Univera Healthcare Awards Hospitals $26 Million for Quality Improvements

Fifty-four upstate New York hospitals and health centers last year earned $26 million in quality improvement incentive payments from Univera Healthcare and its Rochester-based parent as part of the health insurer’s Hospital Performance Incentive Program. In the past nine years quality performance incentives from Univera Healthcare have exceeded $145 million.

“Our many years of working with our hospital partners to drive improvement in quality of care and patient safety by linking payments to improvements in health outcomes provides a strong foundation for the new models of collaboration anticipated with health care reform." said Carrie Frank, vice president of quality and health informatics at Univera Healthcare.

Participating in this program in 2012 were nineteen Western New York hospitals and health centers, including Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York (2 sites), Catholic Health System (3 hospitals), Chautauqua Integrated Delivery System, Eastern Niagara Health System (2 hospitals), Erie County Medical Center, Kaleida Health (5 hospitals), Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, United Memorial Medical Center and Women’s Christian Association (WCA) Hospital.

“Our team at Mount St. Mary’s has worked hard to meet and surpass the goals of the Hospital Performance Incentive Program to achieve positive outcomes in clinical care through our healing without harm initiative (patient safety), through improving our patients’ experience (patient satisfaction) and in reducing readmissions,” said Judith A. Maness, president and CEO of Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Center in Lewiston, New York.

“Our Health Ministry continues its close collaboration with Univera Healthcare and in doing so we are providing our patients with the highest quality of care in an effective and efficient manner,” added Maness. “The Hospital Performance Incentive Program continues to be a success for our facility as well as others through Univera’s commitment to continuous quality improvement.”

Launched in 2004, the Hospital Performance Incentive Program evaluates participating hospitals on more than 300 performance measures. In 2012, hospitals achieved 87 percent of all target quality levels. Target outcomes are jointly agreed upon by each hospital and the health insurer using benchmarks established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Leapfrog Group, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and others.

Four areas are targeted for improvement:

Clinical Outcomes – Focused on improvements in heart attack care, heart failure and pneumonia care
Patient Safety – Focused on reductions in hospital-acquired infections, improved medication reconciliation processes, surgical care and National Quality Forum Safe Practices
Patient Perception of Care and Patient Satisfaction – Focused on a hospital’s use of a national survey tool

Efficiency – Focused on generics utilization, length of stay, and readmissions"Univera Healthcare has continued to advance the program whereby hospitals are now required to measure surgical and clinical care composites as hospital contracts open for negotiation,” said Frank. “It is anticipated that this focus will further drive performance improvement to national performance levels in important measures as identified by CMS."The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is the US federal agency which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

According to the most recent data on hospital-acquired infections available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, there were an estimated 24,000 hospital-acquired infections in upstate New York in 2010, and more than 1,000 deaths were likely to have occurred as a result.

 
Interviews with Ms. Maness can be arranged by contacting Fred Caso VP Community Relations Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center, 298-2146, Email fred.caso@MSMH.org

Univera Healthcare is a nonprofit health plan that is part of a family of companies financing and delivering health services for more than 1.8 million upstate New Yorkers. Based in Buffalo, the health plan serves more than 145,000 members across the eight counties that comprise Western New York.

Learn more about Univera Healthcare:
On the Web at http://www.univerahealthcare.com
On Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Univera_WNY
Or YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/Univerahealthcare

Univera Healthcare Donates 280 Blankets to St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy

Univera Healthcare delivered a donation of 280 fleece blankets to St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy on Buffalo's east side to help keep their residents and others warm during the cold winter weather. St. Luke's Mission of Mercy participates in the "Code Blue" emergency plan established by the City of Buffalo and the Western New York Homeless Coalition. When temperatures drop sufficiently - or the wind chill is especially bitter - Code Blue is announced on local TV and radio stations. St. Luke's and other participating organizations then open their doors even wider to provide shelter for anyone, especially the chronically homeless who often do not want to reside in shelters. 

Pictured (L-R)
From St. Luke's Mission of Mercy: James Rathman, Brenda Fernandez and Gino Grasso

GREENFIELD TERRACE IS OPEN RESIDENTS BEGIN MOVING IN

(LANCASTER, NEW YORK) The first week of February twelve (12) residents moved into their new home and new way of life at GreenField Terrace, the newest addition to The GreenFields Continuing Care Community on Broadway in Lancaster, adding memory care and enhanced assisted living to the list of senior living services provided on campus.

