Marshfield Clinic Chooses to Participate in CMS Project

MARSHFIELD, Wis., Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Having completed a highly successful five-year demonstration project during which it improved the quality of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries while decreasing costs, Marshfield Clinic has opted to join the other nine members of that recently-completed project to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its PGP Transition Demonstration Project.

The PGP Transition Demonstration Project, which will last for two years, will build upon the success of the PGP Group Demonstration Project. Like its predecessor, the transition project emphasizes improving value to Medicare beneficiaries by increasing quality of care, while decreasing the cost of that care. It also provides an additional opportunity for participating groups to generate shareable savings for the Medicare Trust Funds.

"Marshfield Clinic is pleased to continue its collaboration with CMS and the other nine sites on this demonstration project," said Dr. Theodore A. Praxel, medical director, Institute for Quality, Innovation & Patient Safety, Marshfield Clinic. "The groups have learned a great deal from each other during the five-year group demonstration, and that has been a valuable, pleasant, unexpected outcome."

For the PGP Transition Demonstration Project, the number of quality measures being reported is greater, as are the expectations for improving quality of care and reducing costs in order to earn shared savings. During the final year of the five-year demonstration, Marshfield Clinic earned a $15.8 million shared savings payment.

In the new project, additional quality measures focus on care for the frail elderly; hospital admissions and readmissions; transitions of care and care coordination; lifestyle measures concerning weight and tobacco use; and additional chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while continuing to address diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension and preventive services.

"Marshfield Clinic has been offered this opportunity to continue our work with CMS and the other participants to decrease costs while improving quality of care delivered," Praxel said. "Participation in this project allows us to start down this road a year or more ahead of the Accountable Care Organization legislation, with the option to move into the ACO model of care in the future."

The PGP Transition Demonstration Project agreement is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2011.

The Marshfield Clinic system provides patient care, research and education with 54 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin, making it one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States.

An electronic copy of this release can be found at http://marshfieldclinic.org/news

SOURCE Marshfield Clinic