Detroit-based Henry Ford Health has launched a nonprofit subsidiary dedicated to improving population health.
The health system said the new company, called Populance, will support doctors, hospitals and health plans by providing value-based care services designed to improve outcomes and enhance the patient experience while reducing cost. total attention.
Populance will offer a suite of population health management services, including care management, patient tracking and digital outreach tools, to help clinicians more effectively manage the care of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure and COPD. Services are becoming more valuable as more insurers adopt value-based care payment models, which compensate healthcare providers for the quality of care they provide, rather than the quantity of services that they provide.
“Healthcare consumers and employers continue to face the challenge of the cost of care,” Robin Damschroder, president of the values-based company and chief financial officer of Henry Ford Health, said in a statement. “However, despite increased spending nationwide, health outcomes have not improved for all populations in our communities. “The population helps identify and close these gaps in care.”
Since the early 2000s, Henry Ford Health and its nonprofit health insurance company subsidiary, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), have developed programs designed to help patients and members manage a variety of chronic conditions. The organization says Populance combines this expertise into a new organization. The health system was also an early proponent of value-based care, which many of these programs are designed to support.
“Because we know this population health management approach works (for our patients, our members, and our doctors), we want to make these services available to other doctors, health systems, and health plans to create healthier and more effective outcomes.” equitable in all the communities we serve,” Damschroder added.
Case management is a key component of population health solutions. Populance case managers monitor and ensure patients understand doctor’s instructions and adhere to care plans. For example, case managers make sure patients with diabetes have continuous glucose monitors, can understand the readings, and know how to use an insulin pump.
Population services are designed to reduce hospitalizations, readmissions and emergency room visits, while improving and maximizing the patient’s time at home. Uses health analytics to identify and close gaps in care for high-risk patients.
Christopher Stanley, MD, MBA, serves as President of Populance and joined the organization with more than 30 years of experience in health systems, physician groups and health plan organizations, including his most recent role as Chief Health Officer population at Sutter Health in Northern California.
“We have a unique opportunity to meet a critical community need like never before,” Stanley said in a statement. “The population is being born thanks to a health system that has been serving the people of Michigan for more than 100 years. Our team members are already deeply rooted in this community and so are our patients. We know these populations. Populance gathers information from doctors, hospitals and health plans, as well as patients themselves, allowing our nurses, social workers and other health professionals to help doctors meet the medical and social needs of members of the community. community that most need help.”
“Populance is one of the few organizations (both regionally and nationally) that can do this work at this scale,” Damschroder added. “We have the capabilities and are prepared to positively impact the health outcomes of everyone we serve, especially our most vulnerable populations.”
Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Populance has 150 team members currently caring for approximately 600,000 patients.