Residents were warmly greeted by their Care Partners, staff, and family members who showed them around, set up their rooms, and introduced them to their new home. It was easy to see they were notably impressed with the ambience at GreenField Terrace, which is especially designed to be just like home, giving residents individual choices, helping them develop caring relationships, and providing nurturing support. When asked how everything was going, one woman exclaimed, “This is so nice! It’s like home.”

GreenField Terrace consists of four separate houses surrounding an inviting enclosed courtyard. In three of the houses, residents requiring memory care receive individualized attention 24 hours a day. In the fourth house, people whose needs fall between traditional assisted living and skilled nursing receive the enhanced assisted living care they need. Residents are able to decide what time they want to get up, when they want to eat, and what activities they want to do each day – just like home. In addition, everyone in the household works together to make decisions concerning the household, such as what the weekly menu should be or whether or not to have a pet become part of their household.

Life at GreenField Terrace includes three home-style meals each day, 24-hour assistance with daily living activities and medication management, housekeeping/laundry services, and scheduled medical transportation, along with social, cultural, educational, spiritual, and recreational programs. Twenty-four hour security and an emergency response system are also provided.

GreenField Terrace is part of The GreenFields Continuing Care Community where each resident has priority access to all the services provided on campus – residential apartment homes, assisted living apartments, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, outpatient therapy and, now, memory care and enhanced assisted living. There is no entrance fee at The GreenFields. 

To learn more contact Lori Hannon, Senior Living Director for The GreenFields, 5953 Broadway, Lancaster NY 14086, (716) 684-8400 or lhannon@niagaralutheran.org or Vivian Cosentino, Marketing Coordinator at (716) 684-8400 / vcosentino@niagaralutheran.org.

The GreenFields Continuing Care Community is located at 5949-5979 Broadway in Lancaster. GreenField Health & RehabilitationCenter opened its doors in 1998. GreenField Manor and GreenField Court opened in 2001. All are affiliates of the Niagara Lutheran Health System, along with the Niagara Lutheran Home and Rehabilitation, which has served the people of Buffalo for 55 years.

Boomers benefit from hearing aids as they stay in the workforce longer

(ARA) - Let’s face it. The Great Recession put a kink in many American’s retirement plans. Combine that financial blow with the general uncertainty regarding Medicare and the future cost of private health insurance. 

As a result, more boomers are staying in the workforce longer. In fact, between 2006 and 2016 the number of older people in the workforce is expected to soar, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Workers between the ages of 55 and 64 are expected to increase by 36.5 percent; the number of workers between 65 and 74 is expected to climb by 83.4 percent, and even the number of workers who are 75 and older is expected to grow by 84.3 percent. By 2016, the BLS says, workers age 65 and over are expected to make up 6.1 percent of the total labor force—a steep jump from their 3.6 percent share in2006.

So what does this mean for individuals? It means people need to do what they can to age productively. It means they need to take charge of their health - including their hearing health - so they can maximize their chances for success on the job. Along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it’s important that boomers routinely get their hearing checked - and that they address any hearing loss so it doesn’t undermine their efforts on the job or their quality of life.

Gone are the days of ignoring hearing difficulties. There are no more excuses. And given the technological advances of modern hearing aids, and the compelling data that illustrate the downside of leaving hearing loss unaddressed, there’s only one reasonable course of action. Maturing workers should be getting their hearing checked. And if there is hearing loss, they should discuss with their hearing healthcare provider whether or not hearing aids could help.

Consider this: More than 34 million Americans suffer from hearing loss - about 11 percent of the U.S. population - and 60 percent of them are below retirement age, according to the Better Hearing Institute (www.betterhearing.org). Research shows that the use of hearing aids reduces the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77 percent for those with severe to moderate hearing loss. Those with moderate-to-severe hearing loss who use hearing aids are twice as likely to be employed as their peers who do not use hearing aids. And three out of four hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life due to wearing hearing aids. The vast majority of people with hearing loss, in fact, could benefit from hearing aids.

More good news: Today’s employers recognize the changing demographics of the modern aging workforce and increasingly are making efforts to hold onto their older workers. Employers value the experience that mature employees bring to the job - along with the strong work ethic and other positive attributes that older workers tend to possess.

