2015 Report to the Community: Better Health, Better Care, Better Cost
Even the Best Can Be Better
Football receiver Jerry Rice sprinted to the end zone after each catch during practice while his teammates took a breather between plays. Albert Einstein contributed to science more than 40 years after he received the Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity. Michelangelo walked through the local market to study the shapes and colors of the items for sale so he could accurately depict them in his art. Even though these people are considered to be among the best at their craft, they were driven to do more. They understood that even the best can be better.
At Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), we share in this belief. It’s the foundation of our passion for better medicine. The dedication and commitment of our nearly 14,000 health care professionals creates a culture that fosters continuous improvement. Their determination strengthens LVHN, in turn creating a healthier, better community.
As health care undergoes a nationwide transformation, we remain driven to do more in support of our mission to heal, comfort and care for the people of our community. To succeed, we continue to be guided by the Triple Aim, a framework that helps us produce better health, better care and better cost.
We create better health by being accountable for the overall well-being of our population. We deliver better care by striving to provide an exceptional experience at every touch point within our health network. We achieve better cost by embracing the fact that quality care costs less.
This report outlines accomplishments made at LVHN in 2015 that helped us achieve the Triple Aim. Discover the latest steps we’ve taken in our never-ending quest to constantly improve, so that you and your loved ones can feel and live better.
Better Health
How the Triple Aim helps people with chronic disease – Like many people with multiple chronic conditions, Karen Stoneback of Bethlehem (shown, right, with Sharon Kloiber, RN) was having difficulty managing her health. Purchasing costly prescriptions, taking medication properly, making and keeping doctor’s appointments, and understanding how to control her heart failure and diabetes seemed overwhelming. Any slipup could result in a health setback. An LVHN Community Care Team provided support. Team members helped Stoneback receive the quality care she needed to achieve better health. She calls them “her angels.”
Here are the things we’ve done in 2015 to achieve better health.
We utilize Optum One, a tool that uses clinical and claims data to identify patients at high clinical and financial risk. By proactively providing care to these patients through Community Care Teams, we’re helping people receive higher quality care at a lower cost.
Community Care Teams help patients manage their conditions at home so they avoid ER visits and hospitalizations. Each team includes a registered nurse care manager, pharmacist, behavioral health specialist and social worker. Utilizing Community Care Teams, we reduced high-risk patient admissions by 48 percent and high-risk ER visits by 23 percent (since 2012). Teams currently support 26 primary care and specialty practices in five counties, and soon will expand to 30 practices.
We launched Epic, a new electronic medical record system. Epic gives providers throughout our health network better access to your condition, treatment and testing information.
We also launched MyLVHN.org, our new free, secure and easy-to-use patient website. It connects you with your personal health information. With MyLVHN you can review medical information, request prescription refills, pay or review medical bills, send and receive non-urgent messages from your provider and request an appointment. Enroll now to get the story of your health.
The Lehigh Valley Health Network Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is among the more than 400 ACOs nationwide working to provide higher quality, coordinated care to patients covered by Medicare. ACOs drive progress in the way care is provided by improving the coordination and integration of health care, and improving the health of patients, with a priority placed on prevention and wellness.
Our Ebola treatment center was established at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg in response to a serious worldwide health issue. The specially outfitted isolation unit could be called upon to accept incoming patients from overseas and to treat and monitor those patients for the duration of their illness. The center helps ensure the safety of our patients, community and caregivers.
MyLVHN activations: 41,490 (as of Nov. 2, 2015)
21,890 better than our previous patient portal
Contacts with 610-402-CARE: 261,937
21,963 better than 2014
Visits to LVHN.org: 6,041,286
3,292,834 better than 2014
Better Care
How the Triple Aim helps people through remote home monitoring – When Ed Patterson (right) returned home after heart valve surgery, he was comforted to know a nurse was monitoring his vital signs using the telehealth technology LVHN placed in his home. When the technology alerted telehealth nurse Andrea Nansteel, RN, that something was wrong, she took action to ensure Patterson received the potentially lifesaving care he needed. Feeling better every day and thankful for the innovative care he received, Patterson and his wife, Angie, are once again enjoying walks near their Whitehall home.
