a November 12, 2008 webinar, Health and Wellness Coaching in 2009. They will also look at what trends will impact health and wellness coaching in 2009, including incentive and technology use, coaching theories and ROI developments. 12:25 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT According to Jennifer Hidding, director of interactive health management of consumer solutions at OptumHealth, a main focus of health and wellness coaching in 2009 will be on general wellness as a means to combat the current obesity epidemic. However, it will not be the only trend the health coaching community will see in 2009. Hidding discusses how some new developments --- coaching without a coach, holistic coaching, online personal health coaching and President Bush's mandate for mental healthcare parity --- will affect coaching in the year to come and beyond. Hidding, along with Roger Reed, chief consumer engagement architect with Gordian Health Solutions Inc., will examine how health coaching is evolving as an industry as the growth in health coaching continues during a November 12, 2008 webinar, Health and Wellness Coaching in 2009. They will also look at what trends will impact health and wellness coaching in 2009, including incentive and technology use, coaching theories and ROI developments. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/JenniferHiddingfull08.mp3 According to Jennifer Hidding, director of interactive health management of consumer solutions at OptumHealth, a main focus of health and wellness coaching in 2009 will be on general wellness as a means to combat the current obesity epidemic. However, it will not be the only trend the health coaching community will see in 2009. Hidding discusses how some new developments --- coaching without a coach, holistic coaching, online personal health coaching and President Bush's mandate for mental healthcare parity --- will affect coaching in the year to come and beyond. Hidding, along with Roger Reed, chief consumer engagement architect with Gordian Health Solutions Inc., will examine how health coaching is evolving as an industry as the growth in health coaching continues during a November 12, 2008 webinar, Health and Wellness Coaching in 2009. They will also look at what trends will impact health and wellness coaching in 2009, including incentive and technology use, coaching theories and ROI developments. 8:46 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT McKesson Health Solutions has found that a large portion of the chronically ill beneficiaries also suffer from depression and schizophrenia, says Jim Hardy, senior vice president of care management services. Increasingly, McKesson seeks nurses with a background in behavioral healthcare to provide disease and case management to this population, especially during hospitalizations and at discharge. He describes the challenges inherent in navigating the medical and mental health systems needed by these clients and suggests ways to bridge behavioral healthcare gaps. Hardy and Dr. Chad Boult, professor of public health, medicine and nursing and director of the Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will examine disease management programs that improve health and reduce healthcare costs for those patients with comorbid conditions during Managing Comorbidities in Disease Management. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/JamesHardyfull08.mp3 McKesson Health Solutions has found that a large portion of the chronically ill beneficiaries also suffer from depression and schizophrenia, says Jim Hardy, senior vice president of care management services. Increasingly, McKesson seeks nurses with a background in behavioral healthcare to provide disease and case management to this population, especially during hospitalizations and at discharge. He describes the challenges inherent in navigating the medical and mental health systems needed by these clients and suggests ways to bridge behavioral healthcare gaps. Hardy and Dr. Chad Boult, professor of public health, medicine and nursing and director of the Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will examine disease management programs that improve health and reduce healthcare costs for those patients with comorbid conditions during Managing Comorbidities in Disease Management. 4:39 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT Differentiating between the patient-centered model of care and the comorbidity-focused Guided Care Model, Dr. Chad Boult, professor of public health, medicine and nursing and director of the Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, describes nurses' response to the Guided Care Model. He also offers an advance look at the training, information and Web-based support that his organization will deliver in 2009 to selected medical practices hoping to transform themselves into medical homes and enhance care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Boult and James Hardy, senior vice president of care management services, McKesson Health Solutions, will examine disease management programs that improve health and reduce healthcare costs for those patients with comorbid conditions during Managing Comorbidities in Disease Management. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/ChadBoultfull08.mp3 Differentiating between the patient-centered model of care and the comorbidity-focused Guided Care Model, Dr. Chad Boult, professor of public health, medicine and nursing and director of the Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, describes nurses' response to the Guided Care Model. He also offers an advance look at the training, information and Web-based support that his organization will deliver in 2009 to selected medical practices hoping to transform themselves into medical homes and enhance care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Boult and James Hardy, senior vice president of care management services, McKesson Health Solutions, will examine disease management programs that improve health and reduce healthcare costs for those patients with comorbid conditions during Managing Comorbidities in Disease Management. 5:22 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT Financially stressed healthcare organizations seeking alternative revenue streams should study wasteful medical practice variations that consume an estimated 30 percent of every healthcare dollar, advises Dr. David Chin, a national partner in the Health Industries Advisory Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the managing partner of PwC's Global Healthcare Research Institute. Focusing on emerging trends, Dr. Chin reflects on the growing multinational focus on wellness and prevention as a cost-saving measure and the impact that new models of primary care will have on related occupations. Dr. Chin, along with Perry Hanson, partner with Wipfli, a national accounting and business consulting firm that provides consulting, tax and audit advice for the healthcare industry, will examine how the new administration and ongoing economic woes will shape the healthcare industry in 2009 and how organizations can best prepare themselves for the year ahead during Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2009. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/DavidChinfull08.mp3 Financially stressed healthcare organizations seeking alternative revenue streams should study wasteful medical practice variations that consume an estimated 30 percent of every healthcare dollar, advises Dr. David Chin, a national partner in the Health Industries Advisory Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the managing partner of PwC's Global Healthcare Research Institute. Focusing on emerging trends, Dr. Chin reflects on the growing multinational focus on wellness and prevention as a cost-saving measure and the impact that new models of primary care will have on related occupations. Dr. Chin, along with Perry Hanson, partner with Wipfli, a national accounting and business consulting firm that provides consulting, tax and audit advice for the healthcare industry, will examine how the new administration and ongoing economic woes will shape the healthcare industry in 2009 and how organizations can best prepare themselves for the year ahead during Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2009. 5:49 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT The growing trend toward integrated care delivery systems can help the U.S. healthcare system refocus on its primary goals --- providing coordinated care and returning patients to their optimal health status, explains Perry Hanson, partner with Wipfli, a national accounting and business consulting firm that provides consulting, tax and audit advice for the healthcare industry. Integrated care delivery can also help the U.S. reverse its current last-place rankings in quality, access and efficiency among the global health community, he adds. Citing the success of the medical home model of care in Minnesota, Hanson calls the patient-centered model a "beacon of hope" for a beleaguered healthcare industry. Hanson and Dr. David Chin, a national partner in the Health Industries Advisory Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the managing partner of PwC's Global Healthcare Research Institute, will examine the trends that will continue to impact the healthcare industry in 2009 and how organizations can best prepare themselves for the changes that will come with the new administration during Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2009. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Perry_Hansonfull08.mp3 The growing trend toward integrated care delivery systems can help the U.S. healthcare system refocus on its primary goals --- providing coordinated care and returning patients to their optimal health status, explains Perry Hanson, partner with Wipfli, a national accounting and business consulting firm that provides consulting, tax and audit advice for the healthcare industry. Integrated care delivery can also help the U.S. reverse its current last-place rankings in quality, access and efficiency among the global health community, he adds. Citing the success of the medical home model of care in Minnesota, Hanson calls the patient-centered model a "beacon of hope" for a beleaguered healthcare industry. Hanson and Dr. David Chin, a national partner in the Health Industries Advisory Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the managing partner of PwC's Global Healthcare Research Institute, will examine the trends that will continue to impact the healthcare industry in 2009 and how organizations can best prepare themselves for the changes that will come with the new administration during Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2009. 7:46 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT For HealthMedia, Inc., the notion of health coaching without a coach is proving to be very successful for their patients in many areas. Dr. Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., HealthMedia director of behavioral health, and Caren Kenney, director of corporate communications, discuss HealthMedia's Binge Eating Disorder (BED) program, a first-of-its-kind solution aimed at addressing binge eating disorder and its impact on healthcare costs in the United States. Dr. Bedrosian and Kenney also talk about what spurred the idea for the program, how it works and the benefits, challenges and drawbacks that go with this innovative new wave of Web-based coaching. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Binge_Eating_Disorder_Program_HealthMediafull08.mp3 For HealthMedia, Inc., the notion of health coaching without a coach is proving to be very successful for their patients in many areas. Dr. Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., HealthMedia director of behavioral health, and Caren Kenney, director of corporate communications, discuss HealthMedia's Binge Eating Disorder (BED) program, a first-of-its-kind solution aimed at addressing binge eating disorder and its impact on healthcare costs in the United States. Dr. Bedrosian and Kenney also talk about what spurred the idea for the program, how it works and the benefits, challenges and drawbacks that go with this innovative new wave of Web-based coaching. 16:18 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT A health coach's use of motivational interviewing (MI) can pave the way to a partnership resulting in an individual's behavior change, explains Kristin S. Vickers Douglas, Ph.D., L.P., a clinical health psychologist at the Mayo Clinic and medical director of its EmbodyHealth coaching program. Frequently called upon to employ MI in her practice as well as train health coaches in the technique, Dr. Vickers Douglas describes the dimensions of MI and its value in determining and reacting to an individual's readiness to change. Dr. Vickers Douglas, along with Mike Casey, senior director of Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, provide an update on Mayo's health coaching initiatives --- including its increasing utilization of MI and integration of Web 2.0 technologies in the newly updated Coaching in the Healthcare Continuum: Models, Methods, Measurements and Motivation, Second Edition. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Kristin_Vickers_Douglasfull08.mp3 A health coach's use of motivational interviewing (MI) can pave the way to a partnership resulting in an individual's behavior change, explains Kristin S. Vickers Douglas, Ph.D., L.P., a clinical health psychologist at the Mayo Clinic and medical director of its EmbodyHealth coaching program. Frequently called upon to employ MI in her practice as well as train health coaches in the technique, Dr. Vickers Douglas describes the dimensions of MI and its value in determining and reacting to an individual's readiness to change. Dr. Vickers Douglas, along with Mike Casey, senior director of Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, provide an update on Mayo's health coaching initiatives --- including its increasing utilization of MI and integration of Web 2.0 technologies in the newly updated Coaching in the Healthcare Continuum: Models, Methods, Measurements and Motivation, Second Edition. 5:15 Mon, 6 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT As veterans of CMS' Physician Group Practice Medicare three-year demonstration pilot, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) physicians are comfortable dispensing chronic care in the medical home environment, explains Dr. Barbara Walters, DHMC's senior medical director. Its new medical home partnership with Cigna is an enhanced version of CMS' reimbursement model that Dr. Walters hopes will generate some "working capital" to reinvest in key medical home tools. She describes DHMC's physician-friendly model of negotiating with commercial payors and its current method of communicating the patient-centered model of care to patients. Dr. Walters, along with Lesley Reeder, RN, BSN, quality improvement specialist for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, will examine case studies of reimbursement strategies for medical home programs during a September 24, 2008 webinar, Reimbursement Models for Medical Homes: From Pilot to Practice. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/BWaltersfull08.mp3 As veterans of CMS' Physician Group Practice Medicare three-year demonstration pilot, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) physicians are comfortable dispensing chronic care in the medical home environment, explains Dr. Barbara Walters, DHMC's senior medical director. Its new medical home partnership with Cigna is an enhanced version of CMS' reimbursement model that Dr. Walters hopes will generate some "working capital" to reinvest in key medical home tools. She describes DHMC's physician-friendly model of negotiating with commercial payors and its current method of communicating the patient-centered model of care to patients. Dr. Walters, along with Lesley Reeder, RN, BSN, quality improvement specialist for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, will examine case studies of reimbursement strategies for medical home programs during a September 24, 2008 webinar, Reimbursement Models for Medical Homes: From Pilot to Practice. 6:22 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT While there is a great deal of interest among public payors in medical home funding models, their funding needs pose several challenges, explains Lesley Reeder, RN, BSN, quality improvement specialist for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. In this podcast, Reeder shares the secrets to a successful payor-provider partnership and discusses some of the code-dependent strategies at work in Colorado to reimburse physicians for preventive care services dispensed from the medical home. Reeder, along with Dr. Barbara Walters, senior medical director of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, will examine case studies of reimbursement strategies for medical home programs during a September 24, 2008 webinar, Reimbursement Models for Medical Homes: From Pilot to Practice. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/LReederfull08.mp3 While there is a great deal of interest among public payors in medical home funding models, their funding needs pose several challenges, explains Lesley Reeder, RN, BSN, quality improvement specialist for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. In this podcast, Reeder shares the secrets to a successful payor-provider partnership and discusses some of the code-dependent strategies at work in Colorado to reimburse physicians for preventive care services dispensed from the medical home. Reeder, along with Dr. Barbara Walters, senior medical director of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, will examine case studies of reimbursement strategies for medical home programs during a September 24, 2008 webinar, Reimbursement Models for Medical Homes: From Pilot to Practice. 6:01 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT U.S. healthcare spends an estimated $177 billion on medication non-compliance annually -- nearly 80 percent of the country's healthcare spending. And the pharmaceutical industry loses billions of healthcare dollars annually as a result of medication non-adherence. Thom Stambaugh, chief pharmacy officer and vice president of clinical programs and specialty pharmacy for CIGNA Pharmacy Management, discusses strategies for recovering some of this lost revenue, the challenges behavioral health patients bring to medication compliance and how CIGNA measures compliance in its population. Stambaugh, along with Connie Commander, immediate past president of the Case Management Society of America and president, Commander's Premier Consulting Corporation, will describe programs and initiatives that have increased patient compliance with medication regimes. You'll also learn the impact that compliance has had on healthcare utilization and patient satisfaction during a September 10, 2008 webinar, Improving Medication Adherence: Practical Strategies to Increase Patient Compliance. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Thom_Stambaughfull08.mp3 U.S. healthcare spends an estimated $177 billion on medication non-compliance annually -- nearly 80 percent of the country's healthcare spending. And the pharmaceutical industry loses billions of healthcare dollars annually as a result of medication non-adherence. Thom Stambaugh, chief pharmacy officer and vice president of clinical programs and specialty pharmacy for CIGNA Pharmacy Management, discusses strategies for recovering some of this lost revenue, the challenges behavioral health patients bring to medication compliance and how CIGNA measures compliance in its population. Stambaugh, along with Connie Commander, immediate past president of the Case Management Society of America and president, Commander's Premier Consulting Corporation, will describe programs and initiatives that have increased patient compliance with medication regimes. You'll also learn the impact that compliance has had on healthcare utilization and patient satisfaction during a September 10, 2008 webinar, Improving Medication Adherence: Practical Strategies to Increase Patient Compliance. 2:40 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT As rising volumes and overcrowding affect EDs nationwide, hospitals are eager to reduce waits, notch up efficiency and, in turn, improve patient satisfaction. Drawing from her organization's 2008 ED Pulse Report, Press Ganey Vice President of Public Policy Deirdre Mylod, Ph.D., describes some strategies that can positively impact ED usage. She shares ideas from high-ranking EDs on coping with overcrowding and analyzes the impact that medical homes, retail clinics and patient education could have on ED trends. A lack of throughput for truly urgent patients, rather than the numbers of uninsured or underinsured patients in waiting rooms, is really at the root of ED overcrowding, she says. Dr. Mylod also shares what ED physicians at a magnet hospital are doing to improve patient satisfaction marks and why communication and comfort go hand in hand in the ED waiting room. A July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages, provides more information on alleviating the strain on EDs. