Geisinger has improved care and lowered costs, its associate chief medical officer says
Published: June 26, 2009
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
e-mail this
share thisWILKES-BARRE - Geisinger Health System has improved care and lowered costs as national health care expenses continue to spiral out of control, said Dr. Alfred Casale, Geisinger Northeast associate chief medical officer and director of cardiothoracic surgery.
At a community health forum Thursday at King's College, Dr. Casale outlined the benefits of Geisinger's "ProvenCare" system which coordinates primary care, offers surgery with a warranty, encourages more patient involvement and has improved electronic health records.
"ProvenCare is Geisinger's mechanism to guarantee that we do the right thing to the right patient at the right time in the right way by reorganizing the day-to-day processes we use at the clinics and hospitals," Dr. Casale said.
Geisinger has received national attention, including recent praise from President Barack Obama, for offering a model for high quality care at lower-than-average costs as a push is on for health care reform.
"This truly is one of those rare examples of a win-win," Dr. Casale said. "The patient has better outcomes and stayed in the hospital for shorter times."
Geisinger proves less is more, by not performing tests that don't add value, Dr. Casale said. The ProvenCare system started in 2006 with a warranty stating a 40-point checklist must be completed before elective heart surgery begins or it's canceled. Insurers pay a flat rate and complications arising that put a patient back in the hospital within 90 days are treated without charge, he said. Geisinger has since extended the program to other procedures.
"We'll do it right the first time or we won't send you a bill," Dr. Casale said.
Geisinger also continues to make health care more patient-focused, said Janet Tomcavage, R.N., M.S.N., vice president of medical operations for Geisinger Health Plan which, she said, manages care 25-30 percent better than Medicare.
"We really wanted to look at ways to transform care," Ms. Tomcavage said. "We have found that people are getting more than what is recommended. More is not better."
With more than $2 trillion spent on health care in the United States, a number expected to double in the next five years, Dr. Casale said the country has spent more money per person than anywhere else in the world. Despite that, he added you can't open a newspaper or magazine or turn on the television or radio without being bombarded with examples of health care problems.
"We really needed to do something to make a mark in that atmosphere," Dr. Casale said.
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D0121, Wilkes-Barre, a member of the recently formed Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Reform Task Force, applauded Geisinger for being ahead of the curve in dealing with a major health care financial problem.
"Health care is a cost driver. It's as bad as oil," Mr. Pashinski said. "Oil and health care have reduced our abilities to provide for our families and our businesses. It has taken away our competitiveness. Yet, it's something we direly need."
Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com
1 posted comments