Dr. Lynn Bradford, right, of MDwise, discusses the effort Franciscan St. Margaret Health put forth to again receive the MDwise award, prior to her presenting a $10,000 check to Michael Allen (center), Franciscan Alliance regional director of managed care, and Linda Thompson, hospital director of behavioral health, who accepted on behalf of Franciscan St. Margaret Health’s Behavorial Health Outpatient Center. Behavorial health staff members also attended and received credit for the honor from Allen.
HAMMOND | Franciscan St. Margaret Health’s Behavioral Health Outpatient Health Center, for the second consecutive year and the third time since 2009, has been honored by MDwise as a top provider in the coordination of care for patients following hospital discharge.
The effort earned a $10,000 award to the Outpatient Health Center that was presented during a celebration Sept. 7.
“For the second year in a row, St. Margaret Behavioral Health Outpatient Health Center is a top performer on the seven-day follow-up to inpatient hospitalization measure and is in our top five inpatient providers statewide,” said Dr. Lynn Bradford, of MDwise. “They are approaching the 90th percentile in their 2010 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set performance for their Medicaid population.”
MDwise is Indiana’s only not-for-profit managed health care company exclusively serving many of the state’s most underserved citizens – Hoosier children and adults who are uninsured or underinsured.
According to MDwise, the award represents the “hard work” of Franciscan St. Margaret Health’s behavioral health staff in the intake, utilization management and discharge planning departments. The staff tracks the admission, works with unit staff and coordinates with outpatient providers to make the appointments with outpatient behavioral health providers.
The staff also provides education to MDwise members on the importance of continuing their behavioral health care after discharge from the hospital.
Hospital president Tom Gryzbek said of the honor, “I am so proud of our staff and their dedication and excellent work, each and every day. They are great ambassadors of the mission and ministry of Franciscan Alliance.”
Added Mike Allen, Franciscan Alliance regional director of managed care, "Franciscan St. Margaret has long recognized that its commitment to the community and patients we serve extends well beyond its doorstep. This award is further evidence that we strive to achieve the best practices that patients require for the best possible outcomes. We are very proud to be recognized for this achievement, and we will continue to pursue the excellence that has distinguished St. Margaret and its dedicated employees and medical staff."
MDwise’s services are provided to more than 300,000 Hoosier Healthwise, Care Select and Healthy Indiana Plan members, in partnership with more than 1,400 primary medical providers and a statewide array of specialists, hospitals and other providers.
By providing a fully integrated network of hospitals, community health centers, physicians and ancillary providers, MDwise’s services offer a coordinated, comprehensive approach to managing the cost and utilization of Indiana’s health care services. For more information, visit www.MDwise.org.
About the award
The state of Indiana awards bonus monies to MDwise for high performance on the seven-day follow-up to inpatient hospitalization Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measure. MDwise in turn, as a state contractor for the Medicaid program, awards its top performing providers. Due to Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set submission timelines and Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning award timelines, performance awards typically are delayed from the measurement year when services were provided.
MDwise awarded its top five performing inpatient behavioral health providers, who had 20 or more inpatient discharges in 2010. MDwise also selected two of its most improved providers in the seven-day follow-up to inpatient hospitalization measure. St. Margaret Behavioral Health Outpatient Health Center achieved a performance score of 62.77 percent for 2010, with 94 MDwise member discharges. Also an increase was noted from 2009 performance of 58.33 percent. St. Margaret Behavioral Health Outpatient Health Center is just below the 90th percentile, which is the highest performance goal.