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From Our Experts
CHA's HEN Results Show Patient Safety Improvements 
By: Katie Lewandowski, MPH
Project Director, Colorado Hospital Association 
Colorado hospitals and health systems, participating in a three-year quality improvement project led by CHA, prevented 2,800 patient harms for an estimated cost savings of $14.8 million. The improvements, made by Colorado hospitals participating in CHA's Hospital Engagement Network (HEN), mean patients treated in those facilities are less likely than they were before to develop an infection from surgery, be injured in a fall, experience a medication error or have to return to the hospital for additional care within 30 days. 
Neighborhood Leaders in Change
Circumventing Circumstances: 
Aurora Health Access
By: Stephanie Spriggs
Program Assistant, CIVHC
Originally featured in the February Voices on Value

Social determinants of health, as defined by the World Health Organization, "are the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness." Historically, those with more means have better care, and therefore better health. Aurora Health Access (AHA) is working to circumvent these factors and ensure that all members of the community have access to health care, regardless of economic standing.
In The News
Report: Patient Safety is Improving in Colorado Hospitals

A patient safety campaign headed up by the Colorado Hospital Association helped almost 3,000 hospital patients in Colorado avoid problems ranging from infections after surgery to medication mistakes. The campaign prevented harm to a patient in an estimated 2,800 cases, saving nearly $15 million. Nationally, the campaign resulted in 50,000 fewer deaths and a $12 billion savings.

Full Article 

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Frail, Frightened, and Forgotten: Our Fate Unless We Change It
By Alice Bonner, Joanne Lynn

Many Americans have not thought about how they will navigate their later lives.We need to start thinking consciously about redesigning medical care, finances, and family life so frail elderly people can live meaningfully and comfortably at a sustainable cost to families and society. The experience of the last years of life is shaped by policies adopted for different purposes that do not fit our current needs. 

Full Article  

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Bridging the Hospitalist-Primary Care Divide through Collaborative Care

By Allan H. Goroll, M.D., Daniel P. Hunt, M.D.

In recent decades, the Hospitalist has largely replaced the Primary Care Physician for general inpatient medical care. Good communication among team members and between hospitalists and PCPs can lead to efficient, well-coordinated care; however, poor communication and pass-offs can result in fragmented care and excessive testing.  

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End-of-life Instructions Find No Place in Electronic Health Records

By Joanne Kenen

Recording the desires of patients who are on their death beds - or even noting whether a patient has appointed someone to make medical decisions on his or her behalf - is a huge gap in the nationwide effort to computerize patient care. Some hospitals and health care systems are trying to find a solution to support better care. 

 Full Article

Tools and Resources

100 Things to Know About Medicare Reimbursement
By Helen Adamopoulos

From Becker's Hospital Review, 8.2014

It's often said that where Medicare goes, private payers will follow. The program's pay rates and policies have the potential to act as a catalyst for change nationwide, or to provoke coast-to-coast controversy. The following list goes through 100 things to know in order to shed some light on the many facets of and issues surrounding Medicare reimbursement.

Dying in America
From the Institute of Medicine, 9.2014

In Dying in America, a consensus report from the Institute of Medicine, a committee of experts finds that improving the quality and availability of medical and social services for patients and their families could not only enhance quality of life through the end of life, but may also contribute to a more sustainable care system.

Let Your Voice Be Heard
In This Issue
Upcoming Events

Nurse Patient
Healthy Transitions Webinars Available 

Recordings and slides of our monthly webinars are located on the Webinar Archive page of the Healthy Transitions Colorado Website. 

Webinar Archives 

Healthy Transitions Colorado is a collaborative effort, focused on aligning and accelerating existing efforts to improve transitions of care for Coloradans. Our guiding principles are simple - by working together to break down the silos of health care, we can foster true community care coordination across facilities, specialties, and practices.