HJBR May/Jun 2019

Driving Down Costs 18 MAY / JUN 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of baton rouge   S tacy Weaver felt a steady decline in her health after her spouse died almost five years ago. Her weight increased to 364 pounds, her blood sugar levels climbed, and pains in her chest prompted three emergency room visits. With Louisiana’s high rates of obesity, kidney disease, and diabetes, Weaver was one of thousands of patients with increased risks for disability and early death. “Chronic disease has become the epidemic of our time,” said Aimee Quirk, CEO of innova- tionOchsner, an innovation lab founded by Ochsner Health System. Quirk estimated that, “86 percent of healthcare costs and 75 percent of deaths are fromchronic diseases.” Fortunately, healthcare providers have invested in a number of innovative solutions that improve patient engagement and out- comes for patients likeWeaver, while reduc- ing total cost of care. Improving Care Models Weaver’s dramatic improvement started when she described her problems to her daughter’s physician, Kenny Cole, MD. “Here I amnot taking care of myself,”she said, “and my daughter’s worried about me because she lost a parent and doesn’t want to lose another one.” As Chief Clinical Transformation Officer for Baton Rouge General (BRG), Dr. Cole invitedWeaver to become his patient at the Comprehensive Care Clinic he designed for Weaver’s coworkers at BRG. After introduc- ing Weaver to the clinic’s employed dieti- cian and behavioral therapist, he asked her to specify her own care goals, and the whole team worked with her to achieve them. “I’m not in it alone; they saved my life,” Weaver said, reporting that her weight has since dropped to 208 pounds and that her diabetes is nowwell controlled. “I was able to get off my blood pressure pill. I savedmoney frommy prescriptions. My kidneys are fine again. I can do things now. My daughter can actually put her arms around me.” By helping patients like Weaver, Dr. Cole said his care team reduced hospitalizations for health system employees by 30 percent, and lowered their total cost of care by 20 percent. He said achieving up to 90 per- cent of control among diabetic patients at his clinic could only be done by “building a collaborative, trusting relationship with a patient,”and “by redesigning the caremodel” to include the additional counselors who helpedWeaver. “By helping patients like Weaver, Dr. Cole said his care team reduced hospitalizations for health system employees by 30 percent, and lowered their total cost of care by 20 percent.” Aimee Quirk Kenny Cole, MD “86 percent of healthcare costs and 75 percent of deaths are from chronic diseases..” —Aimee Quirk, CEO of innovationOchsner Stacy Weaver