PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Leading into May as National Stroke Awareness Month, Kaiser Permanente announced today that the overwhelming majority of California physicians receiving national recognition for their outstanding treatment of patients who have had a stroke or who have a cardiovascular disease (CVD) belong to the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG), the physician organization that serves Kaiser Permanente members.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality has named over 3000 physicians nationally for its Heart/Stroke Recognition Program (HSRP), and of the 766 California physicians named, 764 are with Southern California Permanente Medical Group.
The HSRP uses nationally accepted key quality measures of care to evaluate physician performance. These quality measures include blood pressure control, complete lipid profiles, cholesterol control, use of aspirin and other medication, and smoking cessation advice and treatment.
Jeffrey A. Weisz, MD, executive medical director of SCPMG, said, “This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the outstanding care our physicians provide to our members. The SCPMG doctors represent over 99 percent of all the California physicians honored by the Heart/Stroke Recognition Program. Their expertise, when joined with our integrated healthcare model and its emphasis on preventive care, is exemplary.”
NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and manages the evolution of HEDIS®, the performance measurement tool used by more than 90 percent of the nation’s health plans. In addition to the physician heart/stroke recognition program, in the 2009 NCQA Quality Compass® HEDIS report on controlling high blood pressure, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan was among the third highest rated plans in the nation for controlling hypertension, a chronic disease patients which, if untreated, increases the risk of getting a heart attack, stroke, and other diseases.
Kaiser Permanente’s integrated healthcare model has many innovative elements, including the industry leading electronic health records (EHR) system called Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, which eliminates the need for hard copy patient charts and film and is the largest privately held EHR system in the nation. The connectivity is used in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente’s Proactive Office Encounter (POE) program, where staff at every point in the care delivery process can identify scheduled screenings and lab tests, collect vital signs, and provide follow up contact and care.
KP HealthConnect® and the POE program together help physicians track patients’ cholesterol levels, medication use, and other quality measures. Members of a multi-disciplinary team which care for heart/stroke patients also send messages to other each other to provide coordinated service. Also, patients can regularly send health questions via e-mails to their doctors from the convenience of their home computers through KP HealthConnect®. This integrated system has collectively contributed to improved preventive care in many areas, including CVD and stroke treatment.
Quality Compass® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is a registered trademark of NCQA. The registered trademark symbol should be applied directly after the word “HEDIS.” The organization need only apply the trademark to the first reference of the term “HEDIS” within the written material. At the bottom of the page where the registered trademark first appears there should be a footnote which states “HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).”
The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compass® 2009 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Any analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass is a registered trademark of NCQA. Consumers can easily access organizations’ NCQA Accreditation and Certification statuses and other information on health care quality on NCQA’s Web Site at www.ncqa.org, or by calling NCQA Customer Support at 888-275-7585.
ABOUT KAISER PERMANENTE
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 3.3 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
CONTACT:
Kaiser Permanente
Southern California Region
Socorro Serrano, 626-405-5534
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Seniors Women Health Cardiology Hospitals Mental Health Parenting Consumer Family Men Managed Care
MEDIA:
| Logo |