Care Coordination targets better health outcomes

Nationwide, the health care system tends to be primarily reactive – a person becomes sick and the health care providers attempt to fix the problem. This is an inefficient and often ineffective approach.

As an alternative, CareOregon and CareOregon Advantage proactively identify members who are at greatest risk for poor outcomes, and provide assistance before they experience a health crisis. Made up of Health Care Guides, RNs and Behavioral Health Coordinators, our Care Coordination teams work one-on-one with members to help them stabilize their health, follow their PCP’s recommendations and make lifestyle changes that improve wellness.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, care coordination, and disease self-management support, it is possible to improve the quality of our members’ lives, improve their health outcomes, and reduce emergency department visits and hospital stays. Ultimately, we can better meet the needs of our members and reduce costs simultaneously.

Care Coordination teams worked one-on-one with approximately 6,000 CareOregon members to help improve overall health in 2005. We saw both better outcomes in health and a 19 percent decrease in overall costs from the previous year, largely due to a decrease in hospitalization and Emergency Room visits. We are currently conducting health risk assessments with all of our CareOregon Advantage members to see if they will benefit from care coordination.