Doctors Receive Bonuses for Providing Optimal Care to Patients Through Bridges to ...( BTE announces Massachusetts program e...),Health

BTE announces Massachusetts program enhancements to make it easier for physicians to participate

BOSTON, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, Bridges to Excellence (BTE), the nation's largest effort to measure and reward physicians for delivering high-quality care, will pay bonuses to recognized doctors in Massachusetts. Rewards paid to-date in the Commonwealth total more than $2.5 million. The BTE programs in Massachusetts have enabled more than 1,000 physicians to make significant improvements in their systems and processes, with approximately 240 doctors recognized with rewards in 2008.

"BTE has provided direction and focus for our physicians' efforts to redesign their practices and improve their care for several years now," said Thomas H. Lee, MD, Network President for Partners Healthcare System. "The criteria for certification provide the direction, and the financial rewards provide the focus."

Research shows BTE-recognized doctors provide better quality and more efficient care

A recent study published in the October issue of The American Journal of Managed Care* demonstrates that BTE-recognized primary care physicians in Massachusetts provide better quality of care at a comparatively lower overall cost than their non-recognized peers. This research looked at physicians that had transformed their practices using good systems and were actively managing their patients, and found that inpatient stays were lower across all patients as evaluation and management increased.

Key to the success of this effort which started in Massachusetts is the participation and collaboration of physicians including the Lahey Clinic and Partners Healthcare System, employers, AstraZeneca, EMC, GE, IBM, Raytheon, and Verizon, and health plans, including BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts and Tufts Health Plan.

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