SNI: Email Bulletin July 20, 2006

Patient Visit Redesign Work Approaches Tipping Point

Spread Collaborative Update

The SNI Patient Visit Redesign Spread Collaborative, where systems who participated in clinic redesign in 2005 are using their internal staff experts to redesign 10 more clinics across these systems, has achieved astounding results very early in the redesign process: The average cycle time from the first 7 redesign tests was 48 minutes, and the average productivity was 2.93 patients per hour. And they are still hard at work.

12 CAPH Clinics to Participate in New Patient Visit Redesign Collaborative

The new SNI Patient Visit Redesign Collaborative with Coleman Associates is up and running as of this week. Twelve clinics from CAPH hospitals will participate for the first time in making dramatic improvements to their delivery of ambulatory care. These 12 clinics bring the total number of CAPH clinics to do redesign to 35. See the full list of systems and clinics here.

Recent ED Study Debunks Myth

Areas with Greatest Numbers of Uninsured, Latino, and Immigrant Residents have Lowest Rates of ED Use

A recent study, What Accounts For Differences In The Use Of Hospital Emergency Departments Across U.S. Communities?, debunks the myth that immigrants and the poor are to be blamed for the rise in the number of emergency room visits that have occurred nationally. This study analyzed emergency room use in 12 communities around the country and found that the areas with the greatest numbers of uninsured, Latino, and immigrant residents actually had the lowest rates of use.

Click here for more information.

Senate Bill 1405 Passed in State Senate

Proposed State Task Force on Reimbursement for Language Services

Senate Bill 1405, which would create a Task Force on Reimbursement for Language Services, has passed the state senate. The task force would convene to develop a system in which federal dollars would match state funds in paying for language assistance services to LEP beneficiaries and enrollees in the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs. The bill now stands in Assembly Appropriations, and a final vote on the Senate floor is scheduled to take place between August 7^th-30^th. SB 1405 was originally introduced by State Senator Soto and coauthored by Assembly Member Yee.

Pay-for-Performance and Chronic Disease Care

Chronic Disease Management, Quality of Care, and the Movement for P4P and Public Reporting

Through participation in the Medicare demonstration project on pay-for-performance , and a simultaneous public reporting process, Minnesota clinics have dramatically improved the care of diabetic patients. Click here to read the full article.