More and more companies, in fact, engage in workplace wellness programs to help keep their employees in good health. And hearing health - including hearing checks - is increasingly included in these programs.

“Never before has good hearing been so important - or so attainable,” says Dr. Sergei Kochkin, Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute. “When people with even mild hearing loss use hearing aids, they improve their job performance, increase their earning potential, enhance their communication skills, improve their professional and interpersonal relationships, and stave off depression.

“I urge anyone planning to stay in the workforce longer to take that first, most critical step to optimizing your hearing health and enhancing your chances for career success by taking a confidential, online hearing check at www.hearingcheck.org. It will help you determine if you may need a more thorough hearing test by a hearing health professional,” Kochkin continues. “Your hearing health and continued job success are within your control.”

Source of Article: Better Hearing Institute, September 2012
www.betterhearing.org

Medical 411: Low Testosterone in Men With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Endocrinology Center Conducts Clinical Study
Low Testosterone, Diabetes, Obesity and Erectile Dysfunction

Financial Compensation Available to Qualifying Participants

by Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D.

Testosterone is the principal sex hormone in males. It is important, not only for normal sexual function, but also for maintaining bone and muscle strength, mental and physical energy and overall well-being.

Research conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY at Buffalo) over the last decade shows one-third of men with type 2 diabetes also have low testosterone concentrations. The major determinant of testosterone concentrations in these men is obesity, and an increase in body weight leads to lower testosterone levels. A quarter of obese men without diabetes also have low testosterone. Our most recent study shows that obese boys at end of puberty have 50% lower testosterone concentrations than lean boys.

We have found that the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is increasing among all age groups and a significant number among them are likely to be in their prime reproductive years. The fact that one-third of these men have low testosterone is significant in terms of inadequate sexual function and potential infertility. However, the problem of low testosterone is not confined to just sexual and reproductive function but also to cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in inner lining of arteries, which are precursors of "heart attack").

Inflammation (the process by which the body responds to injury/infection) is believed to play an essential role in the cause of atherosclerosis. Men with low testosterone have more inflammation and heart disease than those with normal testosterone. This means that urgent measures need to be taken to prevent the massive and progressive epidemic of type 2 diabetes which, in its wake, results in hypogonadism (a condition where sex glands produce little or no hormones), resulting in type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Testosterone replacement is indicated in symptomatic men with low testosterone for maintaining secondary sexual characteristics, improving sexual function, sense of well being and bone mineral density, as well as for increasing muscle mass and reducing fat mass. There are different formulations available to replace testosterone: intramuscular injection, gel or patches.

Now the Endocrinology division of SUNY at Buffalo is conducting research studies on the impact of testosterone replacement on body composition, fertility, inflammation and atherosclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes or obesity. To learn more and find out if you are eligible to participate in this important and ongoing research study visit http://diabetes endocrinologycenterofwny.com/index.html or call 716-626-7998. 
About the Author:

Sandeep Dhindsa, MD is an American Diabetes Association-funded researcher from State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Dhindsa and Paresh Dandona, MD were the first researchers to assess the prevalence of hypogonadism in men with diabetes and obesity. Dr. Dhindsa recommends that men with either obesity or diabetes have their testosterone levels tested regularly.

Mammograms Every Two Years May Be OK for Older Women

Yearly test leads to more false positive results, say researchers

Among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results, according to a new study. The national study of more than 140,000 women between the ages of 66 and 89 appears online February 5, 2013, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

"Screening every other year, as opposed to every year, does not increase the probability of late-stage breast cancer in older women," said lead author Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, a University of California/San Francisco assistant professor. "Moreover, the presence of other illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease made no difference in the ratio of benefit to harm."

From 1999 to 2006, data were collected on 2,993 older women with breast cancer and 137,949 women without breast cancer – "the largest available screening mammography data set in the United States," according to Braithwaite. The researchers found no difference in rates of late-stage breast cancer between women screened annually and women screened biennially.

However, they found that 48 percent of women between the ages of 66 and 74 who were screened every year had false positive results, while 29 percent of women in the same age range who were screened every two years had false positives.