Here are the things we’ve done in 2015 to provide better care:
The new Health Center at Fogelsville brings nine health care services to a rapidly growing area of our community. Services include family medicine from LVPG Family Medicine–Fogelsville, ExpressCARE, children’s care with LVPG Pediatrics–Fogelsville, women’s health services from LVPG Obstetrics and Gynecology–Fogelsville, rehabilitation services, X-ray, ultrasound, laboratory services from Health Network Laboratories and home sleep testing.
We opened the Center for Inpatient Rehabilitation–Cedar Crest. It allows patients to receive short-term rehab without having to leave the hospital, enhancing the continuum of care. Patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disorders, orthopedic injuries, amputations, post-surgical conditions or other debilitations receive a minimum of three hours of intensive, specialized rehabilitation therapy almost every day for an average of two weeks.
Ground was broken for a new Specialty Care Pavilion at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg. The four-story facility will include obstetrics and newborn services, accommodating 2,000 births annually for moms-to-be in and around Northampton County. The pavilion also will include our second Center for Inpatient Rehabilitation.
We’re giving you enhanced access to the health care services you need. We opened new outpatient rehabilitation locations (bringing our total to 21) and new ExpressCARE locations (bringing our total to 12) to help you get back to living life.
The proposed merger of LVHN and Pocono Health System will build on the organizations’ partnership, creating an integrated health care system for Poconos residents. The two organizations currently partner to provide trauma and radiation oncology services to the region. The proposed merger will accelerate steps to develop and grow additional, affordable health care services to best serve the community.
The new Fleming Memory Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital–17th Street centralizes clinical, educational and support services for people affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
LVPG visits: 2,115,165
5.4% better than 2014
LVPG providers: 1,073
ExpressCARE visits: 73,370
30,965 better than 2014
ER visits: 208,882
1,928 better than 2014
Outpatient registrations: 591,602
85,792 better than 2014
Better Cost
How the Triple Aim helps to provide care for the homeless – As the region’s premier health care provider, we are responsible for the health of every individual in our community, regardless of his or her ability to pay. No one understands that better than physician assistant Brett Feldman, PA-C (shown, right), director of LVHN’s Street Medicine program. Feldman travels the community caring for people who are homeless under bridges and in alleyways, encampments, soup kitchens and shelters. He provides the care they deserve and helps them get out of homelessness. When we produce better cost, we can enhance our not-for-profit, charitable mission through our investment in Community Benefit. This investment includes screenings, health education and programs to helps us provide free and reduced-cost care to people who need it most. It also includes the difference between government subsidies for care and the actual cost of providing that care. This year’s Community Benefit totals a record $402 million.
Here are the things we’ve done in 2015 to achieve better cost and increase quality:
We made U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list for the 21st consecutive year, ranking in six clinical specialties. For the first time, two of our hospitals (LVH and LVH–Muhlenberg) rank in the top 10 in Pennsylvania.
LVHN will join the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance early in 2016 to give people access to the world’s best clinical trials and the latest discoveries in cancer research. In addition, LVHN physicians will meet with and discuss their more complex cancer cases with MSK physicians, who have experience in treating different and rare forms of cancers, as well as related blood disorders. LVHN physicians also will have the opportunity to visit MSK to observe new techniques. Both institutions will share educational resources and begin the process of collecting and tracking data on quality of care, outcomes and patient satisfaction.
We added services in Hazleton to give area residents convenient access to the quality services they need most. The LVHN Cancer Center–Hazleton provides infusion services – including chemotherapy, therapeutic infusions and more – as well as support services – including nutritional counseling and financial coordinators. For any type of orthopedic and musculoskeletal problem, specialists at LVPG Orthopedics–Health & Wellness Center provide nonsurgical and surgical expertise – including hip, knee, ankle and shoulder replacements.
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg received an A grade on the Hospital Safety Score from the Leapfrog Group. They are the only hospitals in Pennsylvania to receive A’s in safety for each marking period since the first report in 2012.
Operating income: $72 million
$30 million better than 2014
Operating margin: 3.8%
1.3% better than 2014
Total Community Benefit: $402 million
$48 million better than 2014
Free flu vaccinations administered: 11,564
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