Patient-Centered Medical Homes Can Improve Care, Reduce Costs; Independence Blue Cross Medical Executive Discusses Innovative PA Program With Nation's Health Care Pol...( Talk at National Governors Associatio...),Health

Talk at National Governors Association Center meeting highlights IBC's participation in Governor Rendell's Chronic Care Initiative in southeastern PA

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross senior vice president of Health Services Richard Snyder, MD, yesterday showcased Pennsylvania's first Chronic Care Initiative to approximately 100 national health policy advisors at the National Governors Association Center meeting for Best Practices in New Orleans. Launched last May in southeastern Pennsylvania, the initiative seeks to enhance and personalize the way primary care physicians practice medicine, and improve not only their patients' experiences, but also their health.

The program combines features of the "chronic-care model" and also the "patient-centered medical home". Both build upon basic health care management techniques such as:

• ensuring that patients are seen when they need to be seen;
• educating patients more carefully and completely about their conditions;
• helping patients better care for their illness;
• facilitating more open and frequent communications between patient and physician using secure emails and telephone calls.

The medical home model goes a step further with the use of electronic medical records, high-tech patient scheduling systems, electronic prescribing, and a coordinated team approach at the primary care doctor's office -- all in the interest of improving patient care. The model is also dependant upon the use of nationally recognized quality measures as the key to better quality health outcomes.

Dr. Snyder and others gathered to address the challenges facing the U.S. health care system, particularly among primary care physicians, and to share the benefits of the medical home as a major part of the solution. Dr. Snyder explained how different stakeh
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