Hudson Valley Health Leaders Explore Lessons Learned in Pay-for-Performance Program That Rewards Patient Care Value Over Volume

Paul Kaye, MD and THINC's Susan Stuard will present "Aligning Incentives: Paying Providers for Health Care Value" at June 23 HIN webinar

FISHKILL, N.Y., June 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fee-for-service medicine typically rewards doctors for volume—the number of patients seen, the number of procedures completed—over value—efficiently delivered, coordinated, high quality care. A new webinar featuring two Hudson Valley Initiative team members will explore a Hudson Valley, NY program that is designed to reward the value of physician and physician-led teams to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care.

Aligning Incentives: Paying Providers for Health Care Value will be presented June 23, 2010 from 1:30 to 2:15 ET. It is part of a series by Healthcare Intelligence Network spotlighting health leaders focused on improving physician performance through meaningful use of electronic health information.  Presenters for the webinar are Paul Kaye, MD, medical director for Taconic IPA and Hudson River HealthCare, and Susan Stuard, executive director of the Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC).  

"New payment designs are being evaluated nationwide that allow physicians to share in savings from reduced hospitalizations and better health outcomes," Stuard said.  "The idea is to redesign care so it is better coordinated across the health care continuum, with a patient-centered focus.  To make that ideal system sustainable, we need health care financing to be restructured in a way that maximizes value."

In 2009, Stuard and Kaye played vital roles in a Hudson Valley project that assisted 237 physicians in 11 practices to meet National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level 3 patient-centered medical home recognition status.  The successful programs participated in a bonus program, funded by six health plans and major employer IBM, for meeting the pay-for-performance goal. In 2010, the project has set care coordination goals for the practices to qualify for the bonus payments.

"Physician practice transformation is an ongoing process," Kaye said.  "We work with practices large and small, with varying levels of need for assistance and support to transform to a patient-centered model.  Our goal is to make patient experiences with health care better while demonstrating improved health outcomes. To do that, providers need to be supported by a sustainable financial model that lowers cost and enhances quality."

Kaye has been a pediatrician for 30 years. He has been the medical director of a community health center network that serves over 50,000 patients at 14 sites. Since 1998, Hudson River HealthCare has worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Bureau of Primary Health Care to implement new models of care delivery, using clinical information systems to guide improvements in health.  With TIPA, Kaye leads the TIPA Medical Council and is developing a care coordination training module for members who have transformed their practices to become NCQA-recognized Level 3 medical homes. He also serves as board member and treasurer for Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC).

Kaye is co-chair of the Pay for Performance and Medical Homes Workgroup of the National Association of Community Health Centers.  He is the chair of the Clinical Committee of CHCANYS, the Community Health Care Association of New York State.  He represents the National Association of Community Health Centers on the AQA Alliance.  He is currently serving on the Technical Advisory Panel for the Commonwealth Fund's Transforming Safety Net Clinics into Medical Homes project.

Stuard leads THINC, the not-for-profit convening organization that establishes research-based criteria to enhance health care quality and value in the Hudson Valley.  The organization uses its active leadership board and market leverage to advance accountable, patient-centered delivery models. She works with a multi-stakeholder board, research teams and more than 60 community leaders to champion and implement a pay-for-performance program, quality improvement and health system transformation.  THINC sponsors the Hudson Valley Health Information Exchange and an EHR adoption program. Stuard is an expert voice serving on the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Accountable Care Organization Task Force, which is working to develop a consensus for ACOs qualifying and monitoring criteria.

The webinar will outline the steps taken to recruit practices, training and support that is offered, and will detail the results and lessons learned.

For more information or to register for the webinar, go to: http://store.hin.com/product.asp?itemid=4055

About the Hudson Valley Initiative

The Hudson Valley Initiative is an effort among three organizations—Taconic IPA, Taconic Health Information Network and Community and MedAllies—to revolutionize health care delivery through a shared vision to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care in the community. These three organizations leverage health information technology, physician practice transformation and value-based purchasing in pursuit of care delivery that is patient-centered, coordinated, accessible, high quality, and efficiently delivered through sustainable financial models. To learn more, go to www.hudsonvalleyinitiative.com.

SOURCE Hudson Valley Initiative