The Camden (N.J.) Coalition of Healthcare Providers — a nonprofit started by Jeffrey Brenner, MD, to help improve heath for the most complex patients — plans to spread its unique approach to patient care by establishing a national center of excellence and house a scholar-in-residence for research.
The center will be funded with $8.7 million in grants from the AARP, The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"Across the country, innovators are developing new models of healthcare delivery that lower costs and improve care for patients who are overwhelmed by the challenges of navigating the complexity of the American healthcare system," Dr. Brenner, executive director of the Camden Coalition, said in a statement. "By developing a professional home for those who are involved in this rapidly growing field, we hope to bring disparate efforts together to improve the research base, share emerging ideas and inspire the next
generation of healthcare providers."
The Camden Coalition is known for its "hot-spotting" approach to patient care. Using data-driven methodologies, this approach identifies patients who cost hospitals the most and helps address "nonmedical" needs — such as addiction, housing, transportation, hunger, mental health and emotional and education support — that contribute to medical issues. Dr. Brenner developed this method after finding 20 percent of patients in Camden, N.J., accounted for 80 percent of hospital costs.
The early successes of the organization have spurred funding from RWJF, and now AARP and The Atlantic Philanthropies.
"We have a generation of work to do in order to address the mismatch between the healthcare system's service delivery model and the needs of patients with complex medical, behavioral and social needs," Dr. Brenner said in a statement. "With 85 million Baby Boomers in the midst of retiring and state budgets facing ever growing costs from Medicaid, it's crucial that we rethink our care delivery models for the sickest and most complex patients. We're building a new field and a movement for better care one patient and one community at a time."
More articles on population health:
Walking program allows patients to talk with a physician without a co-pay
USDA launches healthy eating challenge for National Nutrition Month
Proceeds from IU LaPorte Hospital sale will enhance residents' health