Runner-Up Recipient of the John J. Mahoney, M.D.

2010 Community Health Value Innovation Award

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Diabetes and Hypertension Self-Management Program, originally piloted in Ohio, will be expanded to other communities. The pilot improved treatment adherence, diabetes and hypertension outcomes, and cost trends.  Anthem BCBS’  Diabetes and Hypertension Patient Self Management Project provides an opportunity for employers to provide a positive health benefit to their employees. It is hypothesized that successful participation in this program will lead to improved patient care and wellness, less absenteeism from employees, and lower overall health care costs which will result in economic benefits to the employer.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE

The Diabetes and Hypertension Patient Self Management Project provides an opportunity for employers to provide a positive health benefit to their employees. It is hypothesized that successful participation in this program will lead to improved patient care and wellness, less absenteeism from employees, and lower overall healthcare costs which will result in economic benefits to the employer.

BARRIER OBJECTIVE

Effective January 1, 2008, the City of Cincinnati employees will be offered both the self-management services that encourages employees with diabetes and/or hypertension to seek counseling from Kroger pharmacists in regards to appropriate pharmaceutical management and application of self- management tools.

TACTICAL OBJECTIVE

The program is voluntary, however patients participating in the program will realize the following benefits:

• Diabetes and/or hypertension classes provided by a Kroger Pharmacist – 100% paid by the City • Follow-up visits with your assigned Kroger Pharmacist – 100% paid by the City • A drug copay reduction of $5.00 per prescription for medications related to diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol • A $100 City contribution to the Health Reimbursement Account with enrollment in the Healthy Lifestyles program.

Success of the program will be based on member satisfaction, improved education, medication adherence, monitoring of diabetes and hypertension treatment goals, and health care costs, office visit utilization, blood pressure control, weight, lipid values, and glucose control.

Grand Prize Recipient of the John J. Mahoney, M.D.

2010 Community Health Value Innovation Award

The Michigan Health Information Alliance (MiHIA) mission is to advance its efforts in driving health innovation and improving health, performance, and economic outcomes by advancing a high-quality, patient-centered, cost-effective health care system.

As the primary award recipient, Michigan Health Information Alliance (MiHIA) received our $40,000.00  grant.  MiHIA is an alliance committed to advancing high quality, patient-centered, cost-effective health care. They will use the award to measure engagement and adoption.  The Consumer Engagement project is part of a broader strategic plan approved by the AHRQ within the chartered value exchange.  Measurement and evaluation of consumer engagement levels are key to the value of this project and these, too are prerequisites for the Mahoney award.  They will use the monies and the Center’s oversight to facilitate the use of the patient activation measure as a science-based baseline and measurement of the project’s impact, thereby creating a sustainable model that drives consumers toward a culture of engagement.

Original Application Letter From Thomas Smith, Executive Director:

On behalf of Michigan Health Information Alliance (MiHIA), I am pleased to submit this application for The John J. Mahoney, M.D. Award for Community Health Value Innovation. This opportunity will enable MiHIA to advance its efforts in “driving health innovation and improving health, performance, and economic outcomes.” MiHIA’s Consumer Engagement project’s mission and objectives are uniquely aligned with The Center for Health Value Innovation initiatives.

As stated in the preceding documents, we are a community collaborative that demonstrates the strategic design to improve health through aligned incentives across multiple stakeholders.  We are committed to advancing a high-quality, patient-centered, cost-effective health care system. At its core, health care is local. We believe it is critical for community stakeholders to identify and work together on shared health-related community priorities. We also believe it is critical to use standard performance information to engage providers in improving and facilitating consumer decision-making. Such efforts would ensure public reporting, and promoting effective public and payment policies, and ultimately consumer incentives that reward or foster better provider performance. This will provide a foundation to assess, improve, monitor, and manage health care within and across communities.

We hope for favorable consideration from The Center for Health Value Innovation and look forward to collaborating in order to improve the quality of health through the innovative use of information.

Sincerely,
Thomas Smith

February 2, 2010 was our third birthday, and what a celebration was had!  We’ll be updating this post and adding more, but here are a few highlights for you:

JOHN J. MAHONEY MD AWARD for community health innovation was announced.  Polishing Jack’s star is hardly necessary, yet we created this award to expand the concepts and innovations in value-based benefit design that has made Jack the icon that he is.  For those who don’t know, Jack is a co-founder of the Center, serves as our Chief Medical Officer, and still spends a great deal of his time at Pitney Bowes and the Florida Business Health Coalition.  Pitney is where Jack created the first value-based benefit design–but what most don’t know is that it was focused on behavioral health  Rosenheck, Yale Pitney Bowes study EAP A surprise to Jack, this award is an innovator’s dream:  a Pay-it-Forward award.  Initial funding came through an educational grant from Johnson and Johnson Health Care Services, then the Center matched the funds.  Now, multi-stakeholder collaboratives within a community can apply for the $40,000 award and the Center will provide oversight, training, and suggest innovative technology that will fuel value-based benefit designs.  BUT THERE IS MORE:  The community that wins the award must contribute $40,000 into the award “pot” so that the next community that applies will get the same oversight, etc., as the first–that’s the cool Pay-It-Forward concept, and it’s just how Jack works!  He shares openly on his learnings, his experiences, and his challenges.  For more on the award, Mahoney Award App FINAL Dr. Cathy Baase of Dow, medical director for Dow, a member of our Board and an expert in community health improvement, will chair the judging committee–all applications must be received electronically at the Center no later than May 31, 2010.

Michael Taylor MD (Chairman of our Board) and Wayne Burton MD (new Strategic Advisor and Master of Ceremonies for the Award announcement) were nothing short of stellar at the Board Meeting.  You know Dr. Burton as the former Medical Director of JPMorgan Chase (and, before that, BankOne) and the research guru of Health and Productivity Management.  Mike, of course, is the Medical Director for Health Promotion for Caterpillar.  Over 80 people attended our Celebration and we inducted new members into the Fellows of the Center as well (more to follow later). Other luminaries included not only our Board of Directors, but also Mike Critelli (former CEO of Pitney Bowes and now the Chair of Dossia and the Dossia Foundation), Tom Parry (President of the Integrated Benefits Institute), Ron Loeppke MD (Chair of IBI, head of ACOEM’s HPM subgroup, and, now the President of US Preventive Medicine), Andy Webber (President of the National Business Coalition on Health), Tracey Moorhead and Jeanette May of DMAA: the Care Continuum Alliance (Tracey is President and Jeanette is VP of Research), Judy Cahill (Executive Director of AMCP), Sally Greenberg (Executive Director of National Consumer League) and Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General and now a mainstay in our board meetings–she provides the inspiration close to the hard work we are all doing together.

Finally, at the Annual Meeting we launched the brand new survey that we commissioned from Buck Consultants (Michael Jacobs, National Practice Leader for Buck, is now on our Board of Directors).  Our goal was to survey experienced companies for their view of value-based benefit designs.  Key learnings:  87% use the VBD approach for prevention and wellness, 60% for chronic care management, and 26% for guidance in care delivery.  Most important learnings:  engage the employees faster AND make sure to engage the physicians/pharmacists/clinicians sooner.  CHVI-BUCK VBD 2009 FINAL- Report

We’ll be posting more here, but, as I head off to the IBI-NBCH meeting in San Antonio, I was determined to get the highlights up so you could all share!  Stay tuned, there is SO much more that we’re doing.

Be well,

Cyndy