Colorado Business Group on Health Expands Bridges to Excellence Physician Recognition and Rewar...( Number of doctors grows to more t...),Health

Number of doctors grows to more than 170 and three large employers join with addition of Centura Health, the Public Employees' Retirement Association and the State of Colorado

DENVER, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its first two years, efforts to improve the quality of care for patients with diabetes and cardiac disease have grown significantly throughout Colorado. Led by the Colorado Business Group on Health, Bridges to Excellence is a physician incentive program that rewards doctors who provide top quality care for patients. The program has grown to more than 170 doctors, four health plans, eight employers and now includes the Front Range region of Colorado.

"The success of BTE in Colorado is part of a growing trend of public and private payers working together to drive health system improvement," said Donna Marshall, executive director of CBGH, which works to improve the value and quality of health care. "This effort started as a pilot in 2006 with the El Paso County Medical Society and Mountain View Medical Group in Colorado Springs and we're pleased to announce the participation of Centura Health, the Public Employees' Retirement Association and the State of Colorado."

For the first half of 2008, more than $20,000 in incentives have been paid by employers and health plans to 24 physicians who have met quality standards monitored by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for providing care to patients in the Denver and Colorado Springs regions. Total rewards paid to date are more than $35,000. Focus has also been expanded beyond diabetes to include cardiac care.

"We fully support the Bridges to Excellence efforts, with 15 of our practices qualifying," said Jay Krakovitz MD, and chief medical officer of Physician Health Partners. "This program fits with our philosophy to pair up the primary care physician and the chronic disease patient to increase the likelihood of a better outcome."

BTE CEO Francois
'/>"/>