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/mylodPressGaney_edit.mp3 As rising volumes and overcrowding affect EDs nationwide, hospitals are eager to reduce waits, notch up efficiency and, in turn, improve patient satisfaction. Drawing from her organization's 2008 ED Pulse Report, Press Ganey Vice President of Public Policy Deirdre Mylod, Ph.D., describes some strategies that can positively impact ED usage. She shares ideas from high-ranking EDs on coping with overcrowding and analyzes the impact that medical homes, retail clinics and patient education could have on ED trends. A lack of throughput for truly urgent patients, rather than the numbers of uninsured or underinsured patients in waiting rooms, is really at the root of ED overcrowding, she says. Dr. Mylod also shares what ED physicians at a magnet hospital are doing to improve patient satisfaction marks and why communication and comfort go hand in hand in the ED waiting room. A July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages, provides more information on alleviating the strain on EDs. 9:50 Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT Julie Szempruch, associate vice president for the Midtown Mental Health Center, Wishard Health Services, discusses some key points regarding ER use by mental health patients, including the challenges involved with triaging such patients, effective strategies for educating this population about proper ER use as well as why the issue of ER patients with mental health issues is getting so much attention now. Szempruch, along with Joe Eppling, assistant vice president of post acute and behavioral health services at East Jefferson General Hospital, will describe their organizations' strategies for serving the needs of the behavioral health patient in the emergency room during a July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Julie_Szempruchfull08.mp3 Julie Szempruch, associate vice president for the Midtown Mental Health Center, Wishard Health Services, discusses some key points regarding ER use by mental health patients, including the challenges involved with triaging such patients, effective strategies for educating this population about proper ER use as well as why the issue of ER patients with mental health issues is getting so much attention now. Szempruch, along with Joe Eppling, assistant vice president of post acute and behavioral health services at East Jefferson General Hospital, will describe their organizations' strategies for serving the needs of the behavioral health patient in the emergency room during a July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages. 4:14 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) is doing things a little differently to try to reduce ER usage among their mental health patients. According to Joe Eppling, assistant vice president of post acute and behavior health services for EJGH, placing a psychiatric nurse in the ER around the clock enables hospital staff to really know the population they are treating, and in turn reduce ER "super users." Eppling also discusses the effect medical homes and transitional care units could have on the mental health population and suggests optimal ER wait times for this population. Eppling, along with Julie Szempruch, associate vice president for the Midtown Mental Health Center, Wishard Health Services, will describe their organizations' strategies for serving the needs of the behavioral health patient in the emergency room during a July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/J_Epplingfull08.mp3 East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) is doing things a little differently to try to reduce ER usage among their mental health patients. According to Joe Eppling, assistant vice president of post acute and behavior health services for EJGH, placing a psychiatric nurse in the ER around the clock enables hospital staff to really know the population they are treating, and in turn reduce ER "super users." Eppling also discusses the effect medical homes and transitional care units could have on the mental health population and suggests optimal ER wait times for this population. Eppling, along with Julie Szempruch, associate vice president for the Midtown Mental Health Center, Wishard Health Services, will describe their organizations' strategies for serving the needs of the behavioral health patient in the emergency room during a July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages. 4:04 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT In a joint interview, Wes Alles, Ph.D., director of the Stanford University Prevention Research Center, and Yann Meunier, M.D., health improvement manager at Stanford School of Medicine Health Improvement Program, describe the interactions between their individual Stanford programs, the science and methods behind Stanford's health risk and behavior change assessments, and incentives that encourage Stanford employees to complete HRAs and participate in health promotion programs. Alles and Dr. Meunier, along with Gary Smithson, M.D., M.B.A, WorldDoc, will describe how HRAs are evolving and the impact these enhancements are having on both HRA data and results during an August 13, 2008 webinar, New Developments and Enhancements in Health Risk Assessments. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/AllesAndMeunierfull08.mp3 In a joint interview, Wes Alles, Ph.D., director of the Stanford University Prevention Research Center, and Yann Meunier, M.D., health improvement manager at Stanford School of Medicine Health Improvement Program, describe the interactions between their individual Stanford programs, the science and methods behind Stanford's health risk and behavior change assessments, and incentives that encourage Stanford employees to complete HRAs and participate in health promotion programs. Alles and Dr. Meunier, along with Gary Smithson, M.D., M.B.A, WorldDoc, will describe how HRAs are evolving and the impact these enhancements are having on both HRA data and results during an August 13, 2008 webinar, New Developments and Enhancements in Health Risk Assessments. 17:48 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT According to Dr. John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, there is a silent majority of suicide survivors who have another message -- suicide isn't inevitable, and it can be prevented. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Lifeline_Excerpt.mp3 According to Dr. John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, there is a silent majority of suicide survivors who have another message -- suicide isn't inevitable, and it can be prevented. 1:22 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT When it comes to suicide, more often than not, the media focuses too much on the tragedy of the situation and sends the message that it cannot be prevented. But according to Dr. John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, there is a silent majority of suicide survivors who have another message -- suicide isn't inevitable, and it can be prevented. Dr. Draper and Amanda Lehner, technology communications coordinator for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, discuss their latest endeavor, LifelineGallery.org, and how this social network hopes to connect with patients with its use of story-telling avatars. To learn how healthcare organizations are using video, podcasts, blogs, wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies to drive consumers to their Web sites and facilities, please visit: The Business Case for Web 2.0 in Healthcare: Building Brands and Redefining the Patient Experience. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Lifeline_Full.mp3 When it comes to suicide, more often than not, the media focuses too much on the tragedy of the situation and sends the message that it cannot be prevented. But according to Dr. John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, there is a silent majority of suicide survivors who have another message -- suicide isn't inevitable, and it can be prevented. Dr. Draper and Amanda Lehner, technology communications coordinator for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, discuss their latest endeavor, LifelineGallery.org, and how this social network hopes to connect with patients with its use of story-telling avatars. To learn how healthcare organizations are using video, podcasts, blogs, wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies to drive consumers to their Web sites and facilities, please visit: The Business Case for Web 2.0 in Healthcare: Building Brands and Redefining the Patient Experience. 14:28 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT Education is essential to any consumer-driven program, says Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Services, and all stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to laying this foundation. Domaszewicz touches upon this key element, as well as some tips on marketing CDHPs to Generations X and Y. Domaszewicz, along with Kathleen Campbell, head of the insurer's CDHPs and Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners described the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/SanderDomaszewiczfull08.mp3 Education is essential to any consumer-driven program, says Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Services, and all stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to laying this foundation. Domaszewicz touches upon this key element, as well as some tips on marketing CDHPs to Generations X and Y. Domaszewicz, along with Kathleen Campbell, head of the insurer's CDHPs and Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners described the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. 3:43 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT In tracking members' experiences with Aetna's CDHPs, Kathleen Campbell, head of the insurer's CDHPs, notes that more employers are now offering CDHPS and explains why enrollment within these organizations has increased. Campbell also discusses Aetna's suite of CDHP products and Aetna's focus on simplicity within their CDHPs. Campbell, along with Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners and Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Services described the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/KathleenCampbellfull08.mp3 In tracking members' experiences with Aetna's CDHPs, Kathleen Campbell, head of the insurer's CDHPs, notes that more employers are now offering CDHPS and explains why enrollment within these organizations has increased. Campbell also discusses Aetna's suite of CDHP products and Aetna's focus on simplicity within their CDHPs. Campbell, along with Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners and Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Services described the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. 10:42 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT Some features of HealthPartners' consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) are drawing a younger, healthier population, according to Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners. She discusses these features as well as how their CDHPs affect their members' lifestyles and how members are handling their healthcare spending. Bunde, along with Kathleen Campbell, head of Aetna's CDHPsand Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Servicesdescribed the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Bundefull08.mp3 Some features of HealthPartners' consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) are drawing a younger, healthier population, according to Julie Bunde, director of product management at HealthPartners. She discusses these features as well as how their CDHPs affect their members' lifestyles and how members are handling their healthcare spending. Bunde, along with Kathleen Campbell, head of Aetna's CDHPsand Alexander "Sander" Domaszewicz, a principal and senior consultant with Mercer Health and Benefits Servicesdescribed the essential elements needed for a consumer-directed health plan to successfully engage consumers in their health and control healthcare costs, and how the elements translate to a consumer-directed benefit strategy for health plans and employers during a June 26, 2008 webinar, Essential Keys To Success for Consumer-Directed Health Plans. 2:49 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT Redesigning a practice into one that is more efficient and patient-centered begins with a readiness assessment tool and goal-setting with key organization members, says Dr. John Michos, medical director of the Virginia Health Quality Center. The size of the practice can affect the approach to transformation. Smaller practices may find it easier to implement change, while larger practices may need to launch innovations on a small scale, then foster the spread of that success to other departments. Getting health IT and its associated efficiencies into a physician practice will help transform it into a medical home, but so will mapping communications processes for patient interactions such as phone calls, discharges and other situations. Dr. Michos and Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus PCCM-DM Program, described the critical steps in physician practice transformation during a May 29, 2008 webinar, Physician Practice Transformation: Charting a Path Toward Increased Revenue and Improved Efficiency, Patient Satisfaction and Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Michosfull08.mp3 Redesigning a practice into one that is more efficient and patient-centered begins with a readiness assessment tool and goal-setting with key organization members, says Dr. John Michos, medical director of the Virginia Health Quality Center. The size of the practice can affect the approach to transformation. Smaller practices may find it easier to implement change, while larger practices may need to launch innovations on a small scale, then foster the spread of that success to other departments. Getting health IT and its associated efficiencies into a physician practice will help transform it into a medical home, but so will mapping communications processes for patient interactions such as phone calls, discharges and other situations. Dr. Michos and Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus PCCM-DM Program, described the critical steps in physician practice transformation during a May 29, 2008 webinar, Physician Practice Transformation: Charting a Path Toward Increased Revenue and Improved Efficiency, Patient Satisfaction and Outcomes. 5:27 Wed, 21 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT A cultural change must be at the heart of any practice transformation, says Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus PCCM-DM Program. Dr. Fuller describes the attitude shifts that must occur and the enhanced patient experience that can result from a practice redesign. Even a practice that lacks sophisticated technology can make some basic improvements, he says, citing a free downloadable disease registry tool that can function as a data repository. Dr. Fuller and Dr. John Michos, medical director of the Virginia Health Quality Center, described the critical steps in physician practice transformation during a May 29, 2008 webinar, Physician Practice Transformation: Charting a Path Toward Increased Revenue and Improved Efficiency, Patient Satisfaction and Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/fullerfull0508.mp3 A cultural change must be at the heart of any practice transformation, says Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus PCCM-DM Program. Dr. Fuller describes the attitude shifts that must occur and the enhanced patient experience that can result from a practice redesign. Even a practice that lacks sophisticated technology can make some basic improvements, he says, citing a free downloadable disease registry tool that can function as a data repository. Dr. Fuller and Dr. John Michos, medical director of the Virginia Health Quality Center, described the critical steps in physician practice transformation during a May 29, 2008 webinar, Physician Practice Transformation: Charting a Path Toward Increased Revenue and Improved Efficiency, Patient Satisfaction and Outcomes. 5:27 Wed, 21 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT As a caregiver, one responsibility Cheryl Pacella has is improving the quality of life for her pain management patients. Pacella notes that mutual goals set by both the caregiver and the patient are important in delivering on this responsibility. Also in this podcast, Pacella, performance improvement advisor at Masspro, a performance management organization, discusses the measures she relies on to assess pain in her patients as well as the barriers she faces in providing adequate pain control. Pacella, along with Marilee Donovan, regional pain management coordinator with Kaiser Permanente Northwest provided the inside details on their organization's efforts to improve pain management during a June 11, 2008 webinar, Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Strategies to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Excessive Healthcare Utilization. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Pacellafull08.mp3 According to Marilee Donovan, a big part of pain management is self-management. In this podcast, Donovan, regional pain management coordinator with Kaiser Permanente Northwest, discusses Kaiser Permanente's multi-disciplinary chronic pain management program, as well as the measures she relies on to assess pain in and improve the quality of life for her patients. Donovan and Cheryl Pacellam performance improvement advisor at Masspro, provided the inside details on their organization's efforts to improve pain management during a June 11, 2008 webinar, Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Strategies to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Excessive Healthcare Utilization. 8:53 Fri, 16 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT According to Marilee Donovan, a big part of pain management is self-management. In this podcast, Donovan, regional pain management coordinator with Kaiser Permanente Northwest, discusses Kaiser Permanente's multi-disciplinary chronic pain management program, as well as the measures she relies on to assess pain in and improve the quality of life for her patients. Donovan and Cheryl Pacellam performance improvement advisor at Masspro, provided the inside details on their organization's efforts to improve pain management during a June 11, 2008 webinar, Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Strategies to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Excessive Healthcare Utilization. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Donovanfull08.mp3 According to Marilee Donovan, a big part of pain management is self-management. In this podcast, Donovan, regional pain management coordinator with Kaiser Permanente Northwest, discusses Kaiser Permanente's multi-disciplinary chronic pain management program, as well as the measures she relies on to assess pain in and improve the quality of life for her patients. Donovan and Cheryl Pacellam performance improvement advisor at Masspro, provided the inside details on their organization's efforts to improve pain management during a June 11, 2008 webinar, Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Strategies to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Excessive Healthcare Utilization. 4:53 Fri, 16 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT As part of Wachovia's Healthy Connections program, employees with PCs receive a 55-second dose of health and wellness-related information each week that is delivered with the company's daily desktop video news program. The desktop videos launch automatically when users turn on their computers, and are replayed in the company's break rooms, common areas and financial centers throughout the day. These offerings are a core part of Wachovia's wellness culture, says Donna Shenoha, the company's vice president and senior consultant of health and welfare. She adds that the company's new Intranet platform offers social networking options as well as the option to "push out" messaging by targeted areas --- either geographically or by employee "affinity groups." Shenoha, along with Heath Shackleford, senior director of marketing and communications at Healthways provided the inside details on the innovative strategies that their organizations use to promote their wellness programs that engage and motivate participants during a May 21, 2008 webinar, Creating a Multi-Channel, Multi-Media Wellness Communication Strategy That Motivates and Engages Employees and Health Plan Members. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/shenohafull08.mp3 As part of Wachovia's Healthy Connections program, employees with PCs receive a 55-second dose of health and wellness-related information each week that is delivered with the company's daily desktop video news program. The desktop videos launch automatically when users turn on their computers, and are replayed in the company's break rooms, common areas and financial centers throughout the day. These offerings are a core part of Wachovia's wellness culture, says Donna Shenoha, the company's vice president and senior consultant of health and welfare. She adds that the company's new Intranet platform offers social networking options as well as the option to "push out" messaging by targeted areas --- either geographically or by employee "affinity groups." Shenoha, along with Heath Shackleford, senior director of marketing and communications at Healthways provided the inside details on the innovative strategies that their organizations use to promote their wellness programs that engage and motivate participants during a May 21, 2008 webinar, Creating a Multi-Channel, Multi-Media Wellness Communication Strategy That Motivates and Engages Employees and Health Plan Members. 5:25 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT When Nashville healthcare firm Healthways decided to offer internally all the health and wellness programs it develops for customers, it provided an opportunity to improve the user experience externally, explains Heath Shackleford, senior director of marketing and communications. In communicating the wellness programs to its own employees, Healthways amplified the message around privacy, underscoring that the company held employees' privacy in the highest regard. In tandem with its internal communications team, Healthways tied its wellness message to the corporate mission: "Creating a healthier world, one person at a time." And Healthways senior leadership went to marathon lengths to support the effort. Shackleford and Donna Shenoha, Wachovia's vice president and senior consultant of health and welfare provided the inside details on the innovative strategies that their organizations use to promote their wellness programs that engage and motivate participants during a May 21, 2008 webinar, Creating a Multi-Channel, Multi-Media Wellness Communication Strategy That Motivates and Engages Employees and Health Plan Members. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/shacklefordfull08.mp3 When Nashville healthcare firm Healthways decided to offer internally all the health and wellness programs it develops for customers, it provided an opportunity to improve the user experience externally, explains Heath Shackleford, senior director of marketing and communications. In communicating the wellness programs to its own employees, Healthways amplified the message around privacy, underscoring that the company held employees' privacy in the highest regard. In tandem with its internal communications team, Healthways tied its wellness message to the corporate mission: "Creating a healthier world, one person at a time." And Healthways senior leadership went to marathon lengths to support the effort. Shackleford and Donna Shenoha, Wachovia's vice president and senior consultant of health and welfare provided the inside details on the innovative strategies that their organizations use to promote their wellness programs that engage and motivate participants during a May 21, 2008 webinar, Creating a Multi-Channel, Multi-Media Wellness Communication Strategy That Motivates and Engages Employees and Health Plan Members. 6:18 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses collaborating with health coaches and the impact that has on his practice, patients' responses to this new blend of treatment and the direction that health coaching is headed. Dr. Botelho, along with Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and coordination. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/botelhofull08.mp3 Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses collaborating with health coaches and the impact that has on his practice, patients' responses to this new blend of treatment and the direction that health coaching is headed. Dr. Botelho, along with Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and coordination. 