Baylor Scott & White Health ACO saves Medicare $39.3 million in shared savings program, achieves top quality score
Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance, Baylor Scott & White Health’s accountable care organization (ACO), generated $39.3 million in savings for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2018, according to results released in October 2019 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The MSSP is an alternative payment model in which eligible health care providers, hospitals, and suppliers are rewarded for achieving better health for individuals, improving population health, and lowering health care costs.
Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance achieved the highest dollar savings of all MSSP participants in Texas and earned $18.7 million in 2018 shared savings. These savings rank the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance No. 7 among 548 US MSSP participants and as the only ACO in Texas among the top 10 in the country. ACOs collectively saved Medicare $1.7 billion in 2018, and $739 million after accounting for shared savings bonuses and collecting shared loss payments.
Since 2013, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance has refined its integrated care model encompassing comprehensive care management, data analytics, physician engagement, and quality and utilizes key performance indicators to drive improvement. Within the MSSP population, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance saw several notable improvements in performance from 2017 to 2018:
Based on the most recent data, postacute care utilization per 1000 beneficiaries decreased 6.9% for skilled nursing facilities, 0.4% for inpatient rehabilitation, and 25.1% for long-term acute care hospitalization.
Hospital readmissions decreased from 12.55% to 12.36%.
Avoidable hospital admissions per 1000 beneficiaries decreased 9.2%.
Quality measure performance improved from 92.1% to 97.2%. The national average was <93%.
Medicare annual wellness visits increased from 59.8% to 65.7%.
“At Baylor Scott & White, we strive to be the trusted leader in value-based care, and our 2018 results demonstrate the results of our organization’s effort,” said Clifford Fullerton, MD, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance president. “These results show not only the highest [dollar] savings in Texas but also one of the highest quality scores. This is a testament to the innovation, focus, and hard work of our teams, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and many other members that care for our patients. It makes us very proud to make health care better and more affordable for our communities.”
The Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance MSSP includes approximately 125,000 Medicare beneficiaries, making it one of the largest program participants in the nation. Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance was able to achieve the quality improvement and savings despite caring for a larger number of beneficiaries in 2018 compared with 2017. MSSP nationally cares for 10.1 million beneficiaries.
Fourth baby born after uterus transplant at Baylor University Medical Center
On October 1, 2019, Kayla and Lance Edwards publicly announced the birth of their daughter, Indy Pearl, Edwards, through a landmark uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health. “Lance and I are overjoyed to announce the birth of our miracle daughter, who we hope not only brings joy to our lives but hope to other women battling infertility,” Kayla said. “We climbed every mountain possible to get here and feel so blessed.”
This is the fourth birth in the uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, being conducted through Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. Uterus transplantation is an innovative infertility treatment option for women with absolute uterine-factor infertility.
Researchers at Baylor University Medical Center have completed 20 uterus transplants as part of the clinical trial, making it the largest program in the world. But the ultimate goal is to be able to offer this option to any woman with uterine-factor infertility.
“This is the final frontier in research for infertility,” said Giuliano Testa, MD, principal investigator of the uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center, chief of abdominal transplantation, and chairman, Baylor Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute. “Participants like the Edwards family are true heroes. They are doing more than expanding their family; they are helping others who have been diagnosed with absolute uterine-factor infertility. Each transplant brings us one step closer to understanding and providing more infertility treatment options.”
Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center completes first phase of expansion
October 4, 2019, marked the eighth birthday of Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center and the completion of the first phase of its expansion to better serve children in the system’s 30,000 square-mile Central Texas service area. The expansion includes the McLane Children’s Fikes/CEFCO emergency department, outpatient rehabilitation clinic areas, and the medical center’s imaging capabilities.
In the McLane Children’s Fikes/CEFCO emergency department, six new exam rooms, dedicated space for patients with mental health needs, and a larger family waiting area will allow staff members to treat an additional 10,000 patients a year. The emergency department currently treats 30,000 pediatric patients annually. The hospital also expands its imaging capabilities with the addition of a new children’s-themed 3 T MRI. The new 3 T MRI complements the existing 1.5 T MRI machine by providing faster whole-body scans and producing high-resolution images.
With the steady increase of pediatric patients needing outpatient rehabilitation services, the physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic areas doubled their space. As part of the expansion, a new technologically advanced multisensory room was installed to offer patients an enhanced experience during therapy. The new area also features an expanded gym, three additional private exam rooms, and office space to allow the therapy team to grow with the needs of the community.
