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APPLE VALLEY MEDICAL CLINIC HAS HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS RECEIVING OPTIMAL DIABETES CARE IN MEDICAL GROUP CATEGORY, PER MINNESOTA COMMUNITY MEASUREMENT
APPLE VALLEY, MN - January 13, 2010 - Apple Valley Medical Clinic, the family practice component of Apple Valley Medical Center, had the highest percentage of patients receiving optimal diabetes care, as reported by the Minnesota Community Measurement's Web site (www.mnhealthscores.org) for 2009. Optimal care was based on patients meeting the following five goals:
• Keeping blood pressure under 130/80
• Lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol to below 100 mg/dl
• Taking an aspirin every day for those 40 and older
• Not smoking
• Controlling blood sugar so the A1C level is less than 7 percent
Apple Valley Medical Clinic set the benchmark in the Medical Group category with 44 percent of patients in full compliance with all five components.
"This distinction is recognition of our growing emphasis on quality management of patients with chronic illness," said Adam Berry, FACHE, Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, Apple Valley Medical Clinic. "We aggressively reach out to our 1,300 patients with diabetes, conducting education classes and following up with patients who are not compliant with their prescribed plan of care."
Diabetes prevents the body from producing or using insulin properly. Complications can include heart disease, kidney failure, amputations and blindness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 21 million people in the United States have diabetes, but nearly 30 percent of them do not know it. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that one in ten Minnesotans either have diabetes or are at high risk for developing it.
Apple Valley Medical Clinic also is partnering with Medica on a medical home to address the needs of patients with diabetes. The medical home concept is a new health care model to facilitate the cost-effective coordination of care across many elements of the health care system, especially for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes.
"We are trying to be more creative with our care," said Berry. "This means offering different care options and improving our systems to give physicians more timely access to information from which they can make decisions about patient care." At Apple Valley Medical Clinic, members of the quality improvement staff review lab results each day for patients with diabetes scheduled to see their physician. Based on those results, the health care team is alerted to possible complications or further testing that might be needed.
"Our goal is to continue to improve clinical outcomes for our patients while reducing their costs at the same time," said Berry. "We are proud of the Minnesota Community Measurement results and will continue to set the bar high when it comes to providing care to our patients." |
