Durango Medical Practice Lauded For Health Data Leadership

February 23, 2016

(ENGLEWOOD, COLO.) Mercy Family Medicine, a 22-provider medical practice in Durango, Colo., is playing an outsized role in population health management, the nationwide trend of using data to bring the most effective care options to patients with chronic conditions.

Mercy Family Medicines participation in a federal grant called the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative was instrumental in Centura Health winning the prestigious Nicholas E. Davies Enterprise Award of Excellence from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, and being given an opportunity to present at the organizations upcoming national conference in Las Vegas.

The practice, part of the Centura Health Physician Group, used its grant money to hire two nurse care coordinators and a social worker, professionals not normally found in a local doctors office. By carefully tracking patients care management needs with a risk stratification tool that the practice built itself, Mercy Family Medicine was able to demonstrate health improvements resulting in $1 million in savings to taxpayers annually.

One example: a 50-year-old diabetic who lost his business, started drinking, and was hospitalized several times. With the aid of an electronic medical record, one of the new nurse care coordinators could look up test results, make same-day appointments with multiple providers, and reach out to him regularly for support. Within three months, his diabetes and drinking were under control and he remained out of the hospital.

Usually you dont have time to do that, but having an RN care coordinator in-house, makes a world of difference, said Tamra Lavengood, comprehensive primary care coordinator for Mercy Family Medicine. Generally, primary care clinics do not have a behavioral care manager.

Mercy Family Medicines participation in Comprehensive Primary Care is one of many initiatives throughout the Centura Health system to maximize value for consumers by introducing the principles of population health management to primary care practices.

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About Mercy Regional Medical Center
Mercy Regional Medical Center is an 82-bed acute care hospital in Durango, Colorado. As a non-profit hospital that is part of the Centura Health network, Mercy is committed to improving the health and wellness of the communities it serves in the Four Corners region. See Mercy Regional Medical Center for more information.

About Centura Health
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado, Utah and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 17 hospitals, two senior living communities, health neighborhoods, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life Colorado, we are making the regions best health care accessible and affordable in every community we serve. We believe you can inspire the people you care about to live healthier lives by encouraging them to do the little things that can make a big difference. We're Centura Health, and we're here for your health. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit our homepage.