Grants Approved, 2004–2005 Task Force on the Future of Health Insurance Medicare's Future Health Care in New York City Health Care Quality Improvement and Efficiency Special Populations (Quality of Care for Underserved Populations, Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy, Child Development and Preventive Care, Picker/Commonwealth Program on Quality of Care for Frail Elders) Patient-Centered Primary Care Initiative International Program in Health Policy and Practice Communications Organizations Working with Foundations Summation of Program Authorizations Printable version of this article (50 pages)

Montefiore Medical Center $124,244.00 Linking Pediatric Emergency Departments to Primary Care In 2000, one of six emergency department (ED) visits by children under age 15 was classified as non-urgent. This project will test whether linking pediatric ED patients with primary care sites could decrease non-urgent visits over time. Activities will include: 1) faxing a record of the ED visit to the patient's primary care physician if there is one; 2) calling the family to arrange for a follow-up visit; 3) identifying a primary care site and appropriate health insurance for children lacking either; and 4) counseling patients on the best way to seek health care services. If the intervention is shown to be effective and is broadly disseminated, thousands of unnecessary ED encounters in New York could be avoided, with significant cost savings. Montefiore Medical Center will provide in-kind support. Andrew Racine, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Section in General Pediatrics 1621 Eastchester Road Bronx, NY 10461 Tel: (718) 405-8092 aracine@montefiore.org New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation $165,000.00 Using Emergency Department Coordinators to Link Adults to Primary Care Clinics The Bellevue Primary Care Clinic in New York has instituted several initiatives to improve access to primary care providers and reduce waiting times in the clinic. Nevertheless, many patients continue to rely on the emergency department (ED) for routine primary care. With the assistance of a patient care coordinator, the project will test whether initiating and guiding patients through a primary care office visit at the time of the ED visit could increase future use of primary care services. Project staff will assess patients' satisfaction with their visits and identify the reasons patients rely on the ED for non-urgent care. Findings will help guide Bellevue and other facilities in their efforts to foster appropriate utilization of health services. Bellevue Hospital Center will provide in-kind support for this project. Robert Hessler, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Director, Department of Emergency Medicine 462 First Avenue Room, #345 New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 562-3346 rh33@nyu.edu New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation $125,000.00 Comparing Diabetes Care Management Models to Improve Primary Care Access Commonwealth/Health Services Improvement Fund Grant The Queens Health Network (QHN) in New York City has developed disease management programs for its chronically ill patients, reporting measurable success for its diabetic patients. Now QHN is seeking to incorporate care management interventions into its primary care for patients requiring the more intensive one-on-one support of a qualified clinician. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of three care management models for diabetic patients: two models that will employ nurses as care managers and test different levels of engagement by the primary care provider, and one model, staffed by a nurse practitioner, to test the impact of expanding the care manager's role to conduct additional activities. The study will monitor care utilization, medical costs, and clinical measures, as well as self-management behaviors and outcomes. The model that is most successful could be incorporated in QHN's general approach to treating chronic illness. Rand David, M.D. Director, Department of Ambulatory Care Elmhurst Hospital Center 79-01 Broadway, Room D-1-24 Elmhurst, NY 11373 Tel: (718) 334-2490 davidr@nychhc.org United Hospital Fund of New York $120,000.00 Modeling Options for Improving Health Insurance in New York Commonwealth/Health Services Improvement Fund Grant Senior staff at the United Hospital Fund (UHF) and Commonwealth Fund will jointly develop a framework for expanding and improving insurance coverage for New Yorkers. Key elements of the framework will include: 1) achieving major reductions in the numbers of uninsured people; 2) reducing "churning" in coverage and insurance instability; 3) making insurance affordable for lower-income working adults; and 4) leveraging public insurance programs to improve quality and efficiency. The project team will explore possible ways of financing a coverage expansion-from tapping into existing flows of funds to identifying new financing sources-and estimate the impact on coverage and costs. UHF will provide cofunding for the project, in addition to convening state health policy leaders to discuss coverage and financing issues. David A. Gould, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for Program 350 Fifth Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10118 Tel: (212) 494-0740 dgould@uhfnyc.org     Previous | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Next Previous Article | Next Article