Capsules

Tri-County Health Care Breaks Ground on $72 Million Facility

On May 21, members of Tri-County Health Care staff and several guests broke ground on a dynamic new construction project. With a tentative completion date of spring 2023 the new facility is located on the western edge of Wadena, a little less than two miles from the current hospital. “The recipe for this has been creativity and passion for the people involved, a lot of intelligence and wisdom, a fair amount of stress, some hand-wringing and sleepless nights,” said Joel Beiswenger, President & CEO of Tri-County Health Care. John Poston, Minnesota District 9A State Representative noted “It’s so efficient and patient-centered; it’s going to be a big step up in health care for everybody in our region. It’s also going to be a big step up for jobs and be a good economic engine in the area”. The new space will allow staff to serve a larger number of patients more efficiently as the current hospital and clinic have simply been outgrown. The new facility will feature standardized exam rooms in the clinic, hospital and outpatient service areas and a modernized birthing center with spacious, luxurious delivery rooms, including whirlpool baths, and a family-friendly environment.  In addition, the surgical suites are much larger, expanding the types of procedures currently offered and accommodating the latest technology. The new facility brings a majority of patient care services under one roof and centralizes entry points to allow for better security and efficient navigation for patients, guests and employees. Lessons and design elements learned during the pandemic were applied to new strategies for infection control and disease spread mitigation.  With an innovative architectural plan, leading-edge technology and a visible location along Highway 10, the new facility will strengthen both Tri-County Health Care and its communities’ position within the region. This will help to attract and retain the best medical team possible and promote commercial development and partnerships while providing the best possible care. It is anticipated that the new facility will be a great economic driver with over 30 new projected jobs added after it's completion.

BC/BS MN Expands Support to Independent Providers

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota recently announced investments in technology and practice support resources for four independent medical care organizations across the state, allowing new capabilities in optimizing the quality of care for patients and overall financial management. Entira Family Clinics, Integrity Health Network, St. Luke’s Hospital and Winona Health are now connected to a web-based data analytics and care coordination platform from Stellar Health (Stellar), a health care technology company that provides insights into quality and cost of care measures while facilitating real-time financial rewards for appropriate care coordination practices. In 2020, Blue Cross announced a collaboration with Stellar and the Minnesota Healthcare Network – a group of 47 independent primary care clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin – to accelerate the transition to value-based payment and provide financial resources for long-term stability. With this most recent expansion, more than 500 independent primary care providers across Minnesota are now participating in this value-based program. “Blue Cross recognizes the transition to a value-based care payment model can be especially challenging for independent providers,” said Karen Amezcua, senior director of provider partnerships at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “That is why we’re committed to providing infrastructure and financial support to independent providers participating in value-based care throughout the state, with the goal of ensuring high-quality care at a lower overall cost for our members.” Additional compensation will be provided to health care practitioners and their staff upon completion of appropriate care coordination activities. “Managing complex health conditions is critical to delivering optimal health outcomes at a lower cost for St. Luke’s patients,” said Kim Terhaar, vice president of Ambulatory Care at St. Luke’s Hospital. “This innovative collaboration with Blue Cross enables us to more seamlessly transition to a value-based care delivery model.” “We are honored to assist Blue Cross in their effort to help independent providers find success in value-based care,” said Michael Meng, chief executive officer at Stellar Health. “By rewarding each value-based action completed, Stellar and Blue Cross are helping to create economic stability for independent providers as they move away from an unsustainable fee-for-service model.”

Kavira Brings Back the House Call

Eight weeks ago, Kavira, a Minneapolis-based health care start up began offering primary care and urgent care house call visits. With services for both individuals and small employers the company offers a range of access from one time to subscription options. Their simple fee structure ($35/mo for ongoing care to $200 for a single in home visit) eliminates problems around the typical non-existent price transparency in health care as well as drive time to and from a clinic or urgent care center. The company makes ordering a house visit as easy as texting your friend or requesting an Uber and eliminates waiting room time. In addition to a wide range of telehealth support and follow-up options, prescription delivery services are also available. Kavira believes that by removing the barriers associated with accessing care, their patients will increase utilization of care, making them healthier in the long run, and eventually lowering their overall cost of care. “I grew up in a family with quadruplet younger siblings that required constant attention from the healthcare system, so from a very young age I had internalized the difficulty – inconvenience, poor patient experience, long waits, high costs – associated with seeking care,” said CEO and founder Andrew Headrick. The company employs board-certified advanced care practitioners and can diagnose and treat an extensive range of conditions, however not every patient or condition is within their scope of practice. These qualifications can be made quickly, for example Kavira is not a good fit for Medicare recipients, newborns or those requiring specialist care. Services are currently available only in the Twin Cities Metro area. Initial response has been strong with significant opportunity to expand the range and scope of services provided.

