Henry Ford Medical Group: The Chronic Care Excellence Initiative

Submitted By blessedndfw
Words: 320
Pages: 2

Henry Ford Medical Group: The Chronic Care Excellence Initiative
Petrina Bonnick
UT Arlington
HCAD 5301 Health Care Administration
September 13, 2011
Henry Ford Medical Group: The Chronic Care Excellence Initiative

Too often taking a risk is, well, risky and all too often we don’t do it in our personal lives much less the corporate world. Risks, when well calculated can lead to powerful results and smart risk takers, often times, find themselves on the winning end. This is certainly the case with the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) located in Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, HFMG decided to depart from the classic visit - centric focus on symptoms and problems to a more proactive initiative of patients managing their own healthcare needs. The objective was to better inform, educate, and empower the individual to take steps, along with the healthcare provider to work collaboratively to better health outcomes. The article comments on the fact that, “only about half of the treatments known to improve health are currently being delivered”. Care teams from HFMG were re-trained to provide education, care coordination, and coaching to patients with chronic disease rather than just your traditional office visit. The biggest challenge encountered was the need to change both physician and patient culture. The risk taken by HFMG paid off in significant ways. However, healthcare delivery organizations must be willing to work with their patients and their physicians.