BCBSNE Collaborating with Area Hospitals to Improve Surgical Outcomes
OMAHA (June 22, 2011) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) recently contributed $35,000 each to Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) and Methodist Hospital in support of a program designed to improve surgical outcomes.
Committed to providing health and wellness solutions for all Nebraskans, BCBSNE has agreed to pay the $35,000 licensing fee for each hospital’s participation in the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). ACS NSQIP is an outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care.
"We enthusiastically support the mission of our local hospitals to continuously strive to improve patient care,” said William Minier, M.D., BCBSNE’s medical director. “NSQIP is a proven, effective tool headed by the American College of Surgeons to improve patient safety in hospitals, from identifying preoperative risk factors to reducing surgical complications and mortality rates.”
Through ACS NSQIP, hospitals collect data and compile reports on risk factors and outcomes. Representatives of BSBCNE and the hospitals will meet regularly to review these reports and continually monitor their quality improvement efforts. Additionally, the reports allow them to compare their surgical outcomes with peer hospitals and against national averages.
Dr. Minier credits the following physicians for their work on NSQIP: Eugene Waltke, M.D., Methodist Hospital and R. Armour Forse, M.D., CUMC.
“They have been instrumental in the implementation of ACS NSQIP and in leading the cause for improved care,” Dr. Minier said.
In addition to the quality of care, the program promotes cost savings. Improved care can result in a reduction of postoperative readmissions and shortened hospital stays.
BCBSNE’s partnership with the hospitals entails paying this year’s licensing fees and two-thirds and one-third of the fee in the next two years. In the future, BCBSNE will explore developing an approach to paying incentives for quality surgical outcomes as part of the program.
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