CommunityHealthCenterNetwork (CHCN) recently received some exciting data from the Alameda Alliance for Health (AAH).  The data showed that our health centers performed significantly better than theAlliance’s other primary care providers in terms of the length of hospital stays and readmission rates for CompleteCare and Medi-Cal Seniors & Persons with Disabilities (SPD) members.  For example, for CompleteCare, our bed days per 1,000 were approximately half the rate of private physicians.  While this impressive data clearly shows the value of the community health center model, it doesn’t mean that we can’t do even better.

There are many changes on the horizon for health care, including the Affordable Healthcare Act coverage expansion in 2014 and the transition of Medi-Medi dual patients to managed care slated for 2013.  As we prepare for these changes, we need to continue to improve our performance, including care transitions from hospital-based care back to primary care.  This is also a key component of our strategic plan to preserve PPS funding.

CHCN will continue to experiment with fresh and innovative ways to improve the quality of care for our members and to make it easier for clinics to provide follow up care to those patients who have recently been discharged from a hospital stay.  For more details on our new Care Transitions program read this issue’s UM Corner written by Dr. Melissa Marshall, CHCN’s Chief Medical Officer.