Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Thanks 'Pioneers' for Making Pennsylvania the National Leader on Chronic Care Management and Creating Patient-Centered Med...( PHILADELPHIA May 13 -- Governor....),Health

PHILADELPHIA, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today thanked a group of health care professionals and insurers for being the "pioneers" who helped launch his groundbreaking Prescription for Pennsylvania health care reform plan chronic care and patient-centered medical home initiative. The initiative helps primary care providers improve the care and health of all Pennsylvanians, especially those with chronic diseases, and has the potential to save the state's health care system billions of dollars once it is implemented statewide.

"Tonight, I am here to thank you on behalf of the approximately 15,000 adult patients with diabetes and 12,000 pediatric patients with asthma, who are your patients and policyholders, for the many improvements you are making and helping them make in their lives," Governor Rendell said.

The Governor's remarks tonight were to those in southeastern Pennsylvania who were the first to commit to the program in May 2008. The program combined the Wagner chronic care model with the patient-centered medical home model, initially concentrated on diabetes and pediatric asthma. It is being implemented statewide in stages and will eventually cover all chronic diseases.

"The data is starting to come in and the results are impressive. Your diabetic patients are taking control of their own care -- the number with self-management goals has increased 195 percent in one year since you began the chronic care initiative. There has been a 71 percent increase in the number of people getting eye exams and a 142 percent increase in the number getting annual foot exams. The number who has lowered their cholesterol below 130 had increased by 43 percent and their blood pressure below 140/90 by 25 percent. All of these improvements mean healthier Pennsylvanians.

"It is exactly the results we envisioned when we included Dr. Ed Wagner's chronic care model i
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