HCI3, NYC Health Department Launch Quality Outcomes Program

The Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute Inc.'s (HCI3) Bridges to Excellence (BTE) and the New York City Health Department's Primary Care Information Project have partnered to develop a new program to identify and recognize physicians who deliver high-value primary care to adult patients in New York City. The Adult Primary Care Recognition Program will help clinicians identify patients who need chronic care management and preventive services like cholesterol management and blood pressure control, and encourage the doctors to take an active approach to treatment.

The impact could be substantial given the estimated 25 percent of New York City residents who suffer from hypertension, with less than half having their blood pressure under adequate control. By keeping people well, a key goal of this new program is to cut preventable hospitalization by 17 percent, which would reduce overall medical expenses in New York City significantly.

The aim of the Adult Primary Care Recognition Program is to recognize and reward clinicians who are delivering high-value primary care and reduce gaps and disparities in care; while reducing complications that may lead to premature death.

All physicians in New York City have an opportunity to participate in the effort electronically through the NYC Health Department's Take Care New York measures database. Doctors/clinicians who demonstrate high performance can earn recognition and may also qualify for incentives from participating employers and health plans. Twenty-seven physicians have currently earned the distinction. Several national and regional plans use or plan to use the BTE programs as part of their pay-for-performance initiatives, including Empire BlueCross BlueShield.