The researchers said that women aged 66 to 74 years who choose to undergo screening mammography should be screened every two years. They added that these women get no added benefit from annual screening, and face almost twice the false positives and biopsy recommendations, which may cause anxiety and inconvenience.

Braithwaite noted that the study "fills an important information gap, since accountable care organizations do not address screening intervals or screening cessation in women of advanced age or with a significant burden of illness."

She concluded that, taken together, "these results point to a need to consider life expectancy and co-existing illnesses in informing future recommendations about cancer screening in the elderly."

Verbal Aggression: You May Have Picked It Up In the Womb, Says New Study

A new UB study has shown that verbal aggression may have biological causes that can be identified by the ratio of length of a person's ring finger and the length of the index finger.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Research on the communication trait of verbal aggressiveness, which includes behavior like name calling, ridicule, insults, racial epithets and threats, has tended to focus on its social causes.

However, a new study by a team of researchers led by Allison Z. Shaw, PhD, assistant professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, has found that verbal aggression may have biological causes that can be identified by the ratio of length of a person’s ring finger (second digit) to the length of the index finger (fourth digit).

It is the first study to use the 2D:4D ratio – considered a measure of prenatal testosterone exposure – as a determinant of verbal aggression.

The study, “The Effect of Prenatal Sex Hormones on the Development of Verbal Aggression,” was published in the Journal of Communication (Vol. 62 No. 5) and its authors include Michael R. Kotowski, assistant professor of communication, University of Tennessee, and Franklin J. Boster and Timothy R. Levine, both professors of communication at Michigan State University.

Shaw says prior research has suggested that the 2D:4D ratio can be used as a measure of exposure to androgens in utero (testosterone being a type of androgen) and a number of studies have shown a correlation between the 2D:4D ratio and various physical and behavioral traits.

The research team hypothesized that if prenatal exposure to testosterone influences the 2D:4D ratio and high levels of prenatal testosterone exposure are linked to verbal aggression, then digital ratio could predict the trait of verbal aggression.

To test this, they first measured the finger length of adult subjects from the point where fingers meet the palm to the tip, then photocopied each hand, palm down and made the same measurements. From these results they calculated each subject’s 2D:4D ratio.

The subjects then filled out the Verbal Aggression Scale and the HEXACO Personality Inventory and the Argumentativeness Scale.

The team found that men and women with smaller 2D:4D ratio reported themselves to be more verbally aggressive.

Shaw points out that, when expressed in limited contexts, verbal aggression can be beneficial to an individual but when expressed injudiciously, may have negative influences by provoking job loss, for example, or making it difficult to maintain close personal relationships.

“These findings have implications for our understanding of the proximal and distal causes of verbal aggression,” Shaw says.

“They suggest,” she says, “that verbally aggressive behavior may be provoked by biologically based differences in people’s attention to potentially threatening stimuli (such as a sigh), their appraisal of the stimuli as threatening and the resulting decision to respond and produce messages that are verbally aggressive.

“This study is the first step in gaining a better understanding of this process,” says Shaw, “and may allow us to develop more sophisticated techniques to inhibit such types of responses.”

Roswell and Catholic Health Collaborate to Bring State of the Art Women's Cancer Care to Sister's Hospital

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and Catholic Health are now providing gynecologic oncology services to women at The M. Steven Piver, MD Center for Women’s Health & Wellness, a department of Sisters of Charity Hospital, with the appointment of Stacey Nicole Akers, MD.

A specialist in gynecologic oncology and a member of RPCI’s Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Dr. Akers will help expand the Piver Center’s work in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian and other gynecologic cancers. Through this affiliation, she will bring innovative therapies and technology to women receiving gynecologic cancer treatment at Sisters Hospital — therapies that are not yet offered outside of a comprehensive cancer center like Roswell Park.

“We are very fortunate to have a physician with Dr. Akers’ training and expertise join Catholic Health’s network of providers and Sisters of Charity Hospital,” says Dr. Richard Ruh, MD, MBA, senior vice president Service Lines for Catholic Health. “This professional partnership is part of a collaborative effort with Roswell Park Cancer Institute to meet the health needs of women throughout our community.”

Dr. Akers received her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Louisville. She completed subspecialty fellowship training in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at RPCI and immediately became a member of the Roswell Park practice plan.

Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Akers received the Excellence in Clinical Research award, which is presented to 60 obstetrics and gynecology fellows annually. Her work has also been published in several professional journals and presented at a number of medical meetings.

“We are very excited to be able to have this alliance with Catholic Health through the shared appointment of Dr. Akers, who will be splitting her time between Roswell Park and Sisters Hospital,” says Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, chair of Gynecologic Oncology at RPCI. “Through this affiliation, more women in Western New York will be able to avail themselves of newer therapies that offer a better chance for longer-term survivorship from gynecologic cancers.”

“As a former member of the Roswell Park gynecologic oncology team, I have always made a commitment to the women in my care to provide the best and most innovative care available,” says M. Steven Piver, MD, founder of The Piver Center for Women’s Health & Wellness and chair emeritus of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology RPCI. “Now with this affiliation with Dr. Odunsi and his excellent team, we will be able to provide women at Sisters Hospital with the most advanced therapies.

February brings healthy fun and Beautiful Orchids to the Botanical Gardens!

Buffalo, NY - The month of February means plenty of education and entertainment at the Botanical Gardens! On February 18 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, the gardens will be offering Dollar Day. Members and kids under 3 are free! Starting on February 20 all are welcome for hatha yoga sessions from 5:30 pm-6:45 pm every Wednesday. The Botanical Gardens and Niagara Frontier and Orchid Society will also be holding an Orchid Show on February 23 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and February 24 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. Opening day of the show will also include a special feature in the Medicinal Garden to honor National Heart Month.

In the spirit of National Heart Month, the Gardens will offer gentle, relaxing yoga at the gardens for all ages and fitness levels starting on February 20. Imagine gazing up at the dome as you breathe to align your mind, body and spirit! The dates include February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24 and May 1. This class is free for eligible BlueCross BlueShield members or $100 per 10 week session or $15 each individual class. To register, contact Leanne Oldenbrook at 716.864.1194 or via e-mail at crescmnyoga@yahoo.com.

A special feature recognizing National Hearth Month will take place in the Medicinal Garden on February 23 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Activities include: botanical displays highlighting plant sources for medications used to treat various heart diseases, education regarding the ABCS of the Million Hearts National campaign aiming to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years, and blood pressure education and screenings. The Medicinal Garden was made possible by D’Youville College School of Pharmacy and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Part of Catholic Health.

Whether orchids are your passion or simply just a hobby, the Orchid show gives all guests the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful and award-winning displays from the Buffalo Niagara Region. Garden visitors will have a chance to have all their orchid questions answered while enjoying the gorgeous Botanical Gardens, orchid displays, and various orchid-based programs. Specialty Vendors will also offer a plant sale including merchandise and supplies in addition to this educational and breath-taking show.

Admission tickets are available at the door: $9 adults, $8 seniors (55+), $8 students (13+), $5 children 3-12 and members and children under 3 are free. The Medicinal Garden presentations are included with admission.

The Niagara Frontier Orchid Society’s mission is to seek to promote the culture and enjoyment of orchids, and aims to further every member's orchid related knowledge. They are dedicated to encouraging the protection of orchids and their conservation in natural habitats around the world. For more information on the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society go to www.niagarafrontierorchids.org.

For more information visit us online at www.buffalogardens.com. The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing appreciation for and knowledge of plant life and its connection to people and cultures through its documented living plant collection, historic conservatory, education, research and exhibits.

Dr. Michael Cropp Elected Board Chairman of ACHP

Dr. Michael Cropp, president and CEO of Independent Health, was elected board chairman of a national industry group of health insurance companies for a two-year term.

Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) is a national leadership organization of 22 community-based and regional health plans and provider organizations, providing health care to 16 million Americans. ACHP focuses on innovations in affordability and quality of care, including patient care coordination, patient-centered medical homes, accountable health care delivery and use of information technology.

Independent Health has been the highest-ranked health insurance plan in the New York/New Jersey region for the past three years. 

Dr. Cropp is a board-certified family physician, and the founding chairman of the P2 Collaborative of WNY, as well as the founding chairman of Western New York Clinical Information Exchange, (HealtheLink), a consortium of community stakeholders working to provide electronic access to health information.

Dr. Cropp joined Independent Health in 1996 and has served as president and CEO since 2004. With 375,000 members, Independent Health is the second largest health insurer in the eight-county region.