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Health System Takes Proactive Approach to Economic Challenges and Health Reform Legislation

CaroMont Health, Sg2 and GE Healthcare announced plans to develop and launch several new health delivery initiatives. Difficult economic conditions and today's high cost of health care are challenging the purchasers, payers, and providers of health care to develop new, innovative, and value-based care delivery models.

CaroMont's first initiative will begin by the end of 2010 and will be a bundled payment pilot designed to provide quality care at competitive pricing, improve care coordination, and align hospitals and physicians on cost savings incentives. To ensure a value-based approach, CaroMont Health will partner with local employers and payers to institute cost-effective payments that cover both hospital and physician fees for a full episode of care. The current system of fee for service, fragmented care and complex billing will be replaced with a population-focused and transparent model. The pilot will cover a range of CaroMont Health's most recognized services, and outcomes will be regularly tracked to measure program success.

In order to successfully implement this pilot and future initiatives, CaroMont Health has teamed up with Sg2, a future-focused health care information company, and GE Healthcare Performance Solutions, GE's team focused on helping enable healthcare providers to deliver safer, more efficient patient care. Through reform-ready analytics, the Sg2 INSIGHT Clinical Performance Management System will track key metrics -- including potentially avoidable admissions and 30-day readmissions -- and identify specific areas of improvement to help CaroMont Health enhance clinical integration and physician alignment across the care continuum. GE Healthcare's team will then help implement these performance recommendations through process optimization, work flow and quality improvement. "This collaborative effort between CaroMont Health, GE and Sg2 will ultimately help CaroMont lead in developing innovative patient and community-focused care delivery models," said Mark Vachon, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Americas.

"We are passionate about expanding care delivery beyond the acute care center," said CaroMont Health President and CEO Valinda Rutledge. "This bundled payment pilot allows improved care coordination across the full continuum, which includes our community-based partners. Our vision is to be a nationally recognized leader and valued health care provider to the communities we serve, and we feel this is a step in the right direction."

"CaroMont Health understands the provider of the future must demonstrate value through the coordination of patient needs, clinical decisions, operations and logistics, along all inpatient and outpatient care sites," said Sg2 Chairman and CEO Michael Sachs. "With Sg2's analytics and GE's process optimization, this pilot will help CaroMont Health ensure effective use of resources, superior clinical outcomes, cost-effective care and, ultimately, a better patient experience."

Source: Sg2; CaroMont Health