In some cases babies are being delivered between 37 and 39 weeks of gestational age for non-medically indicated reasons, having to do with the mother's comfort, family reasons, cultural preferences, or the physician's schedule or preferences. Contrary to widespread belief, elective deliveries before 39 weeks may put these babies at risk of being underdeveloped, especially in lung and brain capacity.
Employers, health plans and Medicaid programs have become increasingly concerned, and stakeholders have created multifaceted strategies to reduce the number of early deliveries that don't have a medical justification.
Join us Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 12PM Central, to hear an expert panel discuss the problems surrounding elective preterm deliveries, and strategic approaches that stakeholders can consider adopting.
Larry Boress, president and CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health, provides a purchaser perspective and defines the problem of non-medically required elective deliveries before term. He will explain why payers, employers, and Medicaid agencies are alarmed, and conduct a brief analysis of risks and costs involved in these cases, along with discussing the health consequences to mothers and infants of early deliveries and C-sections.
Harold Miller, executive director, Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, will provide a perspective on the impact of this issue for hospitals, and will address how reduction of non-medically justified early deliveries affects hospital finances, operations, and staffing. Mr. Miller will present new models for reimbursement for hospitals and physicians to discourage early deliveries, and elaborate on the consequences of moving from fee-for-service to bundled reimbursement for labor, delivery and neonatal care.
Finally, Peter Weeks, M.D., Chairman for Obstetrics & Gynecology at Edward Hospital, in Naperville, Illinois will discuss how their facility and clinicians worked with the March of Dimes to achieve a 95% reduction in elective early deliveries in 12 months. Doctor Weeks will as a part of his case study, address how education of physicians and administrators is key to get buy-in, along with implementing plus a hard-stop in scheduling, and emphasizing the importance to physicians of trouble-shooting and problem solving to alleviate worry and achieve results.
- Define the problem of non-medically required elective deliveries before term; and understand the cause for alarm by purchasers and clinicians
- Identify the risks and costs involved in these cases, and the health consequences to mothers and infants of early deliveries and C-sections.
- Consider the impact of reduction of non-medically justified early deliveries upon hospital finances, operations, and staffing
- Explore new models for reimbursement for hospitals and physicians to discourage early deliveries, and the consequences of moving from fee-for-service to bundled reimbursement for labor, delivery and neonatal care
- Learn how Edward Hospital worked with the March of Dimes to achieve a 95% reduction in elective early deliveries in 12 months
- Engage in interactive learning through live webinar providing online question submission, attendee surveys, feedback and opportunity for follow up questions, and networking with attendees, faculty and other professionals through dedicated LinkedIn group.
- C-Suite Executives
- Medical Directors
- Physicians, especially OBGYNS or leaders of physician practice groups
- Medicaid program executives and staffs
- Care Management executives and staff
- Employer Benefits executives and consultants
- Public Health officials
- Provider Relations and Contracting executives and staffs
- Other Interested Parties
Attendees would represent organizations including:
- Hospitals and Hospital Systems
- Provider Networks
- Medical Groups
- Health Plans
- Employers
- Third Party Administrators
- Community Clinics and other Safety Net Providers
- Care Management Organizations
- Associations, Institutes and Research Organizations
- State and Local Government Agencies, especially Medicaid officials
- Public Policy Makers
- Media
- Other Interested Organizations
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Individual Registration Fee: $195. Audio Conference CD-ROM: $40
for attendees; $285 for non-attendees after the event.
Corporate Site licensing also available. Click here to register or call 209.577.4888 We look forward to your participation in this event! |
Larry Boress, Midwest Business Group on Health |
Larry Boress is the Executive Director of the National
Association of Worksite Health Centers, a non-profit
association dedicated to expanding the knowledge and
capabilities of employer-sponsors of onsite health, fitness
and wellness centers. NAWHC offers educational programs,
benchmarking surveys, networking opportunities and resources
for employer sponsors and the vendor partners who manage or
support their worksite facilities. Larry is also President and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, one of the nation’s leading non-profit business coalitions. MBGH serves as a resource for employers seeking to get more value from their health benefit dollars and greater engagement of their workforces in improving their own health. He joined the coalition in 1991 and became its president in 2006. Founded in 1980, the Chicago-based MBGH is composed of over 100 major, self-funded, public and private employers having headquarters or employee populations in the Chicago metropolitan area. Mr. Boress leads a number of community health improvement initiatives, including those on patient safety, to reduce unnecessary early deliveries, smoking cessation and helping patients avoid adverse events. Prior to joining MBGH in 1991, he spent 17 years at the Illinois State Medical Society. During that time, he assisted physicians in their practices and represented the medical profession in its relationships with hospitals, regulatory agencies and affiliated professional organizations. |
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Harold Miller, Executive Director Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform |
Harold D. Miller is the Executive Director of the Center for
Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (www.chqpr.org)
and the President and CEO of the Network for Regional
Healthcare Improvement (www.nrhi.org).
He also serves as Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and
Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Miller is a nationally-recognized expert on healthcare payment and delivery reform, and has given invited testimony to Congress on how to reform healthcare payment. He has authored a number of papers and reports on health care payment and delivery reform, including “From Volume to Value: Better Ways to Pay for Healthcare,” which appeared in the September 2009 issue of Health Affairs, the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform’s reports How to Create Accountable Care Organizations and Transitions to Accountable Care, and the American Medical Association’s report Pathways for Physician Success Under Healthcare Payment and Delivery Reforms. He is currently helping Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives and state governments in a number of states to design and implement payment and delivery system reforms. |
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Peter Weeks, M.D. Chairman, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Edward Hospital |
With over 18 years of experience, Dr. Peter J. Weeks is a
board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing at
Edward Hospital in Naperville and Central DuPage Hospital in
Winfield. Dr. Weeks’ seeks to provide compassionate,
personal and comprehensive care to women throughout their
lives. “I especially enjoy the lifelong bonds I have with my
patients,” he says. Special interests of practice include
both low-risk and high-risk Obstetrics, laparoscopic
surgery, treatment of abnormal bleeding, and infertility. Dr. Weeks received his medical degree at Rush University in Chicago, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, serving as Chief Resident, and receiving numerous resident and research awards. Currently the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Edward Hospital, Dr. Weeks has also been Medical Director of the department there since 2004. He is a Fellow in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as a member of the American Medical Association. |
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