Four hospital systems in Delaware have formed a statewide strategic partnership known as eBrightHealth.
Participants are:
- Bayhealth
- Beebe Healthcare
- Christiana Care Health System
- Nanticoke Health Services
eBrightHealth builds on the foundation and strengths of the statewide Quality Partners Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Medicare Shared Saving Program that got under way in January.
The ACO comprises the eBrightHealth hospitals and more than 200 primary care providers throughout the state who are employed by the hospitals or are in community-based practices.
While the ACO is focused on Medicare populations, this alliance will “allow us to apply the same care transformation strategies across other populations,” a release stated.
Delaware has been affected by high health care costs and a high prevalence of chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes and obesity. A lack of competition and a lack of collaboration among the state’s non-profit health systems have also been cited by some critics.
Named for Ebright Road, the highest geographic point in the state, eBrightHealth aims to share best practices and innovations to raise the quality of care, according to a release.
The lower case can also denote the use of technology Delaware has pioneered the use of electronic health records as other states, such as Pennsylvania, have struggled with that area.
By sharing population health strategies such as clinical pathways, the partner systems can reduce unnecessary variation in care, which heightens the quality and patient experience of care while reducing the cost of care, a release stated.
For example, Christiana Care introduced a clinical pathway for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using evidence-based best practices.
In six months, a key quality indicator – readmission to the hospital within 30 days of discharge – dropped from 28 percent to 18 percent. Sharing the COPD practices through the eBrightHealth partnership could amount to improvements in health care statewide, the release added.
“Quite simply, eBrightHealth is the future of health care,” said Terry Murphy, FACHE, president and CEO of Bayhealth. “The alliance will result in four cutting-edge health systems working together to identify and create strategies to provide the highest quality care to all Delawareans.”
Among the innovations eBrightHealth will initially focus on are the following:
[- Employee health plan care coordination for the partner systems.
– Clinical initiatives that create transformation in care delivery, such as reducing unnecessary use of the emergency department, improving primary care office workflow and implementing programs supporting end-of-life concerns.
– Laboratory and imaging services that focus on opportunities implementing recommendations from the national “Choosing Wisely” campaign to avoid wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures that will promote better care and higher efficiencies.
– Information Technology enhancements focusing on health information exchanges.
– Group purchasing arrangements to share risks and lower costs.
Under the alliance, each of the health systems in the eBrightHealth partnership maintains its operating independence and all services.
“This coalition represents a new chapter that will propel us to further our efforts to transform health care delivery and achieve even greater efficiencies throughout the state,” said Jeffrey M. Fried, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare.
Addressing population health is a chief goal of eBrightHealth that will facilitate care coordination for Delawareans with specific diseases.
“By joining together in this innovative partnership, we will enable Delaware to take its next big step into population health and create value for our community in ways that are meaningful to Delawareans,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of Christiana Care Health System.
Population health efforts at the four partner health systems will continue to focus on improving health outcomes of groups of individuals with chronic conditions that present higher levels of health risk and health costs, such as those with COPD, diabetes, asthma or heart failure.
“We’ll be working together on several initiatives to offer a more patient-centered, value-oriented, technology-driven and simpler model of care that builds on many of our strengths and ongoing innovations,” said Steven A. Rose, CEO of Nanticoke Health Services.
Governance of eBrightHealth consists of a Board of Managers that includes the Board Chair and CEO from each participating system. The eBrightHealth chair and CEO will be a rotating position starting with Steven Rose of Nanticoke. Other governance structures are Executive and Development Committees to review and identify initiatives.
Not in the alliance are St. Francis Hospital Hospital and Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