Baylor Scott & White Health named top 10 Military Friendly employer in the US
Baylor Scott & White Health is proud to have been nationally ranked among the “Top 10” on VIQTORY’s 2020 list of Military Friendly Employers in the category for government/nonprofit organizations. Baylor Scott & White, ranked #7, was recognized for exceeding benchmark standards for the Military Friendly designation within six broad categories that address recruiting, hiring, retention, advancement, support, and policy compliance.
“We’re committed to serving those who have so honorably served us by participating in a number of employment initiatives for vets, as well as supporting our colleagues who serve in the Reserves and National Guard,” explained Guwan Jones, chief diversity officer and vice president of human resources, Baylor Scott & White Health. “We’re pleased to be recognized for our efforts through this designation and look forward to building on them.”
With several Baylor Scott & White facilities located near Fort Hood and other military installations, Jones said the organization has made it a priority to help members of the military as they transition to civilian life. It participates in the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, which helps service members bridge the gap between their military service and civilian careers. Similarly, the Fort Hood Transition Assistance Program is a soldier-to-civilian life program that assists soldiers exiting the Army in finding civilian employment. Baylor Scott & White also is a staple at job fairs supporting the hiring of veterans and disabled veterans.
The Warriors Research Institute, a research center within the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, is dedicated to improving the quality of care available to military veterans and emergency responders. The institute develops and provides new treatments for those suffering from the fallout of traumatic work events and most recently was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance that will help expand access to evidence-based telehealth treatment for veterans and their families.
UPCOMING CME PROGRAMS
The A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Education of Baylor Scott & White Health is offering the following programs:
2020 Heart and Vascular Symposium, February 1, 2020, Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Texas
Third Annual Pulmonary and Critical Care Symposium, February 8, 2020, Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas
Tenth Annual Central Texas Pediatric Subspecialty for the Primary Care Provider, February 21, 2020, Hippodrome Theater, Waco, Texas
Austin Coronary Syndromes 2020, March 13–15, 2020, Lakeway Resort and Spa, Austin, Texas
2020 Interstitial Lung Disease Symposium, March 28, 2020, Magnolia Hotel, Dallas, Texas
Family Medicine, April 15–18, 2020, Doubletree Hotel, Austin, Texas
Fifth Annual Baylor University Medical Center IBD Conference, April 25, 2020, Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas
29th Annual Robert E. Myers, MD Lectureship in Pediatrics, May 8, 2020, Beltonian Theater, Belton, Texas
Scott & White Annual Neonatology (SWAN) Conference, September 24–25, 2020, Hilton Garden Inn, Temple, Texas
For more information, visit https://www.bswhealth.med/cme.
RECENT GRANTS
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McLane Children’s forensic program
Principal investigator: Pamela Greene, MD
Sponsor: Texas Office of the Governor
Funding: $1,310,219
Award period: 10/1/2019– 9/30/2021
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Adult forensic program
Principal investigator: Pamela Greene, MD
Sponsor: Texas Office of the Governor
Funding: $992,637
Award period: 10/1/2019– 9/30/2021
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Development and validation of a virtual laparoscopic hiatal hernia simulator
Principal investigator: Ganesh Sankaranarayanan, PhD
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Funding: $724,759
Award period: 9/30/2019– 6/30/2020
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North Texas traumatic brain injury model systems
Principal investigator: Simon Driver, PhD
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Funding: $459,000
Award period: 9/30/2019– 9/29/2020
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Reducing chronic kidney disease burden in an underserved population
Principal investigator: Donald E. Wesson, MD
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Funding: $200,538
Award period: 8/1/2019–7/31/2020
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Efficacy of an evidence-based healthy lifestyle intervention for people following cerebrovascular accident
Principal investigator: Simon Driver, PhD
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Funding: $199,637
Award period: 9/30/2019– 9/29/2020
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Building an evidence base for weight loss strategies among those with chronic spinal cord injury
Principal investigator: Katherine Froehlich-Grobe, PhD
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Funding: $198,288
Award period: 9/30/2019– 9/29/2020
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Validation of an immersive virtual reality based experiential learning simulator to improve medication administration safety skills of registered nurses
Principal investigator: Ganesh Sankaranarayanan, PhD
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Funding: $87,904
Award period: 9/1/2019–6/30/2020
PHILANTHROPY NOTES
Friendship between doctor and patient family results in support for advanced care
Many know Eddie DeBartolo as a five-time Super Bowl champion, owner of the San Francisco 49ers, a 2016 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or a businessman and philanthropist. Now, through a relationship with a renowned physician and a health system, DeBartolo and his wife, Candy, will be making positive change in an entirely different arena: lifesaving thoracic surgery.
