Rounds: Leaders Detail Care Coordination Strategies

A dual audience, some in attendance and others online, heard senior leaders from three exemplary health systems present detailed, diverse strategies for coordinating care and aligning reimbursement Thursday at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in LaCrosse, WI.

The live event, sponsored by HealthLeaders Media, featured these speakers:

• Jeff Thompson, MD, Gunderson
• Marilu Bints, MD; Gundersen
• Deb Rislow, RN, MBA Gundersen
• Dave Moen, MD, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis
• Marsha Vollbrecht, RN, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution, the speakers emphasized, but it's important to begin the process of transformation now or risk being left behind as reimbursement strategies shift from fee-for-service to reimbursement based on quality and value. They each identified different tools that put the focus on value rather than volume.

 Rounds Webcast:  Coordinating Systems of Care Order today.

Aim for High-Quality, Low-Cost Care

Thompson, CEO of Gundersen, spoke about innovative programs to bring high-value care to patients regardless of their reimbursement source as a strategy to prepare for greater accountability in healthcare in the future.

For instance, Gundersen, a fully integrated system, has nonetheless created a comprehensive heart attack program that links several providers that are not part of the Gundersen network. Thompson stressed modifying metrics, such as door-to-balloon time, from using Gundersen's "front door" to the front doors of all its partners.