Health Care Leaders Launch Comprehensive Database Essential to Optimizing Health Care Delivery Teams' Roles

CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With millions of new patients entering the health care system, hospital leaders across the nation are challenged  with navigating the changing delivery landscape under the Affordable Care Act, while developing new ways to provide quality patient care.  In response to this growing need, UHC and the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) announce the launch of the Center for Advancing Provider Practices (CAP2), the first comprehensive database designed exclusively to help providers nationwide optimize the use of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) in their organizations.

Cited as a best practice by The Joint Commission and The Advisory Board, CAP2 features organizational assessments, benchmarking reports, and several comprehensive toolkits to help participants maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of their care teams.

"More and more institutions across the nation are adding APRNs and PAs to their provider teams, but are often challenged on how to optimally use these roles," said Trish Anen, RN, MBA, MCHC Vice President, Clinical Services. "This one-of-a-kind, interactive website provides the management tools necessary to help hospitals and health systems benchmark against industry leaders, and build the infrastructure necessary to successfully integrate, optimize and engage all members of the provider team to better serve patients."

Data provided by more than 130 participating institutions from 25 states demonstrates how more than 19,000 APRNs and PAs are deployed in 50 specialty areas in various care team models.

"As a former Chief Nursing Executive and now Chief Operating Officer, I know that providing access to care for the growing patient population will depend on the successful integration of APRNs and PAs into the delivery teams," said Barbara Weber, MSN, MBA, MHRM, RN, FACHE, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Chief Operating Officer. "By defining the capabilities and privileges of APRNs and PAs, CAP2 helps physicians, advanced practitioners and nurses work as a cohesive unit, resulting in reduced lengths of stay, improved patient safety and an overall increase of value-driven care.  CAP2 is a vital resource for hospital leadership as we move into this new era in health care."

CAP2's wide-ranging database reduces administrative and compliance requirements and costs while increasing employee satisfaction and productivity.

"As we transition to a value-based health care delivery system, it is critical that providers fully leverage the knowledge and skills of their APRNs and PAs in order to meet the demand for quality, safe and efficient care," explains Deb McElroy, UHC Senior Director, Nursing Leadership.  "This national collaborative with MCHC fills a growing need for comparative data and insights, and will make a meaningful difference in the way provider teams are managed and structured."

Visit www.cap2.net for more information.

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UHC is an alliance of the nation's leading nonprofit academic medical centers, which are focused on delivering world-class patient care.

MCHC is a membership and service association comprising more than 170 hospitals and health care organizations to improve the delivery of health care services.

SOURCE Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council