Looking to the future, in addition to continuing to build on our service line foundation, our direction will be affected by regulatory and market mandates. The new AGH strategic plan focuses on principles for developing efficient and effective care delivery models, including the adoption of information technology capabilities at a rapid pace to achieve the quality and integration goals set by the federal government and private payers.
Regulatory and payment reforms are driving inpatient care in ways that will achieve predetermined clinical outcomes while eliminating medical errors. For example, Medicare and other payers are experimenting with new reimbursement systems. These, in turn, are forcing healthcare providers to redesign delivery structures to manage chronic illnesses in a proactive fashion, prevent acute admissions, and reduce the costly progression of disease. We are excited about these changes in that they better support our mission to improve individual and community health -- through prevention.
The healthcare market is also undergoing a rapid transition to an electronic transaction environment, including electronic medical record-keeping. A significant portion of capital investment will be dedicated to keeping AGH ahead of the curve in this emerging healthcare delivery environment. We will need the support of our community to do so.
Our “E” Strategy
Our 2011-2015 “E” Strategy employs principles to support patients, families and caregivers, guiding investments in our clinical service areas that will utilize information technology to improve coordination of healthcare, the quality of care, and efficiency.
E Strategy Principles:
- Electronic medical records integration. An EMR is already in place within the AGH Health System physician offices and will be linked throughout the hospital environment and with participating independent providers in our community. This will be extended further into the community through a patient-centered medical home concept.
- Efficiency
- Excellence
- Error-free service delivery
- Ethical conduct
- Economic stability
We will create a collaborative care model within AGH and with pre- and post-hospital care providers in an electronic environment. Patient outcomes will be measured throughout the system, while “unnecessary steps” will be reduced to optimize the patient experience, minimize the opportunity for errors, and enhance economic stability.
Our “E” Strategy will be carried out with a clear and unwavering focus on providing transparency in healthcare delivery and ensuring the privacy of all patients and their families.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home Structure
The “patient centered medical home” (PCMH) structure has become a central tenet of healthcare reform legislation and experimental payer projects for future reimbursement systems and incorporates the principles of our "E" Strategy. PCMH structures hold much promise for value-based purchasing desired by payers, including improved means of managing quality healthcare to thousands of patients in primary care practices, the integration of care and technology use at home for improved quality of life, and significant reduction in healthcare costs associated with chronic illness management.
We have already begun creating a PCMH structure through the initiation of a fully electronic medical record system at AGHS primary care practices. PCMH combines patient-focused principles with the integration of clinical professionals and IT under the supervision of primary care physicians. It will focus particularly on patients with chronic illnesses. Our strategic investment in this model will:
- Reduce acute crises associated with chronic illnesses.
- Help individuals achieve optimal health status.
- Reduce the stress of family caregivers in our community.
This will be of particular importance to our community because, according to the tri-county Community Health Assessment data, our population reports higher rates of diabetes, chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease and high cholesterol compared to national averages.
For more information about our "E" Strategy or how you can support our efforts through a Major Gift, please call Donna Pellinger at 410-641-9690 or email dpellinger@atlanticgeneral.org