The DeBartolo family recently made a generous gift to Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, creating the Candy DeBartolo Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgery at Baylor Scott & White Health. The funds associated with the gift will be used to help further the efforts of Dr. David Mason, chief of thoracic surgery and lung transplantation at Baylor Scott & White.
The DeBartolos first met Dr. Mason several years ago at the Cleveland Clinic, where Dr. Mason treated a tumor on Candy’s lung. “They had found this small tumor that was in her lung, but it was behind her heart,” DeBartolo said. “We went straight to the best and talked to Dr. Mason.”
The DeBartolos admire Dr. Mason’s commitment to his patients and his genuine concern for their well-being. Dr. Mason appreciates the way that Eddie and Candy DeBartolo interacted with those around them. “I can’t stress enough what a humble and kind man Mr. DeBartolo is, or how resilient and full of life Mrs. DeBartolo is,” Dr. Mason said. “They embody so many things that I admire.”
When Dr. Mason told them of his plans to become chief of thoracic surgery and lung transplantation at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas, the DeBartolos offered their support. They endowed a chair to help further Dr. Mason’s work.
“It is my goal to continue to grow the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation at Baylor Scott & White Health into the No. 1 thoracic surgery program in the country,” Dr. Mason said. “We have had tremendous success so far, but still have many goals to meet. I have a strong interest in developing novel methods of early detection of lung cancer and predictors of its recurrence. Finally, I would like us to find ways to better support the emotional needs of patients who are faced with frightening diagnoses. There is a lot of hard work ahead, but it is exciting.”
“The close relationship between Dr. Mason and the DeBartolo family will grow into something even bigger,” Rowland K. Robinson, president of Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, said. “A relationship that started in a hospital room several years ago has grown into a legacy that is going to positively impact generations of patients for years to come.”
Called to give
Robert Merkle sees giving as more than an opportunity. For this Dallas executive, it became a calling.
An accidental landing while skydiving in 1993 brought Robert Merkle to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas with fractures in both heels and in his lower back. The severity of his injuries caused one of the physicians to declare Merkle’s injuries “life changing.” Multiple surgeries to reconstruct Merkle’s heels and lower back were performed at Baylor Dallas. Through it all, Merkle remembers the extraordinary skill of the providers and their commitment to care.
After extensive physical therapy, Merkle regained his ability to walk and returned to his normal life in Dallas. But Merkle’s stay at Baylor Dallas did more than repair his injuries—it awakened in him a calling to express his gratitude and try to make a difference for others. He began by volunteering on weekends in the emergency department at Baylor Dallas and then involved himself in fundraising for a cancer research group at Baylor Scott & White. Years later, he was asked to serve on the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Board.
“Robert is someone who has taken his gratitude and turned it into a direction for his own life,” Rowland K. Robinson, president of Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, said. “The board benefits from his experience, both as a business leader and as a former patient.”
Merkle and his family have also contributed financial support to specific Baylor Scott & White initiatives. Merkle credits the Foundation with giving him education on specific clinical needs and how those needs can be met with financial support, including providing equipment for the Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation, Baylor Scott & White Community Care clinics, and Canine Companions for Independence®.
“My accident was a life-changing event,” Merkle said. “I wasn’t going to waste my second chance at life. Although I can never fully repay the great compassionate care shown to me at Baylor, I will continue to ‘pay it forward’ to try to help others.”
A lifetime of generosity
For the past four decades, Ted and Sue Getterman have dedicated their talents and resources to helping Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–Hillcrest provide high-quality care to patients in the Waco area. Now, in recognition of a lead gift, a new facility will bear their name: the Ted & Sue Getterman Sports & Orthopedic Center.
Mrs. Getterman and her late husband have been involved in many organizations in the Waco community in both philanthropic and leadership roles. They also named the Baylor Scott & White Ted & Sue Getterman Wellness Center after Mr. Getterman’s personal experience in rehabilitation following major heart surgery. They have supported hospice care, pastoral care, the emergency department, the McClinton Cancer Center, and various other initiatives at Baylor Scott & White in Waco. Mrs. Getterman continues this legacy with her gift to the Sports & Orthopedic Center.
“So many lives have been changed as a result of their unwavering generosity,” said Glenn A. Robinson, president of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–Hillcrest. “They have helped shape our hospital into what it is today, and we are honored to receive continued support from Mrs. Getterman.”
“We are so thankful to the Lord for our blessings,” Mrs. Getterman says. “We’ve lived a good life and I hope we have a positive influence, one that will encourage others to reach out and help those in need.”
For information on how you can support philanthropic initiatives at Baylor Scott & White Health, please contact 214.820.3136 (North Texas) or 254.724.2768 (Central Texas).