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HealthPartners announces winners of Innovation in Healthcare awards
October 31, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Two cutting-edge approaches that are helping patients while reducing costs have received HealthPartners first annual Innovations in Healthcare Awards. Allina Hospitals and Clinics and Physicians Neck and Back Clinics, P.A. were presented the awards at HealthPartners annual Partners in Excellence dinner last night in Minneapolis. The Innovation awards recognize transformational changes to the care delivery system. Four other healthcare innovations also received recognition.
Physicians Neck and Back Clinics' innovation is an initiative to prevent unnecessary spine surgeries with an exercise program. Employees of a local company who had originally been recommended for surgery participate in a 10-week outpatient rehab program. If any of them require surgery within one year after program completion, PNBC will reimburse the employer for that person's program costs. This innovative program was based on a previous study from PNBC where, sixteen months after completing the program, 92 percent of program participants did not require surgery.
Allina's innovation, Breaking Through Clinical Inertia, focused on improving the treatment processes and approaches for diabetes, asthma, vascular care and preventative services screening. The innovation involved changing both systems and cultures to improve quality of chronic and preventative care. For example, medication refills were limited to six months, so patients would be prompted to make crucial follow-up appointments.
Also recognized for their healthcare innovations:
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The Western Wisconsin Medical Association, for its initiative to involve the entire staff in improving patient care quality;
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The Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, for its use of therapeutic hypothermia to help more cardiac arrest patients;
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University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, for its improvement of handoff communication among staff;
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Regions Hospital, for its Geriatric Orthopaedic Trauma Program, which focuses on elderly patients who need orthopaedic care while in long-term care facilities.
"These six applicants reflect the energy our community's medical groups and hospitals have to address affordability and quality of care," said Thomas Marr, M.D., HealthPartners medical director for clinical relations. "We continue to be encouraged as we partner with the care delivery systems that innovative approaches to both the efficiency and effectiveness of care will improve the value that our members receive for their healthcare dollar."
About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of healthcare companies serves more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit healthcare organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. For the third year in a row, HealthPartners is rated one of the best commercial health plans in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, NCQA's "America's Best Health Plans 2007".
Contact: 952-883-5274
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