FEBRUARY 2008 ISSUE

SWNG conducts mid-term assessment

The Safety Net Working Group (SNWG) met on February 7th to complete a six month mid-term assessment and determine whether the initiatives currently underway continue to be the top priorities for the group. The group developed a wish list for clinics that will be refined into key priorities for the group and help guide changes to the SNWG administrative structure. More>

Subcommittee highlights from February:

	The Outcomes Committee discussed a variety of ways to identify the most important priorities, and suggested methods for adapting the current committee structure, including combining the Access to Care and Continuum of Care committees. More>
	The Provider Relations and Advocacy Committee received an update on the progress of analyzing Missouri Hospital Association emergency room data. The committee also discussed the updated list of priorities, focusing on the need for advocacy for coverage for the uninsured. More>
	The Access to Care Committee discussed the data analysis necessary to determine system capacity for the SNWG, including data on need, extent of need, capacity to meet need, and the nature of emergency room visits. The committee also reviewed the PATHWAYS Evaluation from the conference that took place in January. More>
	The Information Sharing and Technology Committee focused attention on developing a process to determine a Health Information Technology vision for the safety net community, reaching consensus on a framework to help gather critical information needed to develop this vision. More>

Chamber Health Council hosts Colleen O’ Toole

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Health Council sponsored a presentation by Colleen O’Toole PhD , CEO of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council on February 11. Dr. O’Toole shared information regarding the work of the council, which is composed primarily of hospitals in portions of three states — Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The organization focuses on three primary issues: improving the quality of care for patients; physical and financial access to care; and value and cost efficiency of care provided. More>

Medical Transportation Geographic Analysis

At the request of the Access to Care committee, Andrea Repinsky, MARC GIS specialist, analyzed medical transportation needs in the metro area using a data-mapping format that identifies geographic portions of the city that have critical medical transportation concerns. By analyzing and mapping transportation and population data, the areas of greatest need with limited transportation access can be identified. Jackson County was used as an example of the mapping format. Similar analyses of other counties in the metropolitan area should be available by March 1. More>

System Navigation Website and Guidebook

The Safety Net Working Group and the Cover the Uninsured Coalition will unveil an updated Health Resource Guide and a complementary, interactive website during the Cover the Uninsured Week on April 27th. The Resource Guide provides information about free and low-cost health care for individuals who are uninsured. The design phase of the complementary website, kchealthresource.org, is complete and Beta-testing will take place from March 7-14. Stakeholders may view the Web site and provide input to the contractor at one of two focus groups — March 12 or 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Mid-America Regional Council Conference Center, 600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Mo. Please contact Traci Rowland if you would like to attend either session. More>

Swope Health Services models an alternative to emergency room care

Swope Health Services opened the Swope Health Plaza Clinic at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City in March 2007. This partnership was developed to reduce inappropriate utilization of Saint Luke’s emergency room for non-emergent health care needs; provide primary care for non-emergency patients referred by Saint Luke’s staff to the Plaza Clinic for care; and provide patients the opportunity to establish Swope Health Services as their medical home.

In the first 11 months of operations, the clinic recorded 1,811 visits by 1,659 patients.
All patients, regardless of insurance status, were educated by Swope Health Plaza staff on appropriate emergency department utilization during the discharge process. This targeted education, combined with strict adherence to jointly developed operating procedures, resulted in only 4 percent of the patients returning to the emergency department for care two or more times during this initial year of operations. More>