Page 12 Vc tJ ( _C MMIJNITV ~h~ - October 3, 2012
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From page 1
emphasis on in-home care for some
patients.
One new trend, he said, is a re-
turn to "the old days" when doctors
drove to their patients' homes and
treated them there.
"We want to reduce unneces-
sary admissions," Mutlins said, add-
ing that approximately 20 percent of
patients could be "handled different-
ly" - particularly in regard to hospi-
tal admissions. That, he said, could
lower costs to patients, insurers and
businesses that pay for insurance.
He showed a short video of
such a program run by PresbYterian
Health Services of New Mexico,
which depicted a doctor and nurse
visiting an elderly woman who was the level that we can do this kind of
being treated in her home for lung stuff, but at the same time our rev-
problems, enue is shrinking."
Mullins said new technology al- The other major change that Sa-
lows medical personnel to "virtually maritan is responding to is the Ore-
connect" into patients' homes, even gon Health Plan's Coordinated Care
testing blood chemistry in absentia. Organization, created by landmark
He said Samaritan is on the legislation over the past two years
forefront of the home care approach and implemented on Aug. 1.
to medicine, particularly in the area CCOs are health plans that in-
of mental health, in which early in- clude of all types of health care pro-
tervention often can stave off bigger viders who have agreed to work to-
problems, gether in their local communities for
He said, for instance, that a people covered by the Oregon Health
psychiatrist can sit at a console with Plan -- Oregon's version of Medic-
multiple screens and watch and lis- aid, the: government insurance that
ten as resident doctors in training is mainly for low-income residents.
talk with patients at other locations. Mullins said about 10 to 15 percent
"We're going through a huge of the state's population are covered
information technology transfor- by the Oregon Health Plan and will
mation," Mullins said. "We have to be served by the CCO approach.
get our innovative activities up to He said the CCO is a more ag-
gressive approach to health care than
even the accountable care organiza-
tions (ACO) that is a centerpiece Of
the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act - Obamacare.
"Our model is a little like an
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ACO on steroids," Mullins said.
He said that although alterna-
tives to hospital care will be used in
the system, "we still have to be able
to take care of people who need to
come into the hospital."
Mullins noted that, whereas
heart patients used to be sent to
Portland for major procedures such
as open heart surgery, an open heart
program began in 1996-at Good Sa-
maritan hospital in Corvallis.
"Survival rates increased dra-
matically," he said, adding that Sa-
maritan is using that approach for
other specialized procedures, work-
ing to make sure they are within pa-
tients' reach.
Muilins showed a schematic of
plans for the medical campus across
from Samaritan Lebanon Communi-
ty Hospital, which already includes
the COMP-NW medical school, Sam
Fit and the future veterans home,
already under construction after
ground was broken two weeks ago.
Other elements of the plans include
a chronic disease management cen-
ter, an 80-room hotel complex (with
a pool), and a meeting area that will
accomodate up to 400 people for
conferences and events.
"The Health Services Campus
will exceed anything we've ever
done," he said. But it hasn't been
easy.
"Samaritan employees are do-
ing the heavy lifting right now," he
said in regard to the planning pro-
cess. "They have to do more with
less."
He said what Samaritan is try-
• ing to do is "transform, not reduce"
its workforce, and cited the veterans
home as an example of where that
may happen, should Samaritan be
chosen to provide medical staffing
for the home, which is run by the Or-
egon Department of Veteran Affairs.
Mullins also discussed Sweet
Home's medical needs and stated
that Samaritan has plans for the com-
munity, but he and Becky Pape, CEO
of SLCH both said that they aren't
far enough along yet to divulge and
didn't want to fan speculation.
"It's kind of hard," Mullins said.
"The economic uncertainty makes us
pause before we take on another proj-
ect." He said Samaritan was under
pressure "a few years ago" to build
a new facility for SLC.H and noted
how disastrous that would have been
in the current economic climate.
"I'd rather keep people work-
ing, quite candidly, than build struc-
tures," he said. "We're trying to have
a sustainable system that works. I
don't think you'd tolerate it i, ery
well if it didn't."
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