The Partnership for Patient Care (PPC) is a collaboration with Independence Blue Cross which began in 2006 to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based clinical practices by pooling the resources, knowledge, and efforts of healthcare providers. This unique collaboration between payer and providers has been recognized as a national model. In December 2008, Independence Blue Cross renewed its support of the Partnership for Patient Care with funding of $3 million from 2009 through 2011. Click here to see the press release.
Current Partnership for Patient Care initiatives include:
- The PAVE (Preventing AVoidable Episodes) Project: Smoothing the Way for Better Transitions. This 18-month initiative, launched on May 26, 2010 at a regional symposium at The Union League of Philadelphia, focuses on strategies to improve care transitions and reduce preventable hospital readmissions in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Click here for more information on this initiative. Click here to see the agenda, keynote speaker presentations, and materials from the May 26, 2010 symposium.
- Development of a strong culture of safety in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The nationally prominent consulting firm Healthcare Performance Improvement, LLP (HPI) works with area hospitals to achieve high-reliability performance. HPI's methods integrate traditional cultural improvement concepts with new ideas from human factor science. Partnership for Patient Care funds partially support the cost of a Safety Culture Diagnostic Assessment at each hospital or health system. For more information, click here.
- Prevention of C. difficile infections, an initiative that commenced at a regional conference on November 12, 2009. Click here for more information on this initiative and to view the agenda and presentation materials from the November 12 Regional Clostridium difficile Conference held at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
- A Regional Demonstration Project to Improve the Safe Use of HYDROmorphone. This initiative, a collaboration between HCIF and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), was launched in February 2011.
Click here for more information.
- CT Radiation Dose Safety. This 12-month collaborative, launched on June 7, 2011 at a conference at ECRI Institute, aims to improve CT radiation dose safety in hospitals, affiliated imaging centers, and free-standing imaging centers across Southeastern Pennsylvania. Under the leadership of ECRI Institute, the goals, measures and strategies were developed with input from a 12-member Advisory Committee from six hospitals.
For information on the Partnership for Patient Care's 2006-2009 initiatives, click here.