America’s Essential Hospitals, whose 300 members serve low-income and other underserved people, recently recognized four member hospitals for their work to improve the quality of health care and population health.
The 2024 Quality Improvement Award went to Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare, which launched the Healing and Opportunities with Psychotic Experiences (HOPE) Program in 2016 to provide early intervention for patients ages 15 to 40 experiencing an illness on the schizophrenia spectrum. An interdisciplinary team provides evidence-based treatment.
Since 2016, HOPE has treated 329 patients. The reduction in symptom severity from the time of enrollment to the time of discharge increased from 60 percent in 2021 to 65 percent in 2023.
“This recognition means the rest of the country will see the HOPE program deliver targeted team-based interventions to patients experiencing a schizophrenia spectrum illness,” Jennifer DeCubellis, MA, CEO of Hennepin Healthcare, said in a statement. “This is an urgent need today, and I hope that other health systems and communities can learn from how we help individuals and families cope effectively and successfully navigate the path to recovery – in essence, creating HOPE”.
Population Health Award
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been named a 2024 Gage Award winner for population health. He was recognized for his work to address social determinants of health and improve birth equity in underserved neighborhoods in Washington, DC, specifically Wards 7 and 8.
The Gage Award for Population Health recognizes programs that aim to improve specific health outcomes for a defined population or community by addressing the social and economic factors that influence health. The award, named after America’s Essential Hospitals founder Larry Gage, honors and shares successful and creative hospital programs of its members that improve patient care and meet community needs.
Women and Infant Services (WIS) at MedStar Washington Hospital Center seeks to increase early interventions for adverse social determinants of health, decrease the number of patients experiencing birth complications, and mitigate risk factors associated with mortality rates highest in Washington, DC. In high-majority Wards 7 and 8, where infant mortality rates are double the city average, MedStar Health launched preliminary efforts, including preconception health screenings and prenatal social needs screenings.
WIS has seen a clear increase in patient access to interdisciplinary services, leading to improved health outcomes. The rate of babies born with very low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams) decreased by more than 15 percent, and the rate of babies with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) decreased by more than 7 percent.
“We are honored and grateful to be recognized for the incredible work our team does every day for mothers and their families through our Safe Babies Safe Moms program,” said Gregory J. Argyros, MD, president of MedStar Washington Hospital. Center, in a statement. . “Our work is very important and we are seeing notable results. “We are committed to continuing this important program to provide our patients with the safest, highest quality care.”
Honorable Mention
Honorable mention for the quality award went to Houston-based Harris Health. To help patients find the right care in the right place and improve performance and safety, Harris Health leveraged the Multiple Visit Patient Method (MVP) in 2020. This program pairs MVPs, defined as patients with 10 or more emergency department (ED) visits in the past year, with community health workers in the ED to identify the root cause of frequent visits and connect them with necessary care and community resources.
In three years, MVP’s annual ED visit count decreased by 23.2 percent and total length of stay hours decreased by 36 percent. The MVP team reunited at least 10 patients with their families, obtained routine dialysis treatment for 26 patients with end-stage renal disease, connected 15 patients with substance use disorder to rehabilitation services, and helped 22 patients receive housing .
“Receiving this award is a tremendous recognition of the success of our program,” said Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health, in a statement. “We see it in the reduction of patients who no longer use our emergency centers for non-emergent social needs. “We also see it in the better healthcare outcomes and better quality of life for our patients.”
An honorable mention for population health went to UTMB Health, in Galveston, Texas, which launched its Community Health Program (CHP) in 2007 to provide community care and condition management services to adults with chronic conditions, including diabetes , hypertension and heart disease. , in Galveston and Brazoria counties, which face higher poverty and uninsured rates.
Five geographically distributed teams are each comprised of a care manager, a community health worker and a social worker. Teams assess patients at home and then develop a patient-centered care plan.
For a cohort of 28 patients, CHP enrollment for 12 months led to an 83 percent decrease in hospitalizations and a 95 percent decrease in emergency department visits. Participants’ hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure values decreased. Compared to a control group of patients not enrolled in the program, CHP enrollment reduced system costs by 24 percent.
“The UTMB Community Health Program has been a vital part of providing care to many patients who need post-discharge assistance and, in some cases, has proven to be an alternative to hospitalization,” said Craig Kovacevich, MA, associate vice president, alternative models of care, in a statement. “What has made the CHP team so successful is the many years of combined experience with medical and social drivers of healthcare. As such, CHP has been recognized as a model that can be used in many different ways to help the organization and the patients we serve achieve the best possible outcomes.”
