by Rhonda Henschel, Director, Managed Care and Quality

Earlier this month, Health Partners presented Minnesota Oncology with an Innovation Partners in Excellence Award. The award highlights the progressive work Minnesota Oncology has done in applying the Triple Aim in oncology care.{image_1}

Minnesota Oncology was specifically recognized for demonstrating:

• Improved adherence to chemotherapy guidelines and pathways to address treatment plan variations and lower total cost of care
• Implementation of processes to reduce chemotherapy-related Emergency Department visits
• Measurement of outcomes from end-of-life care provided through implementation of My Choices, My Wishes Advance Care Planning services.{image_2}

The Triple Aim is a framework developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to optimize health system performance, and includes:

• Improving health
  • Minnesota Oncology improved the quality of care we deliver by decreasing unexplained clinical variation in chemotherapy prescribing
• Enhancing the patient experience (quality and satisfaction)
  • Minnesota Oncology implemented the one-on-one patient education for self-management of chemotherapy side effects, created access to same day urgent provider visits, established a direct admission process from the office to avoid the Emergency Department when possible, and implemented the My Choices, My Wishes Values & Goals Assessment to address patients’ goals for end of life care.
• Taking aim at affordability
  • Minnesota Oncology reduced the rate of chemotherapy-related Emergency Department visits by 31% at the Minneapolis Clinic, and reduced total cost of drug spend through implementation of the Off-Pathway Approval Process by up to 30% based on previously published data.

This award is the result of the wonderful commitment of the physicians and staff to delivering patient-centric care. Thank you for all you do!