5:39 Thu, 1 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT In Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine's online program to teach physicians the basics of health coaching, the virtual patient is a doctor himself, explains Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of the institute. Physicians who have completed this training say the background enhances their relationships with patients and relieves stress, since it helps them accept that they are not directly responsible for patients' poor health choices. Dr. Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School where the institute is based, hopes this subject will one day be covered thoroughly in medical schools. And his message to health plans seeking improved health coaching outcomes: engage the physician in the process, because as the person "sitting knee to knee" with the patient, the physician is ideally positioned to help the patient process all health messages. Dr. Phillips, along with Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, and Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and coordination. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/phillips08full.mp3 In Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine's online program to teach physicians the basics of health coaching, the virtual patient is a doctor himself, explains Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of the institute. Physicians who have completed this training say the background enhances their relationships with patients and relieves stress, since it helps them accept that they are not directly responsible for patients' poor health choices. Dr. Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School where the institute is based, hopes this subject will one day be covered thoroughly in medical schools. And his message to health plans seeking improved health coaching outcomes: engage the physician in the process, because as the person "sitting knee to knee" with the patient, the physician is ideally positioned to help the patient process all health messages. Dr. Phillips, along with Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, and Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and coordination. 9:14 Thu, 1 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, discusses the effects a physician's health choices and behaviors can have on a patient's compliance with health coaching efforts, the role of a medical fitness coach in primary care, and the impact positive psychology can have on health coaching. Moore, along with Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and Coordination. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Moore2full08.mp3 Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, discusses the effects a physician's health choices and behaviors can have on a patient's compliance with health coaching efforts, the role of a medical fitness coach in primary care, and the impact positive psychology can have on health coaching. Moore, along with Dr. Edward Phillips, founder and director of Harvard Medical School's Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and Dr. Rick Botelho, professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center described how health plans and disease management companies can enhance physician involvement in health coaching during a May 15, 2008 webinar, Driving Improvements in Health Coaching Outcomes Through Physician Collaboration and Coordination. 9:13 Thu, 1 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Steven Goldberg, corporate medical director at Humana, which includes MinuteClinic in its provider network, discusses the impact retail clinics have had on reducing non-emergent ED use and the overall cost of healthcare, shares some feedback his organization is getting from members now that they have the option of visiting a retail clinic in place of their primary care physician, and offers some advice to health plans contemplating the inclusion of clinics in its network. Dr. Goldberg, along with Dr. Thomas Atkins, medical director of Sutter Express Care, drugstore-based medical clinics that are part of Sutter Health's network of hospitals and doctors serving northern California, examined the strategic implications of retail clinics on healthcare provider and payor organizations and presented two case studies on how their organizations are responding to this growing marketplace trend during a February 20, 2008 webinar, The Role of Retail Clinics in the Healthcare Continuum: Creating Strategies and Partnerships To Meet Consumers' Demand. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Goldberg1full08.mp3 Dr. Thomas Atkins, medical director of Sutter Express Care, drugstore-based medical clinics that are part of Sutter Health's network of hospitals and doctors serving northern California, discusses how to establish locations for retail clinics, the sharing of clinic information with PCPs and the impact retail clinics can have on reducing non-emergent ED as well as healthcare costs. Dr. Atkins, along with Dr. Steven Goldberg, corporate medical director at Humana, which includes MinuteClinic in its provider network, examined the strategic implications of retail clinics on healthcare provider and payor organizations and presented two case studies on how their organizations are responding to this growing marketplace trend during a February 20, 2008 webinar, The Role of Retail Clinics in the Healthcare Continuum: Creating Strategies and Partnerships To Meet Consumers' Demand. 4:12 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Thomas Atkins, medical director of Sutter Express Care, drugstore-based medical clinics that are part of Sutter Health's network of hospitals and doctors serving northern California, discusses how to establish locations for retail clinics, the sharing of clinic information with PCPs and the impact retail clinics can have on reducing non-emergent ED as well as healthcare costs. Dr. Atkins, along with Dr. Steven Goldberg, corporate medical director at Humana, which includes MinuteClinic in its provider network, examined the strategic implications of retail clinics on healthcare provider and payor organizations and presented two case studies on how their organizations are responding to this growing marketplace trend during a February 20, 2008 webinar, The Role of Retail Clinics in the Healthcare Continuum: Creating Strategies and Partnerships To Meet Consumers' Demand. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Atkinsfull08.mp3 Dr. Thomas Atkins, medical director of Sutter Express Care, drugstore-based medical clinics that are part of Sutter Health's network of hospitals and doctors serving northern California, discusses how to establish locations for retail clinics, the sharing of clinic information with PCPs and the impact retail clinics can have on reducing non-emergent ED as well as healthcare costs. Dr. Atkins, along with Dr. Steven Goldberg, corporate medical director at Humana, which includes MinuteClinic in its provider network, examined the strategic implications of retail clinics on healthcare provider and payor organizations and presented two case studies on how their organizations are responding to this growing marketplace trend during a February 20, 2008 webinar, The Role of Retail Clinics in the Healthcare Continuum: Creating Strategies and Partnerships To Meet Consumers' Demand. 4:15 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:00:00 GMT MUSC has no shortage of clinicians willing to contribute content for its podcasts and videos, says Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services. He credits Dr. Linda Austin, a practicing psychiatrist who is also MUSC's assistant dean of communications, with facilitating an "instant synergy" between clinicians and communicators. Most of MUSC's several hundred physicians contribute to the Web site's multimedia tools, which have been heard in more than 150 countries and include a children's health issues podcast sponsored by a national retailer. In an audio interview full of advice for prospective Web 2.0 adopters, Bennett covers the value of social media in driving traffic to your Web site and consumers to your doorstep as well as production issues and analytical tools related to podcast and video creation. Bennett, along with John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic and Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bennettfull08.mp3 MUSC has no shortage of clinicians willing to contribute content for its podcasts and videos, says Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services. He credits Dr. Linda Austin, a practicing psychiatrist who is also MUSC's assistant dean of communications, with facilitating an "instant synergy" between clinicians and communicators. Most of MUSC's several hundred physicians contribute to the Web site's multimedia tools, which have been heard in more than 150 countries and include a children's health issues podcast sponsored by a national retailer. In an audio interview full of advice for prospective Web 2.0 adopters, Bennett covers the value of social media in driving traffic to your Web site and consumers to your doorstep as well as production issues and analytical tools related to podcast and video creation. Bennett, along with John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic and Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. 15:19 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic, discusses Web 2.0 technologies and how his organization monitors employee-generated content and encourages participation, and gives recommendations to healthcare organizations just getting started with Web 2.0 technologies. Sharp, along with Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System and Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/JohnSharpfull08.mp3 John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic, discusses Web 2.0 technologies and how his organization monitors employee-generated content and encourages participation, and gives recommendations to healthcare organizations just getting started with Web 2.0 technologies. Sharp, along with Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System and Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. 5:28 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT Page views, favorited, embedded...this is the lexicon of Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System of Alabama, which is experiencing so much success with its foray into Web 2.0 technologies that it has reallocated some of its former print communications budget for Internet marketing, video and interactive tools in 2008. UAB Health System has posted more than 100 videos on YouTube, including the frequently viewed "UAB Emergency Room Rap" and a series of patients' "My Story" videos. UAB's recruitment and marketing areas report heightened interest in UAB employment opportunities generated by the YouTube placement. Reid, along with John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic and Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/reidfull08.mp3 Page views, favorited, embedded...this is the lexicon of Susan Reid, internet marketing manager for UAB Health System of Alabama, which is experiencing so much success with its foray into Web 2.0 technologies that it has reallocated some of its former print communications budget for Internet marketing, video and interactive tools in 2008. UAB Health System has posted more than 100 videos on YouTube, including the frequently viewed "UAB Emergency Room Rap" and a series of patients' "My Story" videos. UAB's recruitment and marketing areas report heightened interest in UAB employment opportunities generated by the YouTube placement. Reid, along with John Sharp, project manager for IT Web services with Cleveland Clinic and Dave Bennett, MUSC's director of web resources services, provided in-depth case studies on their organization's Web 2.0 strategy during a February 13, 2008 webinar, Emerging Trends and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations To Leverage Web 2.0. 4:58 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT Marketing the medical home to the commercial population will be a challenge, says Dawn Bazarko, UnitedHealthcare's senior vice president of clinical innovation, since it will result in a fundamental change to the healthcare service model. Organizations must name and market the medical home features for members, taking care to distinguish it from the "gatekeeper" HMO approach that many found undesirable and care-restrictive in the past. The medical home approach has much to offer patients, Bazarko explains, including the opportunity to have a genuine service relationship with physicians and to obtain improved coordination of care for clinical and behavioral comorbidities.Bazarko, along with Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus Primary Care Case Management and Disease Management (PCCM-DM) program, examined medical home projects in action during a January 29, 2008 webinar, Building an Advanced Medical Home To Improve Chronic Care Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bazarkofull08.mp3 Marketing the medical home to the commercial population will be a challenge, says Dawn Bazarko, UnitedHealthcare's senior vice president of clinical innovation, since it will result in a fundamental change to the healthcare service model. Organizations must name and market the medical home features for members, taking care to distinguish it from the "gatekeeper" HMO approach that many found undesirable and care-restrictive in the past. The medical home approach has much to offer patients, Bazarko explains, including the opportunity to have a genuine service relationship with physicians and to obtain improved coordination of care for clinical and behavioral comorbidities.Bazarko, along with Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus Primary Care Case Management and Disease Management (PCCM-DM) program, examined medical home projects in action during a January 29, 2008 webinar, Building an Advanced Medical Home To Improve Chronic Care Outcomes. 8:05 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT The solid relationships that patients build with ACCESS Plus providers and office staff, many of whom live in the neighborhood, keep them coming back in for care, explains Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus Primary Care Case Management and Disease Management (PCCM-DM) program. "Road shows" put on by ACCESS Plus's Regional Advisory Committee foster dialogue among consumers, providers and community organizations and provide a running issues list for the organization. Dr. Fuller also notes that disease management and telephone triage line efforts are reducing unnecessary trips to the ER. Dr. Fuller and Dawn Bazarko, UnitedHealthcare's senior vice president of clinical innovation, examined medical home projects in action during a January 29, 2008 webinar, Building an Advanced Medical Home To Improve Chronic Care Outcomes. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/fullerfull08.mp3 The solid relationships that patients build with ACCESS Plus providers and office staff, many of whom live in the neighborhood, keep them coming back in for care, explains Dr. Lonnie E. Fuller, medical director for the Pennsylvania Medicaid ACCESS Plus Primary Care Case Management and Disease Management (PCCM-DM) program. "Road shows" put on by ACCESS Plus's Regional Advisory Committee foster dialogue among consumers, providers and community organizations and provide a running issues list for the organization. Dr. Fuller also notes that disease management and telephone triage line efforts are reducing unnecessary trips to the ER. Dr. Fuller and Dawn Bazarko, UnitedHealthcare's senior vice president of clinical innovation, examined medical home projects in action during a January 29, 2008 webinar, Building an Advanced Medical Home To Improve Chronic Care Outcomes. 7:15 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT Lorraine Larrance, consulting senior manager with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, and Sue Kincer, consultant and certified professional coder with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, discussed the 2008 PQRI measures, the challenges physicians will face and the quality improvements that could result for physician practices. Kincer and Larrance, along with Dr. Bruce Bagley, AAFP medical director of quality improvement, delved into the requirements for PQRI for 2008 and drew upon their past experiences with physician quality reporting to recommend how to succeed in the 2008 program during a January 22, 2008 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting in 2008: What Every Physician Practice Should Know. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/PYAfull.mp3 Lorraine Larrance, consulting senior manager with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, and Sue Kincer, consultant and certified professional coder with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, discussed the 2008 PQRI measures, the challenges physicians will face and the quality improvements that could result for physician practices. Kincer and Larrance, along with Dr. Bruce Bagley, AAFP medical director of quality improvement, delved into the requirements for PQRI for 2008 and drew upon their past experiences with physician quality reporting to recommend how to succeed in the 2008 program during a January 22, 2008 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting in 2008: What Every Physician Practice Should Know. 14:04 Mon, 7 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT Although CMS does not currently require physicians in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative to have electronic health records, nearly 75 percent of American Academy of Family Physicians members are already using EHRs, estimates Dr. Bruce Bagley, AAFP medical director of quality improvement. CMS' inclusion of two structural measures for 2008, one for EHRs and the other for e-prescribing, are more likely CMS' attempt to provide measures that both family physicians and specialists can report on, says Dr. Bagley, as well as support President Bush's mandate that EHRs move forward. Dr. Bagley advises PQRI participants to proactively examine their own reported data to chart a performance improvement plan rather than wait until mid-2008 for feedback from CMS. Bagley, along with Sue Kincer, consultant and certified professional coder with Pershing Yoakley and Associates and Lorraine Larrance, consulting senior manager with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, delved into the requirements for PQRI for 2008 and drew upon their past experiences with physician quality reporting to recommend how to succeed in the 2008 program during a January 22, 2008 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting in 2008: What Every Physician Practice Should Know. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bagley08full.mp3 Although CMS does not currently require physicians in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative to have electronic health records, nearly 75 percent of American Academy of Family Physicians members are already using EHRs, estimates Dr. Bruce Bagley, AAFP medical director of quality improvement. CMS' inclusion of two structural measures for 2008, one for EHRs and the other for e-prescribing, are more likely CMS' attempt to provide measures that both family physicians and specialists can report on, says Dr. Bagley, as well as support President Bush's mandate that EHRs move forward. Dr. Bagley advises PQRI participants to proactively examine their own reported data to chart a performance improvement plan rather than wait until mid-2008 for feedback from CMS. Dr. Bagley, along with Sue Kincer, consultant and certified professional coder with Pershing Yoakley and Associates and Lorraine Larrance, consulting senior manager with Pershing Yoakley and Associates, delved into the requirements for PQRI for 2008 and drew upon their past experiences with physician quality reporting to recommend how to succeed in the 2008 program during a January 22, 2008 webinar, Physician Quality Reporting in 2008: What Every Physician Practice Should Know. 4:19 Mon, 7 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT Gregg Lehman, president and CEO of HealthFitness, discusses the levels of "C-Suite support", employing wellness champs in the workplace, preventing illness versus managing existing illness and the impact C-Suite endorsement can have on an initiative. Lehman, along with David Sensibaugh, director of integrated health at Eastman Chemical Company, will describe the key steps in creating a culture of health that engages both the C-suite and employees during a December 4, 2007 webinar, Creating a Culture of Health by Engaging the C-Suite and Employees to Promote Better Health. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/lehman08full.mp3 Gregg Lehman, president and CEO of HealthFitness, discusses the levels of "C-Suite support", employing wellness champs in the workplace, preventing illness versus managing existing illness and the impact C-Suite endorsement can have on an initiative. Lehman, along with David Sensibaugh, director of integrated health at Eastman Chemical Company, will describe the key steps in creating a culture of health that engages both the C-suite and employees during a December 4, 2007 webinar, Creating a Culture of Health by Engaging the C-Suite and Employees to Promote Better Health. 10:46 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:00:00 GMT Some aspects of a health coach's performance are easier to assess than others, says Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist at Ceridian LifeWorks. Employees themselves can provide valuable data on the effect of coaching on workforce productivity and absenteeism, she says, and this can be supplemented with administrative data. Satisfaction surveys administered three months post-enrollment can capture employee and member feedback on the coaching experience. Hurlbert, along with Ted Borgstadt, TrestleTree founder and chairman, described the types of metrics that can and should be used when evaluating the effectiveness of both health coaching programs and individual health coaches during a November 15, 2007 webinar, Health Coaching ROI Metrics and Measurements. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hulbertfull.mp3 Some aspects of a health coach's performance are easier to assess than others, says Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist at Ceridian LifeWorks. Employees themselves can provide valuable data on the effect of coaching on workforce productivity and absenteeism, she says, and this can be supplemented with administrative data. Satisfaction surveys administered three months post-enrollment can capture employee and member feedback on the coaching experience. Hurlbert, along with Ted Borgstadt, TrestleTree founder and chairman, described the types of metrics that can and should be used when evaluating the effectiveness of both health coaching programs and individual health coaches during a November 15, 2007 webinar, Health Coaching ROI Metrics and Measurements. 