Denver Health is a comprehensive, integrated organization with multiple components including a 500-bed main hospital at Eighth Avenue and Bannock Street that houses the Rocky Mountain Regional Level 1 Trauma Center, the only academic level 1 trauma center in the area; 911 medical response system for the City and County of Denver; Denver Public Health Department; 8-clinic network of Family Health Centers throughout the city; 12-clinic network of school-based health centers in Denver public schools; Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center; NurseLine, a telephone advice line that offers assistance to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week; Denver CARES, a safe setting for public inebriates with community detoxification services; Correctional Care; and Denver Health Medical Plan, Inc. Courtesy of Denver Health

Redmond, Wash., and Denver, USA - April 20, 2011

Microsoft Corp. today announced early results from a Chronic Condition Management (CCM) platform deployment at Denver Health.

The platform is the foundation of a larger program designed to encourage patients to self-manage conditions.

Founded on the banks of Cherry Creek in 1860, Denver Health reflects the historical mission of our nation’s public safety net hospitals. Denver Health is the Rocky Mountain Region’s Level 1 academic trauma center, and the safety net hospital for the Denver area. Courtesy of Denver Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes affects more than 25 million people, or a little more than 8 percent of the U.S. population.

Microsoft Corp. announced early results from a Chronic Condition Management (CCM) platform deployment at Denver Health. The platform is the foundation of a larger program designed to encourage patients to self-manage conditions. Courtesy of Denver Health

Because of this, during the demonstration and study phases of the program, Denver Health first assessed the effectiveness of a between-visit, chronic-disease management program for its high-risk diabetes patients.

The program is based on a bidirectional, CCM platform that enables patient-provider communication.

Patricia A. Gabow, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, Denver Health. Courtesy of Denver Health

It facilitates patient-provided data collection through text message queries to diabetic patients about home blood sugar measurements and also facilitates sending reminders to patients of upcoming appointments.

Denver Health integrates acute hospital and emergency care with public and community health to deliver preventive, primary and acute care services. This integration promotes continuity of care for each patient. Integration also assures health care that is delivered in the most efficient, cost-effective setting. Courtesy of Denver Health

Case coordinators at Denver Health review self-reported patient data and follow up with patients by phone, in accordance with established clinical guidelines.

Paul Melinkovich, MD, Director, Community Health Services, Denver Health. Courtesy of Denver Health

In the first phase of Denver Health’s CCM program, patients both responded to the text messages and improved their home glucose monitoring.

Providers reported on the engagement of patients around their diabetes care and on the identification of patients suffering from low blood sugar.

Denver Health Campus Map Courtesy of Denver Health

“The long-standing model of chronic disease management through the standard provider office visit does not support the patients’ need to manage their disease on a daily basis. We believe that using bidirectional communications within a chronic condition management system may be an effective method to provide care for chronic conditions beyond the traditional clinic setting,” said Andy Steele, M.D., director of Medical Informatics at Denver Health.

Denver Health’s Emergency Department was expanded in 2008 to include the Denver Emergency Center for Children, a new pediatric Emergency Department and Urgent Care Center, designed specially for the needs of children. Courtesy of Denver Health

The CCM platform was developed using several integrated Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

This software, coupled with EMC Corp.’s healthcare process design and technology development service, which was implemented by EMC Consulting as part of its trusted-advisor role on the project, creates a flexible platform for providers of any size to address a number of chronic diseases, each with increasing program complexity.

“We are considering expanding the CCM platform to integrate with other clinical databases in order to identify and reach out to at-risk patients,” said Gregg Veltri, chief information officer at Denver Health.

Denver Health’s Emergency Department was expanded in 2008 to include the Denver Emergency Center for Children, a new pediatric Emergency Department and Urgent Care Center, designed specially for the needs of children. Courtesy of Denver Health

“Changes in reimbursement policies are driving the need for organizations to quickly develop strategies and deploy programs to reduce re-admission rates for patients with chronic conditions,” said Jack Hersey, general manager for the U.S. Public Sector Health and Human Services at Microsoft.
“Solutions such as Denver Health’s Chronic Condition Management platform can have an immediate impact on re-admission rates and are easily replicated and implemented as part of any hospital or clinic’s at-home chronic condition management programs.”

The program is based on a bidirectional, CCM platform that enables patient-provider communication. The CCM platform was developed using several integrated Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Courtesy of Denver Health

“Denver Health is always looking for new ways to improve patient care, and EMC is pleased to be collaborating with them and with Microsoft on this innovative initiative. These types of efforts can have far-reaching impacts on the healthcare industry, and EMC is constantly striving to help its customers to better use technology to enhance patient care and streamline the healthcare delivery process,” said David Dimond, national healthcare leader, EMC Consulting.

More information about how Microsoft solutions and EMC’s consulting services can be used to build innovative provider technology solutions is available at

http://www.microsoft.com/health/en-us/solutions/Pages/chronic-condition-management.aspx  

and

http://www.emc.com/services/consulting/industry/expertise/healthcare.htm  


About Denver Health


Denver Health is the Rocky Mountain Region’s Level 1 academic trauma center, and the safety net hospital for the Denver area.

The Denver Health system, which integrates acute and emergency care with public and community health, includes the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center, Denver’s 911 emergency medical response system, Denver Health Paramedic Division, eight family health centers, 13 school-based health centers, the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, NurseLine, Correctional Care, Denver CARES, Denver Public Health, the Denver Health Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Center for Medical Response to Terrorism, Mass Casualties and Epidemics.


About Microsoft in Health


Microsoft is committed to improving health around the world through software innovation.

Over the past 13 years, Microsoft has steadily increased its investments in health with a focus on addressing the challenges of health providers, health and social services organizations, payers, consumers and life sciences companies worldwide.

Microsoft closely collaborates with a broad ecosystem of partners and delivers its own powerful health solutions, such as Amalga, HealthVault, and a portfolio of identity and access management technologies acquired from Sentillion Inc. in 2010.

Together, Microsoft and its industry partners are working to deliver health solutions for the way people aspire to work and live.


About Microsoft


Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Source: Microsoft

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx  


Video
Denver Health

http://www.youtube.com/denverhealth  

http://www.youtube.com/denverhealth#p/u/9/X2ySMxBAF0Y  

http://www.youtube.com/denverhealth#p/u/55/vBoQg7M0Uy4  



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