From KTVZ.COM news sources
A new partnership of Central Oregon hospitals and doctors was announced Monday, with one of its first goals a new urgent-care clinic with a sliding-scale cost.
Here's the full news release from Cascade Healthcare Community:
Physician Hospital Alignment for Central Oregon and Cascade Healthcare Community take action to improve local health care system
Bend, Ore. -- Recognizing that rising health care costs and the numbers of uninsured patients are challenges nationwide and that these issues are even more pronounced in Central Oregon, local physicians have come together to form the Physician Hospital Alignment for Central Oregon.
The group of more than 250 physicians, together with leaders from the medical community, has been working closely with Cascade Healthcare Community to develop a recommended model for regional health care reform. The effort is focused on enhancing the patient experience, reducing costs and improving the health of the region's population.
In the first major step toward creating a sustainable, affordable health care system, beginning Jan. 1, physicians who aligned with the PHA mission will be considered preferred providers for all non-contract CHC caregivers.
This shift will allow CHC and its caregivers to benefit from a shared commitment to evidence-based, quality care while recognizing cost savings by reducing overutilization of health care services.
The savings derived from the new plan will allow CHC to invest more in programs that directly benefit the community, said James A. Diegel, FACHE, president and CEO of CHC.
"As part of a long-term mission to be leaders in local health care reform, we are choosing to align ourselves with health care professionals like the PHA physicians, who share our values and commitment to the community," Diegel said. "We feel good about supporting the PHA mission while continuing to offer our valued caregivers a competitive health benefits package."
The second significant effort driven by the PHA and CHC partnership addresses the critical and growing need for additional capacity to treat individuals in the community who are uninsured.
Plans are in place for a first quarter 2010 launch of a clinic on the St. Charles Bend campus to treat patients with immediate health care needs on a sliding-scale basis. The partners are working to collaborate with area PHA primary care physicians as well as Volunteers in Medicine and Mosaic Medical to coordinate care and provide this much-needed service for area patients.
"We know that many people in our community are struggling financially and this will provide access to urgent care they could not otherwise afford," said Dr. Steve Mann, PHA Steering Committee member and family physician.
In addition to offering a sliding scale for office visit fees, the new clinic will also offer patients a transparent, affordable pricing structure and online posting of wait times.
With the implementation of this effort CHC expects to realize not only more efficient and accessible care, but a significant reduction in system health care costs, said Pam Steinke, vice president of quality management at CHC and chief nursing officer at St. Charles Medical Center Bend.
"Our charity care costs continue to rise dramatically, and much of that is related to uninsured patients visiting the Emergency Room who don't have a primary care physician," Steinke said.
"Central Oregon has over 40,000 people who are uninsured and that number is growing. The cost for those ER visits is high and if we can provide an alternative choice for care that is more affordable and yet the same high quality, it helps everyone."
Both initiatives mark the beginning of a dynamic collaboration among health care providers in the region. The PHA effort continues to gain momentum and workgroups are in place focused on shared electronic medical records, quality of care measures and building primary care capacity.
"As physicians and health care administrators, we want to provide the best possible care for our community," said Dr. Michel Boileau, chair of the PHA Steering Committee. "Being able to work together to leverage all of our best assets to bring about meaningful change is proving to be a very fulfilling experience."
About PHA
The Physician Hospital Alignment for Central Oregon represents more than 250 local physicians and leaders from the Central Oregon medical community who have pledged to work together to diagnose and treat the ills of our current health care system. The group is aligned around three core goals: enhancing the patient experience; reducing or controlling health care costs; and improving the health of the community as a whole. The community is welcome and invited to join in the effort and opportunities to have input into the PHA direction will be announced soon. To learn more about PHA please visit our Web site at: www.goodmedicineco.org.
About Cascade Healthcare Community
Cascade Healthcare Community, Inc.(CHC), (www.cascadehealthcare.org), headquartered in Bend, Oregon, owns and operates the St. Charles medical centers in Bend and Redmond, leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville and provides management services for Mountain View Hospital in Madras. CHC is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 3,000 caregivers in Bend, Redmond and Prineville. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with CHC to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
