Coalition Case Studies

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Discern, LLC

1501 Sulgrave Avenue, Suite 302

Baltimore, Maryland 21209

(410) 542-4470 phone

(410) 542-9990 fax

COALITION SERVICES

Health care is local, and many of the most innovative efforts to improve the health care system are being led by health care coalitions working at the community level. Discern is proud to have worked with a number of coalitions to design and implement value-based purchasing programs, and welcomes the opportunity to work with more coalitions. We understand the challenges and opportunities community-based coalitions face. Click here for descriptions of some of Discern’s coalition-focused projects.

Please contact us to discuss how we can work with your coalition to improve health care. Whether your coalition is in the initial stages of a project, needs assistance with a specific task, or would like to administer a program from start to finish, Discern can help you to execute a seamless process at any stage of development. We hope you’ll give us the opportunity to put our team to work.

Discern’s specific service offerings of interest to coalitions include:

Strategic Planning

· Situation and organizational analysis

· Opportunity analysis

· Strategic plan development

· Market, industry and coalition research

Program Design and Analysis

· Determining best practices

· Identifying funding opportunities

· Creating financial decision and measurement tools

· Statistical testing and evaluation

· Designing rewards systems and value-based purchasing measures

· Developing quality and accreditation standards

Program Implementation and Evaluation

· Developing implementation plan and toolkits

· Creating outreach and communications materials

· Networking with stakeholders

· Ongoing project management, idea development and evaluation

COALITION CASE STUDIES

Bridges to Excellence: Colorado

In 2006, Discern began working with the Colorado Business Group on Health to implement the Bridges to Excellence (BTE) Diabetes Care Link program in Colorado Springs. Discern assisted with program promotion and marketing to potential employers, marketing materials development and outreach, and strategic program planning. As BTE gained momentum in Colorado Springs, the coalition decided to expand its efforts statewide. With Discern’s help, the Colorado Business Group on Health successfully expanded the program to the Denver Metro area and added the Cardiac Care Link program to its program roster. Today, there are about 250 BTE-recognized physicians in the area, with almost $34,000 paid in rewards – a testament to the program’s success and dedication to improvements in health care quality. For more information, visit www.bridgestoexcellence.org.

Bridges to Excellence: Arkansas

Discern worked with The Employers’ Health Coalition of Arkansas in 2006 to implement three Bridges to Excellence programs in the Fort Smith area. Through strategic program planning, the Discern team helped increase physician participation in BTE’s Diabetes Care Link program. Discern also assisted with program logistics, including identifying claims data requirements, collecting and evaluating data, and developing a financial tool to determine physician fee schedule increases. More than ten physicians and several employers in the Fort Smith area participate in these programs today, and the coalition continues to recruit additional participants. For more information, visit www.bridgestoexcellence.org.

HealthMapRx®: Maryland

In January 2008, in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Business Group on Health, Discern managed the implementation of HealthMapRx™, an educational patient self-management program, at an international chemical and materials company based in Maryland. With Discern’s assistance, the company launched HealthMapRx® at three of its plant locations in Maryland that encompass about 2,500 covered lives. Discern helped the company rollout the program successfully during a three-month timeframe. Discern served as the project manager, marketing developer, communication coordinator and promotions leader, developing newsletters, news releases, presentations and e-mail announcements for the company and its employees. The company has already seen many successes with HealthMapRx™, with about 50 percent of its targeted population currently enrolled in the program and company plans to launch HealthMapRx™ at additional locations in Chicago and Tennessee. For more information, visit www.healthmaprx.org.