System is One of Six to Participate in National Program
ThedaCare is one of six organizations selected to participate in Transforming Complex Care (TCC), a multi-site program aimed at refining and spreading effective care that address the complex medical and social needs of high-need, high-cost patients.
This national initiative, made possible through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), supports ThedaCare and five other healthcare organizations to enhance existing complex care programs within a diverse range of delivery system, payment and geographic environments.
“It’s a great honor and very exciting for ThedaCare and Northeast Wisconsin to be selected for this program and to receive a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,” said Sandra Groenewold, MD, a family medicine physician with ThedaCare Physicians and physician lead of the local program. “The grant will allow us to work with Gold Cross Ambulance to help decrease unnecessary Emergency Department visits and to check up on certain patients to help reduce their need for hospitalization.”
Healthcare policymakers, payers and providers recognize the need for integrated care programs for patients with complex needs, or people who account for disproportionate healthcare costs. They often have many medical, mental health and substance use treatment needs and face social and economic challenges that also complicate their health outcomes, said Allison Hamblin, MSPH, vice president of strategic planning at CHCS.
“Healthcare providers and health systems across the country are looking to implement complex care models based on emerging best practices,” she said. “Transforming Complex Care will enable leading health organizations to more effectively address the social determinants of health for high-need, high-cost patients, and will offer lessons for replication that maximize existing community strengths.”
ThedaCare was competitively selected to participate in the initiative, along with five other sites intentionally drawn from small- to mid-sized cities. Each will receive funding support and participate in a learning collaborative offering 1:1 and group technical assistance, peer exchange and tools. In addition to ThedaCare, other places selected include AccessHealth Spartanburg in South Carolina; Mountain Pacific Quality Health Foundation in Montana; OneCare Vermont in Vermont.; Redwood Community Health Coalition in California.; and VCU Health System in Virginia. Over the next two years, the participants will refine strategies across six key areas for improving care including: care model enhancements; data and analytics; workforce development; financing and accountability; governance and operations; and policy and advocacy. As the program progresses, CHCS will share lessons and tools from the sites’ experiences.
“Caring for patients with complex needs requires innovative programs that go beyond medical issues to address unmet social needs,” said David Adler, MPA, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “The Transforming Complex Care sites will support a culture of health by building the evidence base on improving care for high-need, high-cost patients.” About the Center for Health Care Strategies The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit policy center dedicated to improving the health of low-income Americans, especially for individuals with complex, high-cost needs. CHCS works with state and federal agencies, health plans, providers, and consumer groups to advance innovative and cost-effective models for organizing, financing, and delivering health care services. For more information, visit www.chcs.org.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working with others to build a national Culture of Health enabling everyone in America to live longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.
About ThedaCare
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 7,000 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 34 clinics in nine counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February.