3:55 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT It is possible to demonstrate solid ROI after coaching individuals on the verge of serious health issues, says Ted Borgstadt, TrestleTree founder and chairman. He presents a case study on ROI for coaching individuals in pre-diseased states, talks about his organization's psychologist-led training in telephonic health coaching, and presents a four-point plan for evaluating a health coach's performance --- one that can pinpoint an individual's movement in the stages of change in six goal areas. Borgstad, along with Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist at Ceridian LifeWorks, described the types of metrics that can and should be used when evaluating the effectiveness of both health coaching programs and individual health coaches during a November 15, 2007 webinar, Health Coaching ROI Metrics and Measurements. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/borgstadtfull.mp3 It is possible to demonstrate solid ROI after coaching individuals on the verge of serious health issues, says Ted Borgstadt, TrestleTree founder and chairman. He presents a case study on ROI for coaching individuals in pre-diseased states, talks about his organization's psychologist-led training in telephonic health coaching, and presents a four-point plan for evaluating a health coach's performance --- one that can pinpoint an individual's movement in the stages of change in six goal areas. Borgstad, along with Darcy Hurlbert, health and wellness product specialist at Ceridian LifeWorks, described the types of metrics that can and should be used when evaluating the effectiveness of both health coaching programs and individual health coaches during a November 15, 2007 webinar, Health Coaching ROI Metrics and Measurements. 12:44 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT Senior citizens put a lot of effort into planning for their retirements and deaths, but don't always plan for the medical emergency that might occur in between those two life events, explains Nora Baratto, manager of the case management department at St. Peter's Hospital's CHOICES program in Albany, New York. That's why the community partnerships her program forges are critical to its success. Her program measures customer satisfaction and delivery at multiple intervals and conducts depression screening for its population during inpatient, outpatient and in-home assessments. Baratto, along with Michelle Berry, director of Broome County, New York's Community Alternative Systems Agency, described the strategies their organizations have used to improve the hospital discharge process during an October 23, 2007 webinar, Best Practices in Hospital Discharge to Reduce Preventable Readmissions. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/norabarattofull.mp3 Senior citizens put a lot of effort into planning for their retirements and deaths, but don't always plan for the medical emergency that might occur in between those two life events, explains Nora Baratto, manager of the case management department at St. Peter's Hospital's CHOICES program in Albany, New York. That's why the community partnerships her program forges are critical to its success. Her program measures customer satisfaction and delivery at multiple intervals and conducts depression screening for its population during inpatient, outpatient and in-home assessments. Baratto, along with Michelle Berry, director of Broome County, New York's Community Alternative Systems Agency, described the strategies their organizations have used to improve the hospital discharge process during an October 23, 2007 webinar, Best Practices in Hospital Discharge to Reduce Preventable Readmissions. 6:23 Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT Broome County, New York's Community Alternative Systems Agency -- also known as CASA -- has a bird's eye view of every type of care setting, explains its director, Michelle Berry. The program's in-home longterm care assessment looks beyond the individual's physical condition, she says, taking note of social, emotional and environmental factors. To help patients own their care plans and improve recordkeeping, CASA hopes to soon train the homebound to use a "guest book" that will require visiting caregivers -- nurse, physician, physicial therapist, etc. -- to "sign in" and record the reason for each visit. This hard copy record would be the prototype for an eventual online care record, Berry explains. Berry, along with Nora Baratto, manager of the case management department at St. Peter's Hospital's CHOICES program in Albany, New York, described the strategies their organizations have used to improve the hospital discharge process during an October 23, 2007 webinar, Best Practices in Hospital Discharge to Reduce Preventable Readmissions. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/michelleBerryfull.mp3 Broome County, New York's Community Alternative Systems Agency -- also known as CASA -- has a bird's eye view of every type of care setting, explains its director, Michelle Berry. The program's in-home longterm care assessment looks beyond the individual's physical condition, she says, taking note of social, emotional and environmental factors. To help patients own their care plans and improve recordkeeping, CASA hopes to soon train the homebound to use a "guest book" that will require visiting caregivers -- nurse, physician, physicial therapist, etc. -- to "sign in" and record the reason for each visit. This hard copy record would be the prototype for an eventual online care record, Berry explains. Berry, along with Nora Baratto, manager of the case management department at St. Peter's Hospital's CHOICES program in Albany, New York, described the strategies their organizations have used to improve the hospital discharge process during an October 23, 2007 webinar, Best Practices in Hospital Discharge to Reduce Preventable Readmissions. 9:12 Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Peter Kongstvedt, a partner in the health and managed care consulting services division of Accenture, comments on how to effectively use new media in today's healthcare arena, as well as what many healthcare organizations are calling the biggest road block pay for performance initiatives. Experts from key areas of healthcare examined the trends that are shaping today's healthcare industry. Kongstvedt, commented on health plan trends, Nathan Kaufman, on hospital trends, Dr. Joel Diamond, on trends impacting physician groups and Elizabeth Opland, on trends impacting the wellness and health promotion sector during a October 10, 2007 webinar, Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2008. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/kongstvedtfull08.mp3 Dr. Peter Kongstvedt, a partner in the health and managed care consulting services division of Accenture, comments on how to effectively use new media in today's healthcare arena, as well as what many healthcare organizations are calling the biggest road block pay for performance initiatives. Experts from key areas of healthcare examined the trends that are shaping today's healthcare industry. Kongstvedt, commented on health plan trends, Nathan Kaufman, on hospital trends, Dr. Joel Diamond, on trends impacting physician groups and Elizabeth Opland, on trends impacting the wellness and health promotion sector during a October 10, 2007 webinar, Healthcare Trends and Forecasts in 2008. 5:47 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Karen Amstutz, regional vice president and medical director at Wellpoint State Sponsored Business, and her colleague Dr. Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, staff vice president and medical director at Wellpoint, discuss how their organization educates patients on appropriate ED use and how health literacy of members is a key element in reducing ED overuse. Dr. Amstutz and Dr. Dhanvanthari described WellPoint's strategy for reducing ED overuse during a September 25, 2007 audio conference, Developing Effective Strategies to Reduce Non-Emergent Emergency Department Use. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/wellpointfull.mp3 Dr. Karen Amstutz, regional vice president and medical director at Wellpoint State Sponsored Business, and her colleague Dr. Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, staff vice president and medical director at Wellpoint, discuss how their organization educates patients on appropriate ED use and how health literacy of members is a key element in reducing ED overuse. Dr. Amstutz and Dr. Dhanvanthari described WellPoint's strategy for reducing ED overuse during a September 25, 2007 audio conference, Developing Effective Strategies to Reduce Non-Emergent Emergency Department Use. 5:56 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMT Dr. Jim Glauber, medical director for Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts, defines ED overuse for his organization and discusses the differences between urgent care and emergent care and when patients should use each. Dr. Jim Glauber provided details on the strategies his organization has implemented to address non-emergent ED use during a September 25, 2007 audio conference, Developing Effective Strategies to Reduce Non-Emergent Emergency Department Use. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/glauberfull.mp3 Dr. Jim Glauber, medical director for Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts, defines ED overuse for his organization and discusses the differences between urgent care and emergent care and when patients should use each. Dr. Jim Glauber provided details on the strategies his organization has implemented to address non-emergent ED use during a September 25, 2007 audio conference, Developing Effective Strategies to Reduce Non-Emergent Emergency Department Use. 8:45 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMT When you ask patients for feedback on care, you may not always like what you hear. Nonetheless, HealthPartners includes patients in program design sessions, and its patient advisory councils have more candidates than the organization can currently use. Beth Waterman, HealthPartners vice president of primary care and clinic operations, describes how patients and others were selected to participate in the two-day rapid design session in 2002 that developed the award-winning prepared practice team model. The prepared practice teams have since been carefully duplicated at more than 20 HealthPartners clinics. A Care Model Process oversight team sends quarterly program updates to all practice teams to ensure the structure and consistency that are program hallmarks. Waterman will describe the role of practice teams in her organization during a September 19, 2007 audio conference, Building Patient Care Continuity with Prepared Practice Teams.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/watermanfull.mp3When you ask patients for feedback on care, you may not always like what you hear. Nonetheless, HealthPartners includes patients in program design sessions, and its patient advisory councils have more candidates than the organization can currently use. Beth Waterman, HealthPartners vice president of primary care and clinic operations, describes how patients and others were selected to participate in the two-day rapid design session in 2002 that developed the award-winning prepared practice team model. The prepared practice teams have since been carefully duplicated at more than 20 HealthPartners clinics. A Care Model Process oversight team sends quarterly program updates to all practice teams to ensure the structure and consistency that are program hallmarks. Waterman will describe the role of practice teams in her organization during a September 19, 2007 audio conference, Building Patient Care Continuity with Prepared Practice Teams.9:41Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMTCurrent quality measures focus on care upon admittance and care at end of stay and/or at discharge but ignore all aspects of care during the patient's stay, says Dr. Dale Bratzler, medical director of the Hospital Interventions Quality Improvement Organization Support Center. He identifies several areas that if given attention may result in better transitions of care, including the patient's discharge from the hospital. A cultural shift toward accepting quality ratings as part of practicing medicine is occuring in healthcare organizations from the top down, he observes, and believes that team-based training -- both for medical students and current doctors and nurses -- will help ensure high-quality care for patients. Bratzler will provide a brief overview of the potential unintended consequences of public reporting that could lead to patient harm in both direct and indirect ways. Bratzler will also describe how avoiding these unintended consequences of performance measurement requires careful attention to the development of measure specifications and setting realistic goals for improvement. Conference participants will then have the opportunity to probe for more details and bring to the "table" the areas of concern in their organization during a September 6, 2007 audio conference, Ensuring the Benefits of Public Reporting and Pay-for-Performance Programs Outweigh the Unintended Consequences.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bratzlerfull.mp3Current quality measures focus on care upon admittance and care at end of stay and/or at discharge but ignore all aspects of care during the patient's stay, says Dr. Dale Bratzler, medical director of the Hospital Interventions Quality Improvement Organization Support Center. He identifies several areas that if given attention may result in better transitions of care, including the patient's discharge from the hospital. A cultural shift toward accepting quality ratings as part of practicing medicine is occuring in healthcare organizations from the top down, he observes, and believes that team-based training -- both for medical students and current doctors and nurses -- will help ensure high-quality care for patients. Bratzler will provide a brief overview of the potential unintended consequences of public reporting that could lead to patient harm in both direct and indirect ways. Bratzler will also describe how avoiding these unintended consequences of performance measurement requires careful attention to the development of measure specifications and setting realistic goals for improvement. Conference participants will then have the opportunity to probe for more details and bring to the "table" the areas of concern in their organization during a September 6, 2007 audio conference, Ensuring the Benefits of Public Reporting and Pay-for-Performance Programs Outweigh the Unintended Consequences.13:46Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMTLeanne Huminski, chief nursing officer, McLeod Regional Medical Center, comments on capitalizing on computer technology, McLeod's initiatives for eliminating adverse drug events (ADEs) and the role information technology is playing in reducing ADEs. Huminski, Lenore Blank, Michelle Gilbert and Donna Isgett will describe how their organizations are implementing perfect care processes in heart failure and medication management with details on how they've implemented their programs and the results they are achieving during a August 22, 2007 audio conference, Pursuing Perfect Care: Improving Chronic Care Outcomes by Treating the Whole Patient.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/huminskifull.mp3Leanne Huminski, chief nursing officer, McLeod Regional Medical Center, comments on capitalizing on computer technology, McLeod's initiatives for eliminating adverse drug events (ADEs) and the role information technology is playing in reducing ADEs. Huminski, Lenore Blank, Michelle Gilbert and Donna Isgett will describe how their organizations are implementing perfect care processes in heart failure and medication management with details on how they've implemented their programs and the results they are achieving during a August 22, 2007 audio conference, Pursuing Perfect Care: Improving Chronic Care Outcomes by Treating the Whole Patient.5:58Mon, 6 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMTCollaborative patient care models that empower the primary care nurse to communicate patient needs to physicians has not only improved patient care and outcomes but also fostered a cultural change at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains Lenore Blank, a nurse practitioner and administrative manager of HUMC's heart failure and pulmonary hypertension team. Her team is part of Pursuing Perfection, a healthcare quality initiative from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. As HUMC creates the partnerships mandated by Pursuing Perfection, it is extending the knowledge and benefits they've gained with other organizations -- and reducing hospital readmissions in the process. Blank, Michelle Gilbert, Donna Isgett, and Leanne Huminski will describe how their organizations are implementing perfect care processes in heart failure and medication management with details on how they've implemented their programs and the results they are achieving during a August 22, 2007 audio conference, Pursuing Perfect Care: Improving Chronic Care Outcomes by Treating the Whole Patient.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/lblankfull.mp3Collaborative patient care models that empower the primary care nurse to communicate patient needs to physicians has not only improved patient care and outcomes but also fostered a cultural change at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains Lenore Blank, a nurse practitioner and administrative manager of HUMC's heart failure and pulmonary hypertension team. Her team is part of Pursuing Perfection, a healthcare quality initiative from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. As HUMC creates the partnerships mandated by Pursuing Perfection, it is extending the knowledge and benefits they've gained with other organizations -- and reducing hospital readmissions in the process. Blank, Michelle Gilbert, Donna Isgett, and Leanne Huminski will describe how their organizations are implementing perfect care processes in heart failure and medication management with details on how they've implemented their programs and the results they are achieving during a August 22, 2007 audio conference, Pursuing Perfect Care: Improving Chronic Care Outcomes by Treating the Whole Patient.8:45Mon, 6 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMTChange a belief and you'll change a behavior, says Allyson Faist, president and CEO of MEDeCoach. There's a formula to the frequency and format of health coach contacts that will engage a client, and ways to handle a client who has received conflicting information from the Internet on a health management issue. An integrated system where the coach and client are on the same IT platform increases the chances for successful, collaborative coaching. Faist will examine how consumer developments are impacting the collection of health risk data and the health coaching sessions that may result from a health risk assessment (HRA) during a September 26, 2007 audio conference, Health Risk Assessments and Health Coaching: How the Web and Consumer's Expectations Are Changing the Landscape.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/faistfull.mp3Change a belief and you'll change a behavior, says Allyson Faist, president and CEO of MEDeCoach. There's a formula to the frequency and format of health coach contacts that will engage a client, and ways to handle a client who has received conflicting information from the Internet on a health management issue. An integrated system where the coach and client are on the same IT platform increases the chances for successful, collaborative coaching. Faist will examine how consumer developments are impacting the collection of health risk data and the health coaching sessions that may result from a health risk assessment (HRA) during a September 26, 2007 audio conference, Health Risk Assessments and Health Coaching: How the Web and Consumer's Expectations Are Changing the Landscape.6:44Thu, 2 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMTIn this podcast, Margaret Moore, CEO, Wellcoaches, demonstrates how to build positive psychology into health coaching sessions. This live health coaching demonstration was conducted as part of "Teaching Health Coaches to Integrate Positive Psychology with Physical Health to Improve Disease Management Outcomes," a July 18, 2007 audio conference now available on CD-ROM or via an On Demand re-broadcast on the web.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/healthcoachingsession.mp3In this podcast, Margaret Moore, CEO, Wellcoaches, demonstrates how to build positive psychology into health coaching sessions. This live health coaching demonstration was conducted as part of "Teaching Health Coaches to Integrate Positive Psychology with Physical Health to Improve Disease Management Outcomes," a July 18, 2007 audio conference now available on CD-ROM or via an On Demand re-broadcast on the web. 6:15Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:00:00 GMTIn this podcast, Dr. Philip M. Bonaparte, chief medical officer of Horizon NJ Health comments on the success of his organization's fourth ER-based caseworker initiative and the information these caseworkers distribute to patients. Bonaparte also comments on the benefits and drawbacks retail clinics and convenient care clinics are having on the healthcare industry at this stage in their existence. Dr. Bonaparte and Caryn Jacobi, McKesson's associate V.P. of operations for Illinois, will describe how their respective organizations target and engage Medicaid enrollees for participation and success in disease management programs during a July 25, 2007 audio conference, The Medicaid Population: Identifying, Locating and Engaging a Hard-to-Reach Population for Disease Management Success.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/pbonaparte.mp3In this podcast, Dr. Philip M. Bonaparte, chief medical officer of Horizon NJ Health comments on the success of his organization's fourth ER-based caseworker initiative and the information these caseworkers distribute to patients. Bonaparte also comments on the benefits and drawbacks retail clinics and convenient care clinics are having on the healthcare industry at this stage in their existence. Dr. Bonaparte and Caryn Jacobi, McKesson's associate V.P. of operations for Illinois, will describe how their respective organizations target and engage Medicaid enrollees for participation and success in disease management programs during a July 25, 2007 audio conference, The Medicaid Population: Identifying, Locating and Engaging a Hard-to-Reach Population for Disease Management Success.7:31Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:00:00 GMTWhen it comes to making contact with its Medicaid members in Illinois, field work is the name of the game for McKesson Health Solutions. A presence in emergency departments to reduce unnecessary utilization among members and the placement of communication teams in 24 geographical locations around the state is proving successful for McKesson, explains Caryn Jacobi, McKesson's associate V.P. of operations for Illinois. Other efforts include a 24-hour triage line for members and mailings, phone calls and field visits. Dr. Philip M. Bonaparte, chief medical officer of Horizon NJ Health and Jacobi, will describe how their respective organizations target and engage Medicaid enrollees for participation and success in disease management programs during a July 25, 2007 audio conference, The Medicaid Population: Identifying, Locating and Engaging a Hard-to-Reach Population for Disease Management Success.