Group Health's Practice Transformation Tips for Medical Home ROI

Medical home innovator and 'model for healthcare overhaul' Group Health will share its successful physician practice staffing strategies and workflow changes during the September 9, 2009 webinar, "Successful Staffing Models for Medical Home ROI," part of the summer-long HIN Medical Home Open House Series.

July 21, 2009

MANASQUAN, NJ, USA — In just one year, Group Health's Patient-Centered Medical Home pilot, which the New York Times has termed a 'model for healthcare overhaul,' broke even on its primary care staffing investment through reduced downstream utilization costs. By adopting a collaborative approach, the health insurance cooperative reduced ER/urgent care visits by 29 percent and inpatient hospital stays for patients with chronic conditions by 11 percent. Group Health will share its cost-saving staffing strategies — from staff skill sets to the workflow changes needed to accommodate this model of care — during "Successful Staffing Models for Medical Home ROI," a 45-minute webinar on September 9, 2009 at 1:30 Eastern.

This new session continues the summer-long Medical Home Open House series, which presents key topics in PCMH implementation — from care transition management, behavioral health integration, reimbursement and contracting negotiations, accountable care organizations, patient education and engagement and much more. Visitors can customize their tour to their organization's needs, choosing one or more sessions in the series.

Learn more about Group Health's Successful Staffing Models for Medical Home ROI.

NEWS FACTS:

Scheduled Speaker: Michael Erikson, vice president, primary care administration, Group Health Cooperative.
Conference Focus: The primary care staffing strategies and workflow changes that reduced Group Health's downstream utilization costs, improved clinical quality indicators and enhanced the patient experience in just one year and that will be implemented at its remaining medical centers by 2010. Group Health's patient-centered medical home approach places more emphasis on doctors and care teams proactively engaging patients in their health and investing more in care coordination.
Other sessions in the Medical Home Open House series: Meet the Medical Home Neighbor: Accountable Care Organizations on 7/29/09 at 1:30 Eastern; Patient Engagement and Education in the Medical Home: Perspectives from Several Pilots on 8/5/09 at 1:30 Eastern; Constructing Care Transitions to Reduce Hospital Admissions on 8/26/09 at 1:30 Eastern; Under One Roof: Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Healthcare in the Medical Home, 7/1/09, archive version; Medical Home Contracting: Building a Solid Framework, 7/8/09, archive version.
Webinar Formats: 45-minute live webinar on September 9, 2009, including Q&A; “On-Demand” rebroadcast available September 11, 2009; 45-minute training DVD or CD-ROM with printed transcript available September 30, 2009. Discounts available for two or more sessions in the Medical Home Open House series. Participants may add a DVD or CD to their live session registration to share with colleagues. Learn more about Group Health's successful staffing models for medical home ROI.

QUOTE ATTRIBUTABLE TO MELANIE MATTHEWS, HIN EXECUTIVE VP AND COO:

Click here for Melanie Matthews's profile.

"Like other successful medical home innovators, Group Health has learned that an investment in the primary care team can result in a reduction in utilization costs in the future. By reducing its physician-panel size and expanding its multidisciplinary clinical teams to include family doctors, general internists, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants and clinical pharmacists, it is increasing the quality of and access to the care it delivers."

Please contact Patricia Donovan to arrange an interview or to obtain additional quotes.

About the Healthcare Intelligence Network — HIN is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare. For more information, contact the Healthcare Intelligence Network, PO Box 1442, Wall Township, NJ 07719-1442, (888) 446-3530, fax (732) 292-3073, e-mail info@hin.com, or visit http://www.hin.com.

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