President's Column
Board Approves Value Acceleration Report, Sets Direction for WCHQ in 2020
At its January meeting, the Board gave formal approval to the WCHQ Value Acceleration Report. A full year in the making and suffused with significant member input, the report is a thoughtfully curated set of best practices focused on providing better, more affordable care for the population that was selected by our members: patients with diabetes and multiple chronic conditions.
The report was produced by a Steering Team comprised of subject matter experts charged with identifying interventions that result in better outcomes and lower costs. Reporting to the WCHQ Value Acceleration Advisory Group, the steering team solicited best practices from WCHQ members. These were then evaluated by the steering team to determine if they could be successfully implemented in other health care organizations. Those that passed this test were included in the report.
All the recommended strategies were shown to improve clinical quality, not surprising for a state known for high-quality health care, but importantly, many were also promising because they increased value by redesigning practice and changing payment strategies and benefit plans.
The Value Acceleration Initiative (VAI) is not new work, but for it to be successful, we knew we had to develop deeper relationships with purchasers and payers. That is why at their January meeting the WCHQ Board also approved a new membership category for payers and insurers. By including payers in our work, changes can be made in reimbursement models based on not delivering more care, but by delivering the right care with consideration toward developing alternative payments agreements with providers that reward effectiveness and innovation.
When the Board approved the VAI, it noted that the desired results will only be achieved if all health care organizations support and implement the clinical best practices. In doing so, a new community standard of care will be set in Wisconsin for patients with diabetes and multiple chronic conditions.
The next step is to broadly promote the report and the strategies it contains to our members. Our goal is to increase awareness and prompt conversations between provider and payer organizations to embed the strategies into clinical practice supported by new payment models.
The WCHQ Board views this work as an imperative in addressing the rising cost of health care with the same rigor as was applied 20 years ago to improving quality. WCHQ will start small with one specific patient population, learn and share what works, and once improvement is achieved and sustained, adopt a new priority. The value acceleration work is built on the time-honored belief in Wisconsin that what can be measured, can be improved. Our work at WCHQ will continue to be based on using data to inform our work and the dedication of our care givers to find the best way to care for patients and improve health.
We look forward in 2020 to partnering with you, our members and stakeholders, to improve value and create a healthier future for our friends, neighbors and the people we have never met. Thank you for the privilege of serving you.
Chris Queram
