Hartford Business Journal

8 Hartford Business Journal • February 2, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com ExpErts CornEr Employer healthcare strategies for 2015 By Randy Boss I n America we have created the best healthcare system in the history of the world. But this system faces some difficult challenges. Employers need to rethink their healthcare focus from just buying an insurance policy to a managed, data driven healthcare strategy. As cost goes up, employers either shift it to employees or absorb the cost them- selves. This strat- egy is used by many employers and pro- moted by most benefit agents and brokers as a way to give employ- ers a financial number they can live with. It's financially painful for both employer and employee but easy to implement and embraced by many human resources profes- sionals. But as premiums go up more and more, cost is shifted to employees through higher pre- mium contributions and higher deductibles and co-pays when they use medical services. Another issue is that employers monitor discounts (price) but not utilization. This is like monitoring how much natural gas costs to heat your house but not how much natu- ral gas you use. By spending a little more on insulation you save a lot on natural gas. By spending a little on prevention you could save a lot on health care. Employers receive claims data reports, which is help- ful but without a plan to effect an outcome it's all just data. Unfortunately, health care is one of the few things in life we purchase with- out having a clue what it will cost, although that same quality health service can vary by hundreds and even thousands of dollars from one provider to another. Employers also tend to focus solely on large claims, which is akin to looking in a rearview mir- ror. There is no effort or strategy in place to keep healthy employees healthy so they can avoid some of those large claims all together. While employer-sponsored health fairs and wellness screens are nice events with plenty of good information, employers I've spoken with tell me they get low participation and it does little to engage employees to change behavior. So, what is the solution? Here are eight employer strategies we are sure to see in 2015: • Employers will be directly involved in helping manage the healthcare delivery system. Employers must educate their employees on where they can get high-quality care at the best price and reward employees that are good consumers. • Employers will closely moni- tor utilization patterns and cost of the 25 per- cent of the population driving 90 percent of the cost. They will use this information to steer care away from high-cost emergency rooms to lower cost care options through education and plan design. • Employers will receive executive reports analyz- ing trends, demographics, action- able clinical information, chronic disease reports, healthcare index factors, etc. This information will help employers provide benefits that are customized to provide bet- ter preventive care and lower cost. • Employers will focus on healthcare provider process improvement programs and know the value of specific providers. They will look for business part- ners who can be a resource to their employees to help them avoid health risks rather than wait for poor health and pay for it. • Employers will know the healthcare index of their popula- tion and focus on large claim p r e v e n t i o n . Providing tools like health-risk a s se s sment s and wellness coaches for employees to avoid health risk before it becomes dis- ease puts up a strong defense against large claims. • Employers will implement chronic disease management pro- grams, predictive analysis, nurse navigators, nurse practitioners and wellness coaches. • Employers will focus on managing the 80-90 percent of their health benefit costs, which is claims rather than just the 10-20 percent that is administrative cost. • Employers who make effective positive changes to the way they manage their health care will be rewarded with healthier more pro- ductive employees and lower cost for them and their employees. n Randy is a certified risk archi- tect at Ottawa Kent in Jenison, Mich. Randy Boss ▶ ▶ ... health care is one of the few things in life we purchase without having a clue what it will cost ... New cancer center focuses on care, ambiance By John Stearns Special to the Hartford Business Journal W alking into the atrium of the new Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute at The Hospital of Central Connecticut feels similar to entering the lobby of a resort hotel. It emits a sense of warmth and comfort — from its massive stone fireplace to its natural light, mod- ern decor and soothing colors. That ambiance travels throughout the roughly 135,000-square-foot building, from fireplaces in radiation therapy waiting rooms and the chemotherapy infusion center to expansive views of a healing garden with pond and walking trail. The $40 million facility — which straddles the New Britain-Plainville line on a former quarry two miles from The Hospital of Central Connecticut — will open in phases beginning in March. Its unique resort-like design mirrors a national trend in the way modern healthcare facilities are built, focusing not just on equipment and treatment but also on ambiance to create atmospheres aiming to keep patients calm and not afraid to come back. The building puts under one roof all the doctors, latest technology and services for cancer patients, whether they're receiving chemotherapy or routine tests like annual mammograms. The facility is roughly split between cancer care on one side, medical offices and imaging/testing services on the other. "This has been a dream of mine for many years," said Dr. Peter Byeff, medical director for the Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute. "We're going to have all the physicians that deal with cancer in one physical location," allowing patients to see those doctors, get radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biopsies, scans and other services without leaving. The new center aims to provide more accessible cancer care for residents in Plainville, New Britain, and the Farm- ington Valley region, cen- tralizing services and doc- tors that were previously geographically scattered. The new center also comes online as Hartford Healthcare ramps up its membership in the Memo- rial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance. Part of that part- nership aims to bring new drugs and treatments to the Hartford region and standardize cancer care across all five Hartford Healthcare hospitals. "That's how we're beginning to see this change take place" throughout Hartford Healthcare facilities, said Krist- offer Popovitch, director of oncology services for Hart- ford Healthcare's central region. "All of the benefits of Sloan are going to be here in Connecticut. Now you need buildings to accommodate those services offered — that's what this is for this part of the state. This provides an opportunity for people in the community to receive the same level of care that they would receive at Memorial Sloan … the cancer tri- als, the clinical trials, the technology … the physicians, the education that they receive, it's here in this building, in a central location." Health facility trends The cancer center, while a showpiece of technology and design, will not become Hartford Healthcare's main cancer research and care center, said Donna Handley, vice president of operations of the Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute. But it does offer a window into the way hospitals are changing how they interact with patients to provide better, more coordinated care. The center's focus on ambiance and consolidated services reflects a trend in hospitals and cancer care nationally, said Lori Gardner, senior director of com- munications and marketing for the Association of Com- munity Cancer Centers. "Obviously, outcome is important, but [patients] also want to go somewhere that's pleasant … where they're having their services, where they walk in the door and it's just a pleasing environment," Gardner said. Visitors can self-park on the 18-acre site or use valet. A patient ambassador will welcome visitors in the lobby and provide assistance. Education is an important aspect of the facility, with a resource center featuring literature, online access and staff assistance for patients and families seeking more information about their disease or support services. Additionally, nurse navigators will help steer patients through the clinical process of cancer treatment. They will be complemented by social workers directing patients to services that include emotional and financial support. Treatment and imaging features include the latest radiation therapy like the TrueBeam, which Popovitch likened to the "Cadillac of linear accelerators" and the newest MRI technology. Chemotherapy infusion bays, which overlook the garden, allow patients to sit with others or draw curtains for privacy. The facility also includes a physical therapy room overlooking the garden for patients undergoing or com- pleting cancer treatments. Other features include a pharmacy, nutrition center, café, and large gardenside patio. Dr. Kristen Zarfos, director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center opening in the building in March, said the facility will take her specialty, breast care, to a new level. Instead of getting a mammogram and learn- ing days later an abnormality requires follow-up imag- ery, patients will be able to get same-day mammography reads and follow-up tests. "It's not just about peace of mind, but it's about effi- ciency," Zarfos said. "So if a patient does have an abnor- mality, it can be handled in such a way that there are answers sooner, and the sooner you have answers, the sooner you can provide the care." n Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute is located at 183 North Mountain Road, New Britain, just past the Department of Motor Vehicles. Crews are still putting the finishing touches on the Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute at The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. The photos above show the facili- ty's entrance, massive stone fireplace and a waiting area. Focus HEaltH CarE P H O T O | C O n T r i b u T e d

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