More than 20.8 million people in the United States have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. Since the 1980s the prevalence of diabetes in the United States has more than doubled and is expected to affect 39 million Americans by 2050. Payors are increasingly recognizing the impact of diabetes on the health and productivity of their members and there is growing evidence that effective management of diabetes reduces complications and reduces healthcare costs. Several organizations are reporting success in improving diabetes care coordination through the use of medical homes.

Listen to pre-conference comments from Dr. James Barr and Roberta Burgess.

During Building a Diabetes Medical Home: The Impact on Practice Work Flow, Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Costs, a 90-minute webinar on March 19, 2008 available on CD-ROM, an expert panel of speakers provided the inside details on how they have implemented the medical home model to improve outcomes for diabetes care.

Dr. James Barr, medical director, Partners in Care, and Roberta Burgess, nurse case manager, Community Care Plan of Eastern North Carolina, described how their organizations have structured the care provided to diabetes patients through the medical home model and the impact it has had on patient outcomes and healthcare costs, including:

• Identifying which practices can support the medical home model;
• Implementing care coordination strategies to service the diabetic patient;
• Measuring the outcomes and cost savings from diabetes patients treated through a medical home;
• Designing effective practice work flow to support the medical home model; and
• Developing effective reimbursement strategies for the medical home.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS AUDIO CONFERENCE?

CEOs, medical directors, disease management directors, managers and coordinators, health plan executives, care management nurses, business development and strategic planning directors, physician practice leaders

Available in three formats

• CD-ROM for computer play
• CD-ROM for stereo play
• On Demand version accessible online

Please note the stereo version ships as two CD-ROMs, whereas the .mp3 version ships as one CD-ROM.

ABOUT OUR PANELIST:

Dr. James Barr

There are many circumstances besides end-of-life needs when a patient's family should be engaged in the medical home partnership.

Dr. James Barr is a practicing family physician and medical director for the Central Jersey Physician Network IPA and Partners In Care Physician Organizations. His medical practice is consistently rated “best-of-class” by managed care organizations, utilizing electronic medical records, patient registries, hand-held technology, and office internet connectivity for patients.

Dr. Barr’s role as medical director involves “physician-driven” population management activities for large self-insured clients, health risk appraisal evaluations, analysis of utilization efficiencies, value-based benefit design modifications, and implementation of pay-for-performance incentive-based models. He is currently involved in a Patient Centered Medical Home pilot for employers in N.J.

Dr. Barr received his medical degree at Hahnemann University, Philadelphia and completed his family practice residency at Somerset Medical Center.

Roberta Burgess

Case workers facilitate patient-provider communication in Community Care Plan's diabetes medical home program, providing everything from patient transport to home visits.

Roberta Burgess is a registered nurse case manager for the Community Care Plan of Eastern Carolina (CCPEC) with Heritage Hospital in Tarboro, North Carolina. CCPEC is a part of the Community Care North Carolina Network (CCNC). CCNC is made up of 14 networks with more than 3,000 physicians across North Carolina. CCNC works area medical homes, pharmacist local health departments, hospitals and social services and community agencies to better manage the care of Medicaid and NCHC enrollees.

Prior to this position, Burgess worked as a nurse case manager with University Health Systems of Eastern North Carolina in Pitt County (PCMH) with HealthAssist, a medical access program for the uninsured. Her passion is the community; working with CCPEC Carolina Access Medicaid that reinforces standardized care of patients with diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, asthma and frequent emergency room visits.

As an instructor at Beaufort County Community College in Washington North Carolina from 2000-2002, Burgess worked to increase awareness in community health and collaborative efforts in continuity of care in the community with her students. She worked as a nurse case manager for Martin-Tyrell-Washington Health Department in partnership with Washington County School System and East Carolina University School of Nursing. Burgess had also served on the Board of Health in Washington, N.C. for two years. She worked as assistant director of nursing at Britthaven Nursing Home and was a surgical intermediate unit staff nurse at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where she educated individuals and families to reduce readmissions and foster better health. Burgess also worked on a part-time basis with Wake Medical Center in the area of public reporting.

Burgess holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Relations with a minor in Social Work from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.