With chronic diseases affecting millions of patients on a daily basis, and new care models requiring providers to take greater responsibility for the wellness of their populations, strategies for keeping patients healthy outside of the hospital walls are in high demand.

Several MEDITECH customers have been exploring new ways of monitoring their patients and sustaining a culture of wellness in their communities. Here are a few of their stories:

UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center: Taking Technology to the Patient
UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) (Watertown, WI), is using I.T. to help them shift from a chronic disease to a chronic wellness model. By bringing technology to the patient's home, WRMC's care providers can more effectively manage and monitor its patients, while making leaps and bounds in the area of preventative care.

"With the help of our MEDITECH solution, we have the capability to transform how we deliver care," says Jeffrey Meade, MD, CMO at Watertown. "By using our system to collect data, starting at the patient's home, we can easily access a wide range of information from across the continuum. We're also enabling patients to closely monitor their own health data--including medications, labs, and physician notes--which, in turn, gives them the power to positively impact their own health."

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital: Using the Medical Home to Address Chronic Care
Corner Medical (Lyndonville, VT), part of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, is a nationally recognized medical home, specializing in preventative care and chronic diseases. Similar to its peers across the state, Corner Medical is involved in the state's "Blueprint for Health" effort, by helping to track and care for patients with chronic diseases, remove barriers for care, and improve coordination.

Joyce Dobbertin, MD, believes the hospital's MEDITECH system helps them to meet the state's wellness objectives, despite limited staff and resources. "I cannot imagine how we would be able to extract and analyze patient data without the help of our EMR," she says. "It really is crucial to our care processes, as well as the improved reimbursement we receive from the insurance companies. With critical information available at our fingertips, Corner Medical and Northeastern Vermont are leading the way in transforming how care is delivered across the state."

Catholic Healthcare East: ACO Model Makes Quality Care Financially Viable
Catholic Healthcare East (Newtown Square, PA) is one facility that is making strides in the areas of disease management and interoperability—most notably, through its involvement in a Health Information Exchange (HIE) and micro-Accountable Care Organization with network hospitals.

According to Michael McCoy, MD, CMIO, participating in HIEs and ACOs is not just aiding in Catholic Healthcare's chronic disease initiatives, but is also decreasing the overall cost of administered care. "For one of our facilities, Mercy Medical Center, participation in the micro-ACO model has already led to revenues of $1 million in 2008 and $3 million in 2009," he says. "Our ability to more efficiently track and treat patients with chronic diseases will also play a huge role in making us more financially viable over the long haul. This is the way of the future."