St. Francis Expands Mental Health Services 

In late May St. Francis Regional Medical Center broke ground on a $5 million mental health emergency department expansion. The plan includes adding six new rooms designed specifically for patients experiencing mental health emergencies by providing them extended time to stabilize. The expansion will allow the ER staff to respond to and care for individuals suffering from mental health emergencies. The emergency department will incur minimal disruption during construction and remain fully operational. The new mental health emergency space is anticipated to open in late 2021. “St. Francis is committed to ensuring emergency mental health care to our growing community and offering the safest environment for those patients at their most vulnerable time,” St. Francis President Amy Jerdee said. “We have carefully tailored our expansion plans to meet our objectives, while balancing the needs of the growing population with our commitment to financial responsibility.” The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community donated $1 million to the expansion — the largest capital donation in the hospital’s history. The rest of the project will be funded from resources previously set aside for reinvestment in the hospital, as well as from a campaign to help fundraise for the project. “Our community is experiencing unprecedented growth and our current mental health facilities cannot keep up with the demand 

Mayo Announces Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection

Earlier this month the Mayo Clinic released news of a groundbreaking multi-cancer early cancer detection (MCED) test called Galleri™. The new test can detect more than 50 types of cancers through a simple blood draw and complements U.S. guideline-recommended cancer screenings. One of the test developers, Oncologist and co-director of the Mayo Genomics in Action Program Minetta Liu, M.D., said “Today, many cancers are found too late, leading to poor outcomes. The ability to detect cancer early is critical to successful treatment.” Researchers used the Galleri test in the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) Study, a prospective, observational, longitudinal study designed to characterize the landscape of genomic cancer signals in the blood of people with and without cancer. In the study, the Galleri test demonstrated the ability to detect more than 50 types of cancers — over 45 of which have no recommended screening tests today — with a false-positive rate of less than 1% . When a cancer signal is detected, the Galleri test can identify where in the body the cancer is located with high accuracy — a critical component to direct diagnostic next steps and care. Recent results involving the return of Galleri test data to providers to communicate to participants, were presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. They demonstrated Galleri’s performance in clinical settings was consistent with findings from previous observational studies, underscoring the potential real-world ability of Galleri. Dr. Josh Ocman, the Chief Medical Officer for GRAIL, a Menlo Park-based biotech company involved with early cancer detection said “We are grateful to Mayo Clinic for its dedication to advancing new technologies for early cancer detection and for playing a pivotal role in the development of Galleri. A simple blood test capable of detecting more than 50 cancers is a ground-breaking advancement and could have a tremendous human and economic benefit.” Cancer is projected to become the leading cause of death in the U.S. this year. Currently recommended screening tests only cover five cancer types and screen for a single type at a time. There are no recommended early detection screening tests for cancers which account for well over half of all cancer deaths.  

ICSI Announces Cease of Operations

Last week, Claire Neely, MD, the President and CEO of the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, announced that the organization would cease operation at the end of 2021. Originally founded in 1993 with a mission to create evidence-based guidelines that would help physicians improve their practice of medicine, the nonprofit collaborative went through a series of expansions and redefinitions that all centered around higher quality health care. As the organization gravitated to a membership based model, Dr. Nealy cited the struggles these kinds of organizations have had in recent years as a contributing factor to the decision. Since its inception the organization has been lead by several individuals with outstanding vision and commitment as they became a vital part of Minnesota’s collaborative healthcare community. The contributions ICSI has made to evidence-based clinical care, quality improvement and collective action in the state and region will remain as benchmarks for many years to come. Recent areas of focus have included efforts in opioid prescribing quality improvement, suicide prevention and intervention, supporting the workforce, telehealth, and a collective effort on racial equity in healthcare. While some of ICSI initiatives may wrap up in 2021, many of the important collaborations, including ones that have arisen during the pandemic, will continue in modified form while others will be transitioned to different organizations. “We appreciate everyone who has been part of ICSI in leading health care improvements in our state and our region. My ICSI colleagues I share a tremendous sense of gratitude for the collaborative spirit that has accomplished so much towards solving our toughest healthcare challenges” said Dr. Neely. More details for a transition plan will be released at the end of the month.

New Partnership Improves Health Care for Medicaid Enrollees

Accra, Minnesota’s largest homecare provider, and Minnesota Community Care, the largest federally qualified health center in the state, are partnering to improve health care access for Minnesota Medicaid enrollees. Both organizations primarily serve people with barriers to care, including children and adults with disabilities and older adults. The partnership grew from the opportunity to share resources and expertise that would improve their clients’ health care outcomes. Using homecare-assisted telehealth appointments and in-home care management provided by Accra, Minnesota Community Care’s physicians will have more information about the full daily experience of their patients, and patients will get help following physicians’ orders at home. Accra nurses bring technology into the home and gather appropriate clinical data prior to connecting to Minnesota Community Care physicians and clinical care providers, then homecare providers help clients follow through with their medical plan. By working together, doctors and in-home caregivers are able to identify other factors that impact overall health, such as adequate nutrition, drug adherence or isolation.