Avera Bulletin - July 2008
Ten at Ten: Avera Earns 10th “100 Most Wired” Fifth “Most Wireless”
As the Avera name moves towards its tenth year, Avera garnered its 10th consecutive “100 Most Wired” and fifth consecutive “Most Wireless” awards, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July 15 issue of Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN). Avera is the ONLY health system in the nation to make both lists every year running since their inception (“100 Most Wired” in 1999 and 25 “Most Wireless” in 2004). Some 18 organizations are new to the list this year. Avera is one of only six organizations in the nation to achieve “100 Most Wired” for 10 consecutive years.
“The purpose of the survey is to promote the effective use of information technology in achieving clinical and operational excellence,” noted Avera Senior Vice President of Information Systems Jim Veline. “Avera remains in front of the curve for implementation of technology to deliver high-quality results and better care.” By combining technology with clinical knowledge and creativity, the nation’s “100 Most Wired” show better outcomes in four key areas: mortality rates, patient safety measures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, core measures from Hospital Compare and average length of stay.
H&HN magazine conducts the survey annually in a blind test and uses the results to name the “100 Most Wired” hospitals and health systems. Some 1,327 hospitals are represented in the 556 completed survey, or roughly 22.3 percent of hospitals in the United States.
The 2008 “100 Most Wired” survey was conducted in cooperation with Accenture (a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company), McKesson Corporation (the world’s largest health care services, technology and automation company), the American Hospital Association, and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. The “Most Wireless” award received additional support from Intel (a technology innovator that applies knowledge, research and assets to improve health care and quality of life). The July H&HN cover story is available at www.hhnmag.com.
Avera Health Plans to Provide Student Health Insurance for South Dakota University System
On May 30, 2008, the South Dakota Board of Regents approved a managed care program for its student health insurance program with services provided by Avera Health Plans. The state of South Dakota University system includes Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, South Dakota State University, The University of South Dakota and University Center.
The program, called My Health Plan, encourages students to take responsibility for their health care. Making health insurance affordable for students aligns with Avera’s mission. My Health Plan provides limited coverage ($5,000 annually per sickness or injury) and is guaranteed issue. If students meet eligibility criteria established by the plan, they are entitled to enroll. Students can elect annually or by semester, and the policy is not available to the general public. All registered international students taking credit hours and their dependents are required to purchase this plan at the time of registration. My Health Plan will be effective on Sept. 1, 2008.
Avera McKennan Top 100 Community Value Provider
Avera McKennan has been named to the Community Value Index® (CVI) “Top 100” hospitals list and designated as a “Five Star” facility. Avera McKennan is the only hospital in South Dakota listed in the top 100.
In its fifth annual CVI survey, Cleverley + Associates evaluated the United States hospital industry in three core areas: financial strength and reinvestment, cost of care and pricing. Measurement in these areas suggests that hospitals operating with a high degree of community value are those that are low cost, low charge and use a strong financial position to reinvest back in to the provision of care at the facility. Those hospitals with scores in the top 20 percent are designated as “Five Star” facilities. A subset of this group is the “Top 100,” which contains the highest scoring facilities in the country.
School-Based Health Care to Debut at Sioux Falls High School
Although school-based health care programs have been around for a number of years, a grant obtained by Avera will help establish South Dakota’s first high-school-level school-based health program. The two-year pilot is funded by a $732,022 grant from the federal government. It is a partnership with the State of South Dakota and the Sioux Falls School District.
The pilot program seeks to reduce emergency room utilization for non-emergent conditions by providing basic care at the school, and detecting and referring more difficult situations to primary care providers. Students who do not have a primary care physician will be referred to McGreevy Clinic Avera and other clinics to promote a regular medical home for the students. An Avera-based mid-level practitioner will be onsite at the school for up to four hours a day and also will provide health promotion and health education.
The program begins this fall at Washington High School, which has a student population of 2,175, a staff that is receptive to the project and space easily adapted for the service. A high percentage of students are eligible for free or reduced meals, which is an indicator of possible health needs as a result of nutritional deficiencies and low economic status. Several health factors were also taken into account in the selection, including the number of students with disabilities being served. In addition to measuring the program’s impact on emergency room use, program evaluation will quantify reduction of absenteeism and parent time lost from work; impact on health education, nutrition, dental and behavioral health.
Cardinal Health Awards Avera McKennan $35,000 to Fund Patient Safety Initiative
To help with its initiative, Saving Lives in Rural Communities, Cardinal Health recently announced the award of $35,000 to Avera McKennan as part of a $1 million grant program for new and innovative programs at 34 hospitals, health systems and community health clinics across the country.
Avera McKennan identified rural hospital participation in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 5 Million Lives Campaign as a high priority in Avera’s service area. The grant will be used to provide education and tools for the Campaign’s safety platforms, to work individually with rural hospitals to design a patient safety program and to recognize top performers in patient safety. Ultimately the goal is to increase patient safety and save lives.
More than 10 percent (700 organizations) of the nation’s hospitals applied for the grants. In choosing recipients, Cardinal Health looked for projects that respond to a clearly identified, high-priority safety issue; collaborative programs; projects that apply new thinking and approaches to development of solutions; model programs that can be replicated at other organizations; and demonstrable and sustainable measures to ensure that improvements last over time.