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/jacobifull.mp3When it comes to making contact with its Medicaid members in Illinois, field work is the name of the game for McKesson Health Solutions. A presence in emergency departments to reduce unnecessary utilization among members and the placement of communication teams in 24 geographical locations around the state is proving successful for McKesson, explains Caryn Jacobi, McKesson's associate V.P. of operations for Illinois. Other efforts include a 24-hour triage line for members and mailings, phone calls and field visits. Dr. Philip M. Bonaparte, chief medical officer of Horizon NJ Health and Jacobi, will describe how their respective organizations target and engage Medicaid enrollees for participation and success in disease management programs during a July 25, 2007 audio conference, The Medicaid Population: Identifying, Locating and Engaging a Hard-to-Reach Population for Disease Management Success.4:59Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:00:00 GMTHaving supplemented coach training with live coaching demos for many years, Wellcoaches CEO Margaret Moore has found that the demos are a powerful way to bring to light essential coaching skills. Even during a 15-minute demo with a "volunteer client," she says, you can observe a "mini-transformation" and shift in client energy. She usually recruits the volunteer from among the seminar participants, and describes the ideal volunteer and the pre-coaching preparation that is required. She also weighs in with some suggestions for evaluating a health coach's performance. Moore, will describe coaching theories and strategies and conduct a live coaching demonstration to illustrate the theories and strategies in action. Conference participants will have the opportunity to ask questions on the techniques Moore uses during the coaching session following the demonstration during a July 18, 2007 audio conference, Teaching Health Coaches to Integrate Positive Psychology with Physical Health to Improve Disease Management Outcomes.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/mmoorefull.mp3Having supplemented coach training with live coaching demos for many years, Wellcoaches CEO Margaret Moore has found that the demos are a powerful way to bring to light essential coaching skills. Even during a 15-minute demo with a "volunteer client," she says, you can observe a "mini-transformation" and shift in client energy. She usually recruits the volunteer from among the seminar participants, and describes the ideal volunteer and the pre-coaching preparation that is required. She also weighs in with some suggestions for evaluating a health coach's performance. Moore, will describe coaching theories and strategies and conduct a live coaching demonstration to illustrate the theories and strategies in action. Conference participants will have the opportunity to ask questions on the techniques Moore uses during the coaching session following the demonstration during a July 18, 2007 audio conference, Teaching Health Coaches to Integrate Positive Psychology with Physical Health to Improve Disease Management Outcomes.7:23Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:00:00 GMTBoth science and human nature played a part in the success of Healthways' telephonic care support for diabetes patients, explains John Harris, senior vice president of the Health Support Division of Healthways. Even though the program is from Healthways' care management side, he believes that the same results would apply to a coaching effort, since any time a human intervenes with another human, the chances of success go up considerably. According to John, an individual's learning style and risk levels are also factors in determining whether a Web-based or telephonic coaching system would be most effective. John also explains how advances in predictive modeling allow healthcare organizations to find candidates earlier and provide more compelling evidence of the need for a coaching intervention. Harris and Sean Slovenski, president and CEO, Hummingbird Coaching Services, described how to effectively capture and integrate multiple data sources to identify potential clients for health coaching and how to effectively use that information to achieve health coaching success during a June 13, 2007 audio conference, Building a Health Management IT Platform for Health Coaching.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/jharrisfull.mp3Both science and human nature played a part in the success of Healthways' telephonic care support for diabetes patients, explains John Harris, senior vice president of the Health Support Division of Healthways. Even though the program is from Healthways' care management side, he believes that the same results would apply to a coaching effort, since any time a human intervenes with another human, the chances of success go up considerably. According to John, an individual's learning style and risk levels are also factors in determining whether a Web-based or telephonic coaching system would be most effective. John also explains how advances in predictive modeling allow healthcare organizations to find candidates earlier and provide more compelling evidence of the need for a coaching intervention. Harris and Sean Slovenski, president and CEO, Hummingbird Coaching Services, described how to effectively capture and integrate multiple data sources to identify potential clients for health coaching and how to effectively use that information to achieve health coaching success during a June 13, 2007 audio conference, Building a Health Management IT Platform for Health Coaching.5:46Mon, 4 Jun 2007 19:00:00 GMTA lack of trust in the use of patient health information and a general reluctance to share patient information with industry competitors are the biggest obstacles to an open exchange of patient health information, says Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management. In spite of these roadblocks, the health plans he's met with support a climate of value-based healthcare choices. Many plans have already invested millions to equip physicians with the capability for e-prescribing, and more will underwrite physicians in the use of electronic medical records in the next few years. He envisions that consumer "smart cards" loaded with patient health information will initially be introduced within individual health systems, and eventually be usable between systems. Austin, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota, Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/austinfull.mp3A lack of trust in the use of patient health information and a general reluctance to share patient information with industry competitors are the biggest obstacles to an open exchange of patient health information, says Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management. In spite of these roadblocks, the health plans he's met with support a climate of value-based healthcare choices. Many plans have already invested millions to equip physicians with the capability for e-prescribing, and more will underwrite physicians in the use of electronic medical records in the next few years. He envisions that consumer "smart cards" loaded with patient health information will initially be introduced within individual health systems, and eventually be usable between systems. Austin, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota, Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.9:04Thu, 24 May 2007 19:00:00 GMTA physician practice's measurements reporting efforts will flourish under a "physician champion" to lead the way, notes Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota. Once a transparent reporting effort is underway, it can bring about significant cultural change and raise motivation levels in the naturally competitive provider environment, she adds. Aware of the automated vs. manual reporting methods in use, the BHCAG facilitates the reporting effort via its direct data submission process, which accepts data from practices in many formats. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Davis, Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/davisfull.mp3A physician practice's measurements reporting efforts will flourish under a "physician champion" to lead the way, notes Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota. Once a transparent reporting effort is underway, it can bring about significant cultural change and raise motivation levels in the naturally competitive provider environment, she adds. Aware of the automated vs. manual reporting methods in use, the BHCAG facilitates the reporting effort via its direct data submission process, which accepts data from practices in many formats. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Davis, Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.9:30Thu, 24 May 2007 19:00:00 GMTRewarding members and employees for being savvy medical consumers and shopping is an increasing trend in healthcare, notes Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne. Companies are leveraging the corporate Intranet, meetings and health fairs to spread the word on incentives to their populations. She has also observed that companies offering consumer-directed health plans are in the best position tax-wise to extend benefits to dependents and retirees. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota,Lewis, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/lewisfull.mp3Rewarding members and employees for being savvy medical consumers and shopping is an increasing trend in healthcare, notes Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne. Companies are leveraging the corporate Intranet, meetings and health fairs to spread the word on incentives to their populations. She has also observed that companies offering consumer-directed health plans are in the best position tax-wise to extend benefits to dependents and retirees. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota,Lewis, and Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.4:21Thu, 24 May 2007 19:00:00 GMTUntil patient satisfaction ratings can be evidenced to be linked to outcomes, they should not factor into a provider's quality ratings, says Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, an employer-owned and directed not-for-profit cooperative that helps companies manage the total cost of ensuring the health and well-being of their workforce. His organization, recently named a community leader by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, believes that providers and payors have legitimate concerns about releasing cost information to consumers, who may misinterpret the data without proper guidelines. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota, Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Xistris, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/xistrisfull.mp3Until patient satisfaction ratings can be evidenced to be linked to outcomes, they should not factor into a provider's quality ratings, says Mark Xistris, director of provider relations and health information for The Alliance, an employer-owned and directed not-for-profit cooperative that helps companies manage the total cost of ensuring the health and well-being of their workforce. His organization, recently named a community leader by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, believes that providers and payors have legitimate concerns about releasing cost information to consumers, who may misinterpret the data without proper guidelines. Gary Austin, a healthcare industry consultant on corporate/product strategy and program management, Linda Davis, a consultant to the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) in Minnesota,Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, and Xistris, examined how their respective organizations are using these four strategies to stay competitive in the fast-growing consumer-driven movement during a May 30, 2007 audio conference, Value-Driven Healthcare in Action: A Four-Pronged Approach to Meet Consumer Transparency, Quality and Access Demands.3:32Thu, 24 May 2007 19:00:00 GMTInvolving physicians and nurses in an initiative that teaches patients how to manage their own care may initially increase the demand on an already overtaxed primary care system, says Christopher Wise, administrative director of the Medical Management Center at the University of Michigan (U-M) Health System. But ultimately, the patient who better understands the intricacies of their disease and available care alternatives will actually have fewer reasons to access primary care physicians, he adds. In U-M's model, he explains, social workers and nurses who know the university's health services best function as health navigators, helping the chronically ill find their way through the system. For optimum efficiency and results, the patient's self-management must be linked to a broader aspect of the physician's office and the medical home it provides. Margaret Brennan, administrator for the Primary Care Access Network with Orange County Government, Maureen Kersmarki, board chair of the Primary Care Access Network for Florida Hospital along with Wise, described how their respective organizations have created sustainable partnerships for increasing access to primary care during a May 16, 2007 audio conference, Strategies to Increase Primary Care Access, Use and Coordination. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/wisechrisfull.mp3Involving physicians and nurses in an initiative that teaches patients how to manage their own care may initially increase the demand on an already overtaxed primary care system, says Christopher Wise, administrative director of the Medical Management Center at the University of Michigan (U-M) Health System. But ultimately, the patient who better understands the intricacies of their disease and available care alternatives will actually have fewer reasons to access primary care physicians, he adds. In U-M's model, he explains, social workers and nurses who know the university's health services best function as health navigators, helping the chronically ill find their way through the system. For optimum efficiency and results, the patient's self-management must be linked to a broader aspect of the physician's office and the medical home it provides. Margaret Brennan, administrator for the Primary Care Access Network with Orange County Government, Maureen Kersmarki, board chair of the Primary Care Access Network for Florida Hospital along with Wise, described how their respective organizations have created sustainable partnerships for increasing access to primary care during a May 16, 2007 audio conference, Strategies to Increase Primary Care Access, Use and Coordination.16:48Mon, 7 May 2007 19:00:00 GMTAlready on a quest to accelerate clinical excellence, Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. was the first hospital to sign on with the CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Improvement Demonstration in 2003. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, said the initiative was a natural extension of Memorial's focus on safety, quality and clinical excellence. A top performer in the demonstration project, Memorial initiates employees in its culture of quality from the day they're hired, explains Bente. To emphasize this commitment, department and individual goals in this initiative are prominently displayed throughout the hospital. Bente, Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement, and Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management, gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bentefull.mp3Already on a quest to accelerate clinical excellence, Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. was the first hospital to sign on with the CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Improvement Demonstration in 2003. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, said the initiative was a natural extension of Memorial's focus on safety, quality and clinical excellence. A top performer in the demonstration project, Memorial initiates employees in its culture of quality from the day they're hired, explains Bente. To emphasize this commitment, department and individual goals in this initiative are prominently displayed throughout the hospital. Bente, Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement, and Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management, gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.9:22Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:00:00 GMTTechnology that allows Cleveland Regional Medical Center (CRMC) to conduct concurrent chart reviews also generates reports that guide nurses and physicians in improving the patient experience, explained Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management. A holistic approach to outpatient care -- including proper discharge instructions, disease-specific survival kits, and outpatient care analysis -- has resulted in a 37 percent drop in hospital readmissions. The challenge to maintaining CRMC's top rating in the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project, she said, is ensuring that new staff members are adequately trained in core measures and processes. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement, and Popwell gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/popwellfull.mp3Technology that allows Cleveland Regional Medical Center (CRMC) to conduct concurrent chart reviews also generates reports that guide nurses and physicians in improving the patient experience, explained Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management. A holistic approach to outpatient care -- including proper discharge instructions, disease-specific survival kits, and outpatient care analysis -- has resulted in a 37 percent drop in hospital readmissions. The challenge to maintaining CRMC's top rating in the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project, she said, is ensuring that new staff members are adequately trained in core measures and processes. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement, and Popwell gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.7:30Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:00:00 GMTRobots -- dispensing meds in the pharmacy, assisting in the operating room, and even facilitating remote doctors' rounds -- is just one example of the technology supporting quality initiatives at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), explained Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement. As the top earner in the CMS/Premier Pay for Performance project for two years running, HUMC has seen a "reverse migration" of patients who used to head to New York for medical care, said Ms. Berman. Its bariatric surgery program draws patients from around the nation, and its cancer center 100 attracts new patients each week. Just 10 miles from the Big Apple, HUMC has been cited by Business Week magazine for its technology initiatives and by New York magazine as one of the top 10 hospitals where physicians would go for their own care. She attributes the success of HUMC to involvement and commitment of front-line staff. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, Berman, and Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bermanfull.mp3Robots -- dispensing meds in the pharmacy, assisting in the operating room, and even facilitating remote doctors' rounds -- is just one example of the technology supporting quality initiatives at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), explained Regina Berman, administrative director for performance improvement. As the top earner in the CMS/Premier Pay for Performance project for two years running, HUMC has seen a "reverse migration" of patients who used to head to New York for medical care, said Ms. Berman. Its bariatric surgery program draws patients from around the nation, and its cancer center 100 attracts new patients each week. Just 10 miles from the Big Apple, HUMC has been cited by Business Week magazine for its technology initiatives and by New York magazine as one of the top 10 hospitals where physicians would go for their own care. She attributes the success of HUMC to involvement and commitment of front-line staff. Jim Bente, Memorial's vice president of quality and organizational development, Berman, and Liz Popwell, Cleveland County Healthcare Systems' vice president of systems management gave us the inside details on how these hospitals have structured their internal processes to support an environment of performance improvement that has led to quality incentive payments from CMS under the Hospital Quality Improvement program during an April 18, 2007 audio conference, How to Structure a Healthcare Performance Improvement Process That Results in Incentive Payments.6:08Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:00:00 GMTThe hands-on approach of Enhanced Care Initiatives' "Easy Care" program for the frail elderly is built on human interaction, communication and reinforcement. Nurses act as health advocates, pulling together all aspects of a patient's care and supporting the patient by working for them in the healthcare system. However, technology has its place: a tablet PC is a communication hub for nurses, a web-based patient data collection tool is an information repository, and in-home monitoring tracks meds intake. Dr John Charde, Enhanced Care Initiatives' vice president of strategic development, described how Enhanced Care Initiatives varied programs "touch" the frail elderly. Charde and Laurie Russell, XLHealth's senior director of health solutions, explored how to create effective care management approaches for the frail elderly during an April 26, 2007 audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/chardefull.mp3The hands-on approach of Enhanced Care Initiatives' "Easy Care" program for the frail elderly is built on human interaction, communication and reinforcement. Nurses act as health advocates, pulling together all aspects of a patient's care and supporting the patient by working for them in the healthcare system. However, technology has its place: a tablet PC is a communication hub for nurses, a web-based patient data collection tool is an information repository, and in-home monitoring tracks meds intake. Dr John Charde, Enhanced Care Initiatives' vice president of strategic development, described how Enhanced Care Initiatives varied programs "touch" the frail elderly. Charde and Laurie Russell, XLHealth's senior director of health solutions, explored how to create effective care management approaches for the frail elderly during an April 26, 2007 audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly.12:38Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:00:00 GMTFall risk assessment is built into XLHealth's health risk assessments for the elderly, explained Laurie Russell, its senior director of health solutions. Members' caregivers and pharmacists also play key roles in XLHealth's fall prevention efforts. More than a year into CMS' Medicare Health Support Program, Russell detailed how her organization's "Ask Your Doctor" report empowers members with the language to address medical conditions during a doctor visit. Dr John Charde, Enhanced Care Initiatives' vice president of strategic development and Russell explored how to create effective care management approaches for the frail elderly during an April 26, 2007 audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/russellfull.mp3Fall risk assessment is built into XLHealth's health risk assessments for the elderly, explained Laurie Russell, its senior director of health solutions. Members' caregivers and pharmacists also play key roles in XLHealth's fall prevention efforts. More than a year into CMS' Medicare Health Support Program, Russell detailed how her organization's "Ask Your Doctor" report empowers members with the language to address medical conditions during a doctor visit. Dr John Charde, Enhanced Care Initiatives' vice president of strategic development and Russell explored how to create effective care management approaches for the frail elderly during an April 26, 2007 audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly. 7:06Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:00:00 GMTLee Aase, Mayo clinic's manager of national media and new media is a self-described borderline Baby Boomer/GenX-er charged with tapping new media channels such as podcasts and streaming video to deliver Mayo's health information to increasingly younger consumers. Experience has shown that it takes a life event such as the birth of a child or a parent's illness to get young people thinking about health coverage and care. But sometimes an emergency can be a defining moment. When an uninsured family member suddenly took ill, Lee pressed his organization's newly launched cell phone health tool into action and averted a costly ER visit. Aase and Scott Schroeder, president and CEO of Cohorts, Inc., along with Aric Hooverson, account director, Grey Worldwide San Francisco and Shelley Patchin, director of advertising, Wellpoint, provided an overview of the media preferences of these generations and the impact these preferences are having on healthcare marketing, products and services during a March 28, 2007 audio conference, Healthcare for the New Generations: Understanding and Engaging Generation "Xers" and "Yers" Through Tailored Products and Channels. