Medical Homes Offer New Model for Primary Care

Medical Homes Offer Comprehensive, Efficient Approach To Patient Care by Guy Boulton.  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  February 16, 2013.

In the patient-centered medical home concept the emphasis is on primary care and the primary care physician who provides coordination and continuity of care.  The usual emphasis in such a practice is on care for chronic diseases that account for a large portion of the nation's medical expenses.  Research indicates that states with more primary care physicians have lower costs and better outcomes than states with more specialists per capita.  The article provides an case study of the implementation of the concept at Froedtert Health Jackson Clinic with emphasis on the medical team including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

A Model for the Future of Medicine

Kaiser Permanente CEO on Saving Lives, Money.  USA Today. October 24, 2012.

In this interview with George Halvorson, chief executive of Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed care company and hospital in the nation, he offers his many interesting observations including:

*Because we are prepaid, we don't make our money by having care go wrong.

*Most of (our competitors)...don't get paid for prevention.

*We buy our surgeons by the month, not by the cut.  (Physicians at KP are on salary eliminating any possible incentive for unnecessary surgery).

*We need to stop rewarding the infrastructure of American health care for making mistakes.

Fascinating article about a firm that many view as a model for the future of U.S. medicine.