Hartford Business Journal

April 15, 2019

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www.HartfordBusiness.com • April 15, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 9 FOCUS ers and healthcare professionals. This can help improve how physi- cians treat people, enabling more customized recommendations based on personal health histories and a patient's specific health plan. For instance, new apps are enabling physicians to know which medications are covered by a person's health plan and recommend lower-cost alterna- tives (if available) before the patient actually leaves the office. The ability to access real-time information — and act on it — can be crucial in the effort to use technology to empower health- care providers and patients. Financial incentives: Nearly every- one wants to be healthy, but some- times people need a nudge to take that first step toward wellness. To help drive that engagement, the use of financial incentives is becoming more widespread by employers and health plans, with targeted and struc- tured rewards proving most effective. From using mobile apps and comparison shopping for healthcare services to encouraging expectant women to use a website to follow recommended prenatal and post- partum appointments, financial incentives can range from nominal amounts (such as gift cards) to hun- dreds of dollars per year. Coupling digital-health resources with financial rewards can be an important step in getting — and keeping — people engaged. The digital-health market will continue to grow, with some studies estimating that the industry will ex- ceed $379 billion by 2024. To make the most of these resources, healthcare innovators will be well served to take note of these initial concepts. Stephen Farrell is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare of New England. NOMINATE TODAY! WWW.HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM/OUREVENTS DEADLINE: MAY 20TH EVENT SPONSOR: PRESENTED BY: PRESENTING SONSORS: EDUCATION LEADERSHIP SPONSOR: FORTY 40 UNDER FORTY FORTY FORTY 40 40 40 DO YOU KNOW A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WHO IS IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN? invest $26.2 million in three new oper- ating rooms (it has 11 right now). It also plans a major renovation of its main operating-room corridor in Meriden, including increasing the size of existing rooms. MidState's recruitment strategy was deployed in 2017 when it added 37 surgeons, which then sparked dis- cussions about growing its various service lines. Since then, 27 additional surgeons have joined the staff, many of them from outside the market, the hospital said in its Office of Health Strategy application. As it's added to its ranks, the number of surgeries MidState has performed has increased rapidly; so has its operating revenues. For example, in fiscal 2018, its operating-room use — meaning the number of minutes surgeons spent performing procedures — jumped 19.7 percent, while its operating rev- enue spiked 27 percent. Much of the growth has come from orthopedic care. Other practices with new surgeons include urology, thoracic and vascular. "We had some disruption," Havi- can said. "The volume uptick came quickly. We've been able to work as a team. But everyone has shared some sacrifices along the way." The most pressing issue for Mid- State is the growing strain on its operating-room capacity, which is why it wants to expand further. The optimum use for most operat- ing-room departments is 75 percent, according to industry benchmarks, and if it goes above that level it may not leave adequate capacity for emer- gency procedures. MidState reached that 75-per- cent mark in November, it said, but expects to hit 84 percent by the end of fiscal year 2019, which will cause delays and operational inefficiencies. "The quality of health care in the re- gion will be improved for patients by adding surgical capacity to the hos- pital and allowing for surgical care to be provided in the most efficient and effective manner," the hospital said in its project application. "Increasing the number of operating rooms at the hospital will alleviate capacity and scheduling issues, minimize delays for patients and overall provide an improved patient experience." MidState Medical Center new surgeon recruits by specialty Surgeons that joined staff Speciality since 2017 Orthopedics 44 Urology 4 Thoracic 1 General 5 Vascular 4 Cardiothoracic 1 Cardiology 1 Neurosurgery 1 Otolaryngology 1 Ophthalmology 1 Plastic 1 Total 64 Source: MidState Medical Center; Office of Health Strategy

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