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/aasefull.mp3Lee Aase, Mayo clinic's manager of national media and new media is a self-described borderline Baby Boomer/GenX-er charged with tapping new media channels such as podcasts and streaming video to deliver Mayo's health information to increasingly younger consumers. Experience has shown that it takes a life event such as the birth of a child or a parent's illness to get young people thinking about health coverage and care. But sometimes an emergency can be a defining moment. When an uninsured family member suddenly took ill, Lee pressed his organization's newly launched cell phone health tool into action and averted a costly ER visit. Aase and Scott Schroeder, president and CEO of Cohorts, Inc., along with Aric Hooverson, account director, Grey Worldwide San Francisco and Shelley Patchin, director of advertising, Wellpoint, provided an overview of the media preferences of these generations and the impact these preferences are having on healthcare marketing, products and services during a March 28, 2007 audio conference, Healthcare for the New Generations: Understanding and Engaging Generation "Xers" and "Yers" Through Tailored Products and Channels.11:00Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTScott Schroeder, president and CEO of Cohorts, Inc., defines the segments of Generation X and Generation Y and how marketing channels and messages should be influenced by these segments. Lee Aase, Mayo clinic's manager of national media and new media, and Schroeder, along with Aric Hooverson, account director, Grey Worldwide San Francisco and Shelley Patchin, director of advertising, Wellpoint, provided an overview of the media preferences of these generations and the impact these preferences are having on healthcare marketing, products and services during a March 28, 2007 audio conference, Healthcare for the New Generations: Understanding and Engaging Generation "Xers" and "Yers" Through Tailored Products and Channels.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/schroederfull.mp3Scott Schroeder, president and CEO of Cohorts, Inc., defines the segments of Generation X and Generation Y and how marketing channels and messages should be influenced by these segments. Lee Aase, Mayo clinic's manager of national media and new media, and Schroeder, along with Aric Hooverson, account director, Grey Worldwide San Francisco and Shelley Patchin, director of advertising, Wellpoint, provided an overview of the media preferences of these generations and the impact these preferences are having on healthcare marketing, products and services during a March 28, 2007 audio conference, Healthcare for the New Generations: Understanding and Engaging Generation "Xers" and "Yers" Through Tailored Products and Channels.3:26Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTIn the patient-centered "medical home" model, patients' families and communities have clear-cut responsibilities, explained Elizabeth Reardon, a consultant with Commonwealth Medicine in Massachusetts. Healthcare organizations can draw parallels from Ed Wagner's chronic care model and learn from the groundbreaking work pediatricians have done to assure continuity of care for children with special healthcare needs. She suggested tactics and resources for drawing families and communities into the medical home model.Reardon, along with Anne Hernandez, director of operations of APS Healthcare and Dr. George Rust, senior consultant for APS Healthcare and Interim Director of the National Center for Primary Care, Morehouse School of Medicine, shared strategies on building an effective medical home project and the impact these programs can have on patient outcomes and satisfaction during a March 7, 2007 audio conference, Utilizing Medical Homes to Create a Patient-Centered Approach to Managing Chronic Conditions.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/reardon2full.mp3In the patient-centered "medical home" model, patients' families and communities have clear-cut responsibilities, explained Elizabeth Reardon, a consultant with Commonwealth Medicine in Massachusetts. Healthcare organizations can draw parallels from Ed Wagner's chronic care model and learn from the groundbreaking work pediatricians have done to assure continuity of care for children with special healthcare needs. She suggested tactics and resources for drawing families and communities into the medical home model.Reardon, along with Anne Hernandez, director of operations of APS Healthcare and Dr. George Rust, senior consultant for APS Healthcare and Interim Director of the National Center for Primary Care, Morehouse School of Medicine, shared strategies on building an effective medical home project and the impact these programs can have on patient outcomes and satisfaction during a March 7, 2007 audio conference, Utilizing Medical Homes to Create a Patient-Centered Approach to Managing Chronic Conditions.11:04Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTImplementing an electronic health record (EHR) in 1998 has transformed the way the four-location North Fulton Family Practice in Georgia does business. Dr. Jim Morrow, North Fulton's vice president and chief information officer, described how the EHR has enhanced physician-patient "face time"and care management and improved efficiency, productivity and profitability at the 20-provider practice. He even said that having an EHR has made him a better physician. Dr. Morrow and Dr. Joel Diamond, medical director of Diamond, Fera and Associates, provided physician practices with the key factors to consider when deciding to implement an EHR, along with the critical steps to a successful EHR implementation during a March 21, 2007 audio conference, Essential Elements for Physician Practice PFP Success: Key Steps in EHR Selection and Implementation.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/morrowfull.mp3Implementing an electronic health record (EHR) in 1998 has transformed the way the four-location North Fulton Family Practice in Georgia does business. Dr. Jim Morrow, North Fulton's vice president and chief information officer, described how the EHR has enhanced physician-patient "face time"and care management and improved efficiency, productivity and profitability at the 20-provider practice. He even said that having an EHR has made him a better physician. Dr. Morrow and Dr. Joel Diamond, medical director of Diamond, Fera and Associates, provided physician practices with the key factors to consider when deciding to implement an EHR, along with the critical steps to a successful EHR implementation during a March 21, 2007 audio conference, Essential Elements for Physician Practice PFP Success: Key Steps in EHR Selection and Implementation.12:07Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTDr. Joel Diamond, medical director of Diamond, Fera and Associates, explained how concentrating on people rather than IT and engaging the medical leadership and the rest of the staff at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for successful hospital implementation of an electronic health record and how these lessons can be applied to a physician practice. Diamond also described how his practice achieved a one-year ROI turnaround from its EHR implementation. Dr. Jim Morrow, North Fulton's vice president and chief information officer and Dr. Diamond provided physician practices with the key factors to consider when deciding to implement an EHR, along with the critical steps to a successful EHR implementation during a March 21, 2007 audio conference, Essential Elements for Physician Practice PFP Success: Key Steps in EHR Selection and Implementation.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/diamondfull.mp3Dr. Joel Diamond, medical director of Diamond, Fera and Associates, explained how concentrating on people rather than IT and engaging the medical leadership and the rest of the staff at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for successful hospital implementation of an electronic health record and how these lessons can be applied to a physician practice. Diamond also described how his practice achieved a one-year ROI turnaround from its EHR implementation. Dr. Jim Morrow, North Fulton's vice president and chief information officer and Dr. Diamond provided physician practices with the key factors to consider when deciding to implement an EHR, along with the critical steps to a successful EHR implementation during a March 21, 2007 audio conference, Essential Elements for Physician Practice PFP Success: Key Steps in EHR Selection and Implementation.5:15Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTBeyond the issues one might expect from serving the dual eligible population, the Minnesota Senior Health Options' (MSHO) program also addresses the service barriers that occur in a rural setting. Sarah Keenan, clinical liaison with Medica, described how MSHO responds to these service issues and how the inevitable breakdowns during care transitions are managed through MSHO's "care coordination" efforts, which ensure communication between providers and follow a patient seamlessly through transitions of care. The flexibility inherent in MassHealth's Senior Care Options model empowers providers to offer on-site and community-based care to enrollees, improves the level of service offered to diverse populations and offers participants a seamless transition to the Medicare part D pharmacy benefits. Keenan and Diane Flanders, director of coordinated care systems for MassHealth, described how to create a coordinated care management approach for dual eligibles during a February 14th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Dually Eligible Medicare and Medicaid Patient.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/keenanfull.mp3Beyond the issues one might expect from serving the dual eligible population, the Minnesota Senior Health Options' (MSHO) program also addresses the service barriers that occur in a rural setting. Sarah Keenan, clinical liaison with Medica, described how MSHO responds to these service issues and how the inevitable breakdowns during care transitions are managed through MSHO's "care coordination" efforts, which ensure communication between providers and follow a patient seamlessly through transitions of care. The flexibility inherent in MassHealth's Senior Care Options model empowers providers to offer on-site and community-based care to enrollees, improves the level of service offered to diverse populations and offers participants a seamless transition to the Medicare part D pharmacy benefits. Keenan and Diane Flanders, director of coordinated care systems for MassHealth, described how to create a coordinated care management approach for dual eligibles during a February 14th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Dually Eligible Medicare and Medicaid Patient.5:55Fri, 2 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTDiane Flanders, director of coordinated care systems for MassHealth, provided an overview of the unique partnership that is designed to keep its seniors as well as possible, and in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Sarah Keenan, clinical liaison with Medica and Flanders described how to create a coordinated care management approach for dual eligibles during a February 14th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Dually Eligible Medicare and Medicaid Patient.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/flandersfull.mp3Diane Flanders, director of coordinated care systems for MassHealth, provided an overview of the unique partnership that is designed to keep its seniors as well as possible, and in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Sarah Keenan, clinical liaison with Medica and Flanders described how to create a coordinated care management approach for dual eligibles during a February 14th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for the Dually Eligible Medicare and Medicaid Patient.8:56Fri, 2 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMTWith the growth of consumer-driven healthcare, the Internet is playing a large role in disseminating information due to its convenience and its ease of use. John Mills, director of product management with HIP Health Plans, and Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing with Highmark Inc. discussed the Web-based tools their companies have implemented to improve the healthcare experience for consumers. John Mills introduced some of the web-based initiatives his company has begun to use, and also discussed the impact of having easily accessible information available on the HIP Web site. Kim Bellard discussed how his company's use of technology helps consumers make informed decisions and their proactive approach to promoting the use of their Web site. Both speakers discussed the benefits as well as the possible challenges and pitfalls of these new ventures, as well as the role that consumer education plays in all arenas of information dissemination. Bellard and Mills examined how healthcare organizations are providing online tools to ensure that consumers have the information they need to not only take more responsibility for their health status, but also to get the right treatment at the right time at the right place during a January 25th audio conference, Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare for Transparency Decision Support and Health Promotion.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bellardfull.mp3With the growth of consumer-driven healthcare, the Internet is playing a large role in disseminating information due to its convenience and its ease of use. John Mills, director of product management with HIP Health Plans, and Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing with Highmark Inc. discussed the Web-based tools their companies have implemented to improve the healthcare experience for consumers. John Mills introduced some of the web-based initiatives his company has begun to use, and also discussed the impact of having easily accessible information available on the HIP Web site. Kim Bellard discussed how his company's use of technology helps consumers make informed decisions and their proactive approach to promoting the use of their Web site. Both speakers discussed the benefits as well as the possible challenges and pitfalls of these new ventures, as well as the role that consumer education plays in all arenas of information dissemination. Bellard and Mills examined how healthcare organizations are providing online tools to ensure that consumers have the information they need to not only take more responsibility for their health status, but also to get the right treatment at the right time at the right place during a January 25th audio conference, Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare for Transparency Decision Support and Health Promotion.3:09Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:00:00 GMTWith the growth of consumer-driven healthcare, the Internet is playing a large role in disseminating information due to its convenience and its ease of use. John Mills, director of product management with HIP Health Plans, and Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing with Highmark Inc. discussed the Web-based tools their companies have implemented to improve the healthcare experience for consumers. John Mills introduced some of the web-based initiatives his company has begun to use, and also discussed the impact of having easily accessible information available on the HIP Web site. Kim Bellard discussed how his company's use of technology helps consumers make informed decisions and their proactive approach to promoting the use of their Web site. Both speakers discussed the benefits as well as the possible challenges and pitfalls of these new ventures, as well as the role that consumer education plays in all arenas of information dissemination. Bellard and Mills examined how healthcare organizations are providing online tools to ensure that consumers have the information they need to not only take more responsibility for their health status, but also to get the right treatment at the right time at the right place during a January 25th audio conference, Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare for Transparency Decision Support and Health Promotion.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/millsfull.mp3With the growth of consumer-driven healthcare, the Internet is playing a large role in disseminating information due to its convenience and its ease of use. John Mills, director of product management with HIP Health Plans, and Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing with Highmark Inc. discussed the Web-based tools their companies have implemented to improve the healthcare experience for consumers. John Mills introduced some of the web-based initiatives his company has begun to use, and also discussed the impact of having easily accessible information available on the HIP Web site. Kim Bellard discussed how his company's use of technology helps consumers make informed decisions and their proactive approach to promoting the use of their Web site. Both speakers discussed the benefits as well as the possible challenges and pitfalls of these new ventures, as well as the role that consumer education plays in all arenas of information dissemination. Bellard and Mills examined how healthcare organizations are providing online tools to ensure that consumers have the information they need to not only take more responsibility for their health status, but also to get the right treatment at the right time at the right place during a January 25th audio conference, Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare for Transparency Decision Support and Health Promotion.12:40Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:00:00 GMTDr. Bruce Bagley, medical director of quality improvement with the American Academy of Family Physicians, described his organization's willingness to support physicians as CMS expands its Physician Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP), the role of electronic medical records in the CMS initiative, and predicted just how long this program will remain voluntary. Participating in PVRP can have a daunting effect on office work flow. Each time CMS adds a measure to PVRP, Beaver Medical Group in Redlands, California has to reconfigure its entire IT system. Dr. Bagley and Dr. Ronald Bangasser, a family practice physician with Beaver, provided an update on the CMS' voluntary reporting program and what impact the program will have on physician practices in 2007 during a January 9th audio conference, CMS' Voluntary Physician Reporting Program: Preparing for the Feedback and 2007 Updates.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bagleyfull.mp3Dr. Bruce Bagley, medical director of quality improvement with the American Academy of Family Physicians, described his organization's willingness to support physicians as CMS expands its Physician Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP), the role of electronic medical records in the CMS initiative, and predicted just how long this program will remain voluntary. Participating in PVRP can have a daunting effect on office work flow. Each time CMS adds a measure to PVRP, Beaver Medical Group in Redlands, California has to reconfigure its entire IT system. Dr. Bagley and Dr. Ronald Bangasser, a family practice physician with Beaver, provided an update on the CMS' voluntary reporting program and what impact the program will have on physician practices in 2007 during a January 9th audio conference, CMS' Voluntary Physician Reporting Program: Preparing for the Feedback and 2007 Updates.5:08Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Ronald Bangasser, a family practice physician with Beaver, described the impact that sharing quality data with CMS has had on his organization, his predictions for the expansion of the reporting program, and his view of the recently legislated financial incentives CMS will award to participating physicians beginning in July 2007. Dr. Bruce Bagley, medical director of quality improvement with the American Academy of Family Physicians and Dr. Bangasser provided an update on the CMS' voluntary reporting program and what impact the program will have on physician practices in 2007 during a January 9th audio conference, CMS' Voluntary Physician Reporting Program: Preparing for the Feedback and 2007 Updates.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/bangasserfull.mp3Dr. Ronald Bangasser, a family practice physician with Beaver, described the impact that sharing quality data with CMS has had on his organization, his predictions for the expansion of the reporting program, and his view of the recently legislated financial incentives CMS will award to participating physicians beginning in July 2007. Dr. Bruce Bagley, medical director of quality improvement with the American Academy of Family Physicians and Dr. Bangasser provided an update on the CMS' voluntary reporting program and what impact the program will have on physician practices in 2007 during a January 9th audio conference, CMS' Voluntary Physician Reporting Program: Preparing for the Feedback and 2007 Updates.13:00Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMTThe NPI implementation deadline is less than 175 days away, but only 1.5 million NPIs have been issued to date. Listen to Matt Wallach, Health Market Science's chief marketing officer, described the wide-reaching implications of NPI use, the ideal management team to direct the implementation effort, and the provider and payor education that must occur to avoid "potentially severe" issues related to the May 2007 deadline. Wallach and Lynn Somers Syrek, director of operations support and NPI project manager at Coventry Health Plans, described what steps organizations need to take to ensure compliance by the May 2007 NPI deadline during a December 12th audio conference, NPI: Strategies for an Implementation Process To Meet the May 2007 Deadline.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/wallachfull.mp3The NPI implementation deadline is less than 175 days away, but only 1.5 million NPIs have been issued to date. Listen to Matt Wallach, Health Market Science's chief marketing officer, described the wide-reaching implications of NPI use, the ideal management team to direct the implementation effort, and the provider and payor education that must occur to avoid "potentially severe" issues related to the May 2007 deadline. Wallach and Lynn Somers Syrek, director of operations support and NPI project manager at Coventry Health Plans, described what steps organizations need to take to ensure compliance by the May 2007 NPI deadline during a December 12th audio conference, NPI: Strategies for an Implementation Process To Meet the May 2007 Deadline.18:16Mon, 4 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMTLynn Somers Syrek, director of operations support and NPI project manager at Coventry Health Plans, described how Coventry is preparing for the NPI deadline and the type of training the organization is providing to its employees. Matt Wallach, Health Market Science's chief marketing officer, and Syrek described what steps organizations need to take to ensure compliance by the May 2007 NPI deadline during a December 12th audio conference, NPI: Strategies for an Implementation Process To Meet the May 2007 Deadline.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/syrekfull.mp3Lynn Somers Syrek, director of operations support and NPI project manager at Coventry Health Plans, described how Coventry is preparing for the NPI deadline and the type of training the organization is providing to its employees. Matt Wallach, Health Market Science's chief marketing officer, and Syrek described what steps organizations need to take to ensure compliance by the May 2007 NPI deadline during a December 12th audio conference, NPI: Strategies for an Implementation Process To Meet the May 2007 Deadline.2:23Mon, 4 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMTMiscommunication during the care transition puts elderly patients at risk for reduced quality of care, poorer outcomes and unnecessary procedures, according to Gregg Lehman, president and CEO of Inspiris. He defines the key players on the care transition team, suggests strategies for improving communications during this crucial phase and describes his organization's approach to dual eligibles who find themselves at this healthcare crossroad. Lehman, along with Danielle Butin, director of health services at Oxford Health Plans, a United Healthcare Company, described how their organizations are coordinating the care of Medicare patients as they transition through the healthcare system to minimize costly episodes of care during a November 30th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for Medicare Patients to Avoid Costly Inpatient Admissions.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/lehmanfull.mp3Miscommunication during the care transition puts elderly patients at risk for reduced quality of care, poorer outcomes and unnecessary procedures, according to Gregg Lehman, president and CEO of Inspiris. He defines the key players on the care transition team, suggests strategies for improving communications during this crucial phase and describes his organization's approach to dual eligibles who find themselves at this healthcare crossroad. Lehman, along with Danielle Butin, director of health services at Oxford Health Plans, a United Healthcare Company, described how their organizations are coordinating the care of Medicare patients as they transition through the healthcare system to minimize costly episodes of care during a November 30th audio conference, Managing Transitions to Care for Medicare Patients to Avoid Costly Inpatient Admissions.8:54Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTColleen Perkins, health strategies consultant with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, describes the type of individuals that make telephonic health coaching calls and how participants are assessed for readiness to change during an initial intake call. Perkins also explains the flow of the assessment call and subsequent coaching calls. Ms. Perkins and Dr. Dennis Richling, medical director, vice president for CorSolutions, a Matria Company, presented at an April 5, 2006 audio conference, Telephonic Health Coaching: How It Can Improve Your Population Health Management Programs.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/perkinsfull.mp3Colleen Perkins, health strategies consultant with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, describes the type of individuals that make telephonic health coaching calls and how participants are assessed for readiness to change during an initial intake call. Perkins also explains the flow of the assessment call and subsequent coaching calls. Ms. Perkins and Dr. Dennis Richling, medical director, vice president for CorSolutions, a Matria Company, presented at an April 5, 2006 audio conference, Telephonic Health Coaching: How It Can Improve Your Population Health Management Programs.0:26Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Dennis Richling, medical director, vice president for CorSolutions, a Matria Company, explains why telephonic health coaching is becoming more relevant with the growth of consumer-directed healthcare plans and patient self-management. Colleen Perkins, health strategies consultant with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, and Dr. Richling presented at an April 5, 2006 audio conference, Telephonic Health Coaching: How It Can Improve Your Population Health Management Programs. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/richlingfull.mp3Dr. Dennis Richling, medical director, vice president for CorSolutions, a Matria Company, explains why telephonic health coaching is becoming more relevant with the growth of consumer-directed healthcare plans and patient self-management. Colleen Perkins, health strategies consultant with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, and Dr. Richling presented at an April 5, 2006 audio conference, Telephonic Health Coaching: How It Can Improve Your Population Health Management Programs. 1:12Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTJoan McCarthy, vice president and communication consultant at AON Consulting, provides a list of factors that lead to the best open enrollment results. McCarthy and Paul Harris, senior consultant with Hewitt Associates along with Hilary Mitchell, director, voluntary benefits programs with Pitney Bowes presented at a May 24, 2006 audio conference, Health Plan Open Enrollment: Strategies To Improve Results.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/mccarthyclip.mp3Joan McCarthy, vice president and communication consultant at AON Consulting, provides a list of factors that lead to the best open enrollment results. McCarthy and Paul Harris, senior consultant with Hewitt Associates along with Hilary Mitchell, director, voluntary benefits programs with Pitney Bowes presented at a May 24, 2006 audio conference, Health Plan Open Enrollment: Strategies To Improve Results.1:28Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTPaul Harris, senior consultant with Hewitt Associates, explains why the having a health fair during open enrollment season might be counterproductive and what the ideal timing is for a health fair. Joan McCarthy, vice president and communication consultant at AON Consulting and Harris along with Hilary Mitchell, director, voluntary benefits programs with Pitney Bowes presented at a May 24, 2006 audio conference, Health Plan Open Enrollment: Strategies To Improve Results.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/harris2clip.mp3Paul Harris, senior consultant with Hewitt Associates, explains why the having a health fair during open enrollment season might be counterproductive and what the ideal timing is for a health fair. Joan McCarthy, vice president and communication consultant at AON Consulting and Harris along with Hilary Mitchell, director, voluntary benefits programs with Pitney Bowes presented at a May 24, 2006 audio conference, Health Plan Open Enrollment: Strategies To Improve Results.1:17Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTPaul L. Green, director, clinical quality improvement, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, describes the growth of public interest in hospital report cards and whether these report cards truly make a difference among consumers as they select sites of care. Green and Christine Profita Orok, project leader of cost and quality at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, presented at a June 7, 2006 audio conference, Healthcare Report Cards: How to Get an A+ in the Public Reporting of Healthcare Quality Data.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/greenclip.mp3Paul L. Green, director, clinical quality improvement, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, describes the growth of public interest in hospital report cards and whether these report cards truly make a difference among consumers as they select sites of care. Green and Christine Profita Orok, project leader of cost and quality at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, presented at a June 7, 2006 audio conference, Healthcare Report Cards: How to Get an A+ in the Public Reporting of Healthcare Quality Data.2:00Thu, 2 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTChristine Profita Orok, project leader of cost and quality at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, defines the goals and principles of its quality reporting program. Paul L. Green, director, clinical quality improvement, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital and Profita Orok presented at a June 7, 2006 audio conference, Healthcare Report Cards: How to Get an A+ in the Public Reporting of Healthcare Quality Data.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/orokclip.mp3Christine Profita Orok, project leader of cost and quality at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, defines the goals and principles of its quality reporting program. Paul L. Green, director, clinical quality improvement, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital and Profita Orok presented at a June 7, 2006 audio conference, Healthcare Report Cards: How to Get an A+ in the Public Reporting of Healthcare Quality Data.0:39Thu, 2 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Susan Butterworth , director of health services at Oregon Health and Science University, describes how to recognize when a patient is ready for self-management, help patients prepare for coaching and the elements of motivational interviewing training, certification, requirements and benefits. Dr. Butterworth and Mr. Roger Reed, executive vice president for marketing operations at Gordian Health Solutions presented at our audio conference, Integrating Health Coaching Into a Comprehensive Health Management Effort.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/butterworthclip.mp3Dr. Susan Butterworth , director of health services at Oregon Health and Science University, describes how to recognize when a patient is ready for self-management, help patients prepare for coaching and the elements of motivational interviewing training, certification, requirements and benefits. Dr. Butterworth and Mr. Roger Reed, executive vice president for marketing operations at Gordian Health Solutions presented at our audio conference, Integrating Health Coaching Into a Comprehensive Health Management Effort.0:53Wed, 1 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTRoger Reed, executive vice president for marketing operations at Gordian Health Solutions, describes the quality checks built into his organization's coaching initiatives, the immediacy of cash incentives in effecting behavior change, and the value of the "accountability factor" in health coaching. Dr. Susan Butterworth, director of health services at Oregon Health and Science University and Mr. Reed presented at our audio conference, Integrating Health Coaching Into a Comprehensive Health Management Effort.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/reedfull.mp3Roger Reed, executive vice president for marketing operations at Gordian Health Solutions, describes the quality checks built into his organization's coaching initiatives, the immediacy of cash incentives in effecting behavior change, and the value of the "accountability factor" in health coaching. Dr. Susan Butterworth, director of health services at Oregon Health and Science University and Mr. Reed presented at our audio conference, Integrating Health Coaching Into a Comprehensive Health Management Effort.8:45Wed, 1 Nov 2006 19:00:00 GMTPeter Simpson, president of Segmedica Inc, defines the three types of physicians his organization has identified after years of psychological research.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/simpsonclip.mp3Peter Simpson, president of Segmedica Inc, defines the three types of physicians his organization has identified after years of psychological research.2:21Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Maureen Mangotich, medical director of provider and community outreach with McKesson Health Solutions, reviews some feedback McKesson has received after new programs to primary care physicians.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/mangotichclip.mp3Dr. Maureen Mangotich, medical director of provider and community outreach with McKesson Health Solutions, reviews some feedback McKesson has received after new programs to primary care physicians.3:12Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTMichelle Brooks, RN, MSN, administrator, regional health plans for Pitt County Memorial Hospital, University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, describes how her organization's case managers identify and work with patients with chronic diseases to coordinate healthcare services and community-based services.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/brooksclip.mp3Michelle Brooks, RN, MSN, administrator, regional health plans for Pitt County Memorial Hospital, University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, describes how her organization's case managers identify and work with patients with chronic diseases to coordinate healthcare services and community-based services.1:10Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTJudith Szilagyi-Neary, clinical care manager at Ovations, a United Healthcare Company, outlines two programs provided through Ovations - a transition coach program and the Personal Service Delivery Program, both of which strategize and maximize community-based resources.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/Szilagyi-Nearyclip.mp3Judith Szilagyi-Neary, clinical care manager at Ovations, a United Healthcare Company, outlines two programs provided through Ovations - a transition coach program and the Personal Service Delivery Program, both of which strategize and maximize community-based resources.1:59Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTDanielle Butin, director of health services at Oxford Health Plans, a United Healthcare company, describes the Oxford's two-and-half-day health coach training program.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/butinclip.mp3Danielle Butin, director of health services at Oxford Health Plans, a United Healthcare company, describes the Oxford's two-and-half-day health coach training program.2:26Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTKerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, describes the qualities that set Duke's program apart from other coaching initiatives. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/littleclip.mp3Kerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, describes the qualities that set Duke's program apart from other coaching initiatives. 2:56Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTGordian Health Solutions Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer Roger Reed identifies the key components of a Gordian health coaching call. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/reedclip.mp3Gordian Health Solutions Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer Roger Reed identifies the key components of a Gordian health coaching call.1:55Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTDavid Hunsaker, president of public programs, APS Healthcare, describes how to maintain contact with the Medicaid population, dispels some of the myths about the Medicaid population and discusses ways to reduce non-urgent emergency room usage among Medicaid recipients. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hunsakerfull.mp3David Hunsaker, president of public programs, APS Healthcare, describes how to maintain contact with the Medicaid population, dispels some of the myths about the Medicaid population and discusses ways to reduce non-urgent emergency room usage among Medicaid recipients. 6:19Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTElizabeth Reardon, managed care director, Vermont Health Access, discusses the challenges of serving a rural population in Medicaid disease management programs and how case managers can utilize home visits conducted either by the case manager or by other service provides already visiting the home to help coordinate the care of Medicaid patients.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/reardonfull.mp3 Elizabeth Reardon, managed care director, Vermont Health Access, discusses the challenges of serving a rural population in Medicaid disease management programs and how case managers can utilize home visits conducted either by the case manager or by other service provides already visiting the home to help coordinate the care of Medicaid patients.6:48Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTOvercoming barriers to outreach is a crucial component of Health Management Corporation's telephonic Baby Benefits program says, Tom Smith, the organization's director of medical care management.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/smithclip.mp3Overcoming barriers to outreach is a crucial component of Health Management Corporation's telephonic Baby Benefits program says, Tom Smith, the organization's director of medical care management.2:39Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Joseph Stankaitis, a chief medical officer at Monroe Plan for Medical Care, explains how incentives improved physicians' completion of his organization's prenatal registration form, and how Monroe improved coordination between its perinatal staff and behavioral health staff to address mental health or chemical dependency issues in the targeted population.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/stankaitisclip.mp3Dr. Joseph Stankaitis, a chief medical officer at Monroe Plan for Medical Care, explains how incentives improved physicians' completion of his organization's prenatal registration form, and how Monroe improved coordination between its perinatal staff and behavioral health staff to address mental health or chemical dependency issues in the targeted population.4:16Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTChristy L. Beaudin, PHD, LCSW, CPHQ, corporate director of quality improvement at PacifiCare Behavioral Health, describes the crucial differences between the "baby blues" and postpartum depression.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/beaudinclip.mp3Christy L. Beaudin, PHD, LCSW, CPHQ, corporate director of quality improvement at PacifiCare Behavioral Health, describes the crucial differences between the "baby blues" and postpartum depression.1:25Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Peter Kongstvedt, a partner in the health and managed care consulting services division of Accenture, evaluates hospitals' response to requests for quality data from federal and private agencies.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/kongstevdtfull.mp3Dr. Peter Kongstvedt, a partner in the health and managed care consulting services division of Accenture, evaluates hospitals' response to requests for quality data from federal and private agencies.6:24Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Kate Lorig, a registered nurse, doctor of public health and professor of medicine at Stanford Patient Education Research Center describes the identification and training of patient leaders for self-management workshops, cultural considerations and other program details.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/lorigfull.mp3Dr. Kate Lorig, a registered nurse, doctor of public health and professor of medicine at Stanford Patient Education Research Center describes the identification and training of patient leaders for self-management workshops, cultural considerations and other program details. 12:32Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Alan Spiro, vice president and chief medical officer of Anthem National Accounts, a Wellpoint company, fears that the industry has become so focused on metrics that it is missing the people. Learn how his organization is utilizing the concept of primary nurse who is the single telephonic contact for a patient. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/spiro.mp3Dr. Alan Spiro, vice president and chief medical officer of Anthem National Accounts, a Wellpoint company, fears that the industry has become so focused on metrics that it is missing the people. Learn how his organization is utilizing the concept of primary nurse who is the single telephonic contact for a patient. 11:36Fri, 15 Sep 2006 20:00:00 GMTPaul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates, describes how organizations can utilize the data resulting from health fairs. Harris and Larry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group, also list the privacy issues an organization must consider when planning a health fair and the single greatest error organizations make when organizing health fairs. Harris, Hicks and Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/harrisfull.mp3Paul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates, describes how organizations can utilize the data resulting from health fairs. Harris and Larry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group, also list the privacy issues an organization must consider when planning a health fair and the single greatest error organizations make when organizing health fairs. Harris, Hicks and Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results.2:46Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMTLarry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group discusses the role a health fair can play in the benefits open enrollment process and the optimal timing for this type of health fair. Paul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates and Hicks also list the privacy issues an organization must consider when planning a health fair and the single greatest error organizations make when organizing health fairs. Harris, Hicks and Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hicksfull.mp3Larry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group discusses the role a health fair can play in the benefits open enrollment process and the optimal timing for this type of health fair. Paul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates and Hicks also list the privacy issues an organization must consider when planning a health fair and the single greatest error organizations make when organizing health fairs. Harris, Hicks and Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results.7:04Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMT Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, explores how to mesh employees' expectations of a health fair with the goals of the hosting organization, the most successful and the most creative health fair promotion strategy she has seen and some planning tips for organizations that would like to hold a health fair but have employees at multiple sites. Paul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates, Larry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group and Laubach discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/laubachfull.mp3Heidi Laubach, a consultant with AON Consulting, explores how to mesh employees' expectations of a health fair with the goals of the hosting organization, the most successful and the most creative health fair promotion strategy she has seen and some planning tips for organizations that would like to hold a health fair but have employees at multiple sites. Paul Harris, a senior healthcare consultant with Hewitt Associates, Larry Hicks, a senior consultant with the Hay Group and Laubach discuss the elements of a successful health fair that generate a return on investment and improve the health and well-being of its participants during a September 28th audio conference on CD-ROM, Health Fairs: Planning, Marketing and Achieving Bottom-Line Results.4:21Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMTDr. Fred Hosler, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Alegent Health, describes the role of electronic medical records in the pay-for-performance arena, the importance of adequate ramp-uptime and of building staff support in a collegial fashion for organizational ventures such as pay-for-performance. Dr. Hosler also describes how his organization is developing a physician leadership program in conjunction with Gallup University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dr. Hosler and Michael O'Neil, vice president of strategic initiatives with HealthSpring, will be presenting inside details on how their organizations have engaged physicians in PFP programs during a September 6th audio conference, Making the Business Case for Physician Participation and Engagement in Pay-for-Performance Programs. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hoslerpreAC.mp3Dr. Fred Hosler, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Alegent Health, describes the role of electronic medical records in the pay-for-performance arena, the importance of adequate ramp-up time and of building staff support in a collegial fashion for organizational ventures such as pay-for-performance. Dr. Hosler also describes how his organization is developing a physician leadership program in conjunction with Gallup University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dr. Hosler and Michael O'Neil, vice president of strategic iniatives with HealthSpring, will be presenting inside details on how their organizations have engaged physicians in PFP programs during a September 6th audio conference, Making the Business Case for Physician Participation and Engagement in Pay-for-Perforamnce Programs. 6:18Wed, 6 Sep 2006 19:00:00 GMTPenelope Kokkinides, national vice president of disease management with AmeriChoice, a United Healthcare Company, describes the initial steps in crafting a healthcare risk stratification strategy and what factors can play into this, including type of population served. Kokkinides will join Thomas Ferraro, business development director with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, during an August 16 audio conference, Healthcare Risk Stratification: Strategies for Identifying and Referring the Appropriate Service and Intervention. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/kokkinides.mp3Penelope Kokkinides, national vice president of disease management with AmeriChoice, a United Healthcare Company, describes the initial steps in crafting a healthcare risk stratification strategy and what factors can play into this, including type of population served. Kokkinides will join Thomas Ferraro, business development director with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, during an August 16 audio conference, Healthcare Risk Stratification: Strategies for Identifying and Referring the Appropriate Service and Intervention.7:31Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:00:00 GMTThomas Ferraro, business development director with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, provides insights on the stratification process within his organization. Ferraro will join Penelope Kokkinides, national vice president of disease management with AmeriChoice, a United Healthcare Company, during an August 16 audio conference, Healthcare Risk Stratification: Strategies for Identifying and Referring the Appropriate Service and Intervention.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/FerraroFull.mp3Thomas Ferraro, business development director with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, provides insights on the stratification process within his organization. Ferraro will join Penelope Kokkinides, national vice president of disease management with AmeriChoice, a United Healthcare Company, during an August 16 audio conference, Healthcare Risk Stratification: Strategies for Identifying and Referring the Appropriate Service and Intervention. 15:12Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:00:00 GMTPhilip Micali, founder and CEO, bWell International provides insights on how employers can educate consumers about health plans options and effectively measure the effectiveness of their communication efforts. Micali will join Marie Dufresne, consultant with the Hay Group, during a July 26 audio conference, Empowering and Educating Consumers for Effective Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/MicaleFull.mp3Philip Micali, founder and CEO, bWell International provides insights on how employers can educate consumers about health plans options and effectively measure the effectiveness of their communication efforts. Micali will join Marie Dufresne, consultant with the Hay Group, during a July 26 audio conference, Empowering and Educating Consumers for Effective Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans. 7:59Wed, 26 Jul 2006 19:00:00 GMTMarie Dufresne, senior consultant with the Hay Group discusses how employers and health plans should communicate with consumers about their healthcare options. Dufresne will join Philip Micali, founder and CEO, bWell International, during a July 26 audio conference, Empowering and Educating Consumers for Effective Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/DufresneFull.mp3Marie Dufresne, senior consultant with the Hay Group discusses how employers and health plans should communicate with consumers about their healthcare options. Dufresne will join Philip Micali, founder and CEO, bWell International, during a July 26 audio conference, Empowering and Educating Consumers for Effective Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans. 1:32Wed, 26 Jul 2006 19:00:00 GMTRobin Foust explains the benefits of having a good mix of wellness champions, from senior executives on down. Foust will join Michele Nelson-Housley, wellness program coordinator, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and William Baun, manager, wellness programs, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, on July 12 during Wellness Champions: Developing a Network of Liaisons To Promote and Expand Your Wellness Program, a 60-minute audio conference.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/foustfullinterviewfinal.mp3Robin Foust explains the benefits of having a good mix of wellness champions, from senior executives on down. Foust will join Michele Nelson-Housley, wellness program coordinator, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and William Baun, manager, wellness programs, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, on July 12 during Wellness Champions: Developing a Network of Liaisons To Promote and Expand Your Wellness Program, a 60-minute audio conference.5:56Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:00:00 GMTWilliam Baun, manager, wellness programs, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, describes the typical wellness champ at his organization, how champions contributed to a recent International Wellness Challenge Day and the most effective recruiting practice for new wellness champions. Baun will join Michele Nelson-Housley, wellness program coordinator, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Robin Foust, health management specialist and principal, Zoe Consulting, Inc., on July 12 during Wellness Champions: Developing a Network of Liaisons To Promote and Expand Your Wellness Program, a 60-minute audio conference. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/baunfullinterview.mp3William Baun, manager, wellness programs, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, describes the typical wellness champ at his organization, how champions contributed to a recent International Wellness Challenge Day and the most effective recruiting practice for new wellness champions. Baun will join Michele Nelson-Housley, wellness program coordinator, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Robin Foust, health management specialist and principal, Zoe Consulting, Inc., on July 12 during Wellness Champions: Developing a Network of Liaisons To Promote and Expand Your Wellness Program, a 60-minute audio conference. 6:48Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:00:00 GMTHear from Julie Baker, director, healthcare advisory practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, on what is driving the move toward pay-for-performance programs, history on some of the programs in place now and what this means for physician practices evaluating the new voluntary physician quality reporting program launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Baker's remarks are excerpted from a 90-minute audio conference now available on CD-ROM during which Baker and Robert Fortini, clinical operations manager, Community Care Physicians, examine the new call for voluntary reporting of quality measures by physician practices to CMS. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/cms.mp3Hear from Julie Baker, director, healthcare advisory practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, on what is driving the move toward pay-for-performance programs, history on some of the programs in place now and what this means for physician practices evaluating the new voluntary physician quality reporting program launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Baker's remarks are excerpted from a 90-minute audio conference now available on CD-ROM during which Baker and Robert Fortini, clinical operations manager, Community Care Physicians, examine the new call for voluntary reporting of quality measures by physician practices to CMS. 2:54Mon, 5 Jun 2006 19:00:00 GMTA patient navigation kit accented with artwork and writings by breast cancer survivors took top honors in the first annual Healthcare Toolkits contest sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN). The MyHealth, MyJourney breast cancer post-diagnosis toolkit developed by The Eden Communications Group of Maplewood, N.J., for Pfizer Oncology was awarded first prize among nearly 60 print, web-based and multi-media healthcare toolkits submitted by health plans, hospitals and employers.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/toolkit_final.mp3A patient navigation kit accented with artwork and writings by breast cancer survivors took top honors in the first annual Healthcare Toolkits contest sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN). The MyHealth, MyJourney breast cancer post-diagnosis toolkit developed by The Eden Communications Group of Maplewood, N.J., for Pfizer Oncology was awarded first prize among nearly 60 print, web-based and multi-media healthcare toolkits submitted by health plans, hospitals and employers.7:55Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:00:00 GMTDan Styf, director of learning and innovation, Alliance of Community Health Plans, shares his thoughts on health plan quality improvement initiatives. Styf's comments were part of a July 20, 2005 audio conference, Health Plan Quality Improvement: Building and Monitoring an Effective Program, during which Styf provided inside details on health plan quality improvement (QI) programs and results from such initiatives. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hpqi.mp3Dan Styf, director of learning and innovation, Alliance of Community Health Plans, shares his thoughts on health plan quality improvement initiatives. Styf's comments were part of a July 20, 2005 audio conference, Health Plan Quality Improvement: Building and Monitoring an Effective Program, during which Styf provided inside details on health plan quality improvement (QI) programs and results from such initiatives. 1:56Wed, 5 Apr 2006 19:00:00 GMTKim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing, Highmark Inc., describes how his organization is meeting the needs of members enrolled in consumer-driven healthcare plans by providing web-based tools and information. Bellard shared his experience during Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare in 2006, a January 17, 2006 audio conference. This conference, now available on CD-ROM, provides an overview of how healthcare organizations are providing the right tools via their organizations' web sites to ensure that consumers have the information they need to assess the impact of their healthcare decisions. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/uwt.mp3Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing, Highmark Inc., describes how his organization is meeting the needs of members enrolled in consumer-driven healthcare plans by providing web-based tools and information. Bellard shared his experience during Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare in 2006, a January 17, 2006 audio conference. This conference, now available on CD-ROM, provides an overview of how healthcare organizations are providing the right tools via their organizations' web sites to ensure that consumers have the information they need to assess the impact of their healthcare decisions.2:14Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:00:00 GMTKim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing, Highmark Inc., walks through the tools and types of content that Highmark provides on its site in a way that their users can use their site with "No fuss, no muss." Bellard also describes why Highmark is making this commitment as part of his presentation during Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare in 2006, a January 17, 2006 audio conference. This conference, now available on CD-ROM, provides an overview of how healthcare organizations are providing the right tools via their organizations' web sites to ensure that consumers have the information they need to assess the impact of their healthcare decisions.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/uwt2.mp3Kim Bellard, vice president of eMarketing, Highmark Inc., walks through the tools and types of content that Highmark provides on its site in a way that their users can use their site with "No fuss, no muss." Bellard also describes why Highmark is making this commitment as part of his presentation during Using Web Technologies in Consumer-Driven Healthcare in 2006, a January 17, 2006 audio conference. This conference, now available on CD-ROM, provides an overview of how healthcare organizations are providing the right tools via their organizations' web sites to ensure that consumers have the information they need to assess the impact of their healthcare decisions. 1:12Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:00:00 GMTGet inside details from three wellness experts on how to spark interest and participation in your wellness programs. William Baun, manager, human resources and wellness department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Aaron Hardy, wellness coordinator with Washoe County School District and Rebecca Kelly, wellness coordinator at American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) Health Services share their secrets to success. Get all 21 secrets when you order 21 Creative Wellness Program Promotional Strategies, a February 8, 2006 audio conference on CD-ROM.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/21.mp3Get inside details from three wellness experts on how to spark interest and participation in your wellness programs. William Baun, manager, human resources and wellness department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Aaron Hardy, wellness coordinator with Washoe County School District and Rebecca Kelly, wellness coordinator at American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) Health Services share their secrets to success. Get all 21 secrets when you order 21 Creative Wellness Program Promotional Strategies, a February 8, 2006 audio conference on CD-ROM.1:56Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:00:00 GMTDiscover the guiding principles for health coaching at Health Management Corporation (HMC) from Bonnie Sechrist, director of clinical program development at HMC and how this is translated into its training program. Sechrist and Kerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, along with Maddy M. Rice, area vice president of education at CorSolutions, shared their companies'strategies for health coach training during Health Coach Training: Insider Tips for Effective Coaching, an October 26, 2005 audio conference now available on CD-ROM. http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hct.mp3Discover the guiding principles for health coaching at Health Management Corporation (HMC) from Bonnie Sechrist, director of clinical program development at HMC and how this is translated into its training program. Sechrist and Kerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, along with Maddy M. Rice, area vice president of education at CorSolutions, shared their companies' strategies for health coach training during Health Coach Training: Insider Tips for Effective Coaching, an October 26, 2005 audio conference now available on CD-ROM.5:28Wed, 1 Feb 2006 19:00:00 GMTKerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, shares what strategies Duke uses for its health coaches to connect with participants. Bonnie Sechrist, director of clinical program development at HMC and Little, along with Maddy M. Rice, area vice president of education at CorSolutions, shared their companies' strategies for health coach training during Health Coach Training: Insider Tips for Effective Coaching, an October 26, 2005 audio conference now available on CD-ROM.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/kerrylittle.mp3Kerry Little, senior health coach with Duke University Medical Center, shares what strategies Duke uses for its health coaches to connect with participants. Bonnie Sechrist, director of clinical program development at HMC and Little, along with Maddy M. Rice, area vice president of education at CorSolutions, shared their companies' strategies for health coach training during Health Coach Training: Insider Tips for Effective Coaching, an October 26, 2005 audio conference now available on CD-ROM.5:28Wed, 1 Feb 2006 19:00:00 GMTDavid Chenoweth, president, Chenoweth and Associates Inc., shares his thoughts on why team approaches to wellness are effective in the workplace. Chenoweth was joined by Margaret Frucci, human resource manager, Ocean Medical Center, part of Meridian Health System and Aaron Hardy, wellness coordinator, Washoe County School District, during Healthy Competition in the Workplace: Taking the Team Approach to Wellness, a November 15, 2005 audio conference available on CD-ROM which examined how workplace wellness programs are using competition between employees and departments to drive participation and results in wellness programs.http://www.hin.com/soundclips/hcitw.mp3David Chenoweth, president, Chenoweth and Associates Inc., shares his thoughts on why team approaches to wellness are effective in the workplace. Chenoweth was joined by Margaret Frucci, human resource manager, Ocean Medical Center, part of Meridian Health System and Aaron Hardy, wellness coordinator, Washoe County School District, during Healthy Competition in the Workplace: Taking the Team Approach to Wellness, a November 15, 2005 audio conference available on CD-ROM which examined how workplace wellness programs are using competition between employees and departments to drive participation and results in wellness programs. 0:38Wed, 1 Feb 2006 19:00:00 GMT