December 13, 2012
(December 13, 2012 — PORTLAND) Kaiser Permanente Northwest and Kaiser Permanente Southern California have been named the top-performing HMO health plans in the National Business Coalition on Health’s 2012 eValue8TM survey, released today.
“The eValue8 results are a testament to the organization’s dedication to patient-centered care coordination in every aspect of our delivery system,” said Maureen Wright, MD, assistant medical director for quality for Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We’re proud of this recognition because it shows that we work hard to align our quality improvement efforts with the needs of our employer customers.”
Kaiser Permanente Northwest received high scores on a variety of measurements: chronic disease management, prescription management, and provider management.
Kaiser Permanente also received the top ranking in behavioral health management. The eValue8 survey focused on identification and management of addiction and depression, and Kaiser Permanente physicians say that’s where the care model shines.
“What sets us apart is we have a dedicated department of addiction management,” said Brad Anderson, MD, chief of addiction medicine for Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We have long recognized that this is a medical disease, with treatment integrated into the patient’s care plan. Our primary care physicians do an excellent job of identifying these conditions, because we have addiction medicine clinicians located in our facilities. This de-stigmatizes the disease and improves access to care.”
Utilized by employers and business groups to help them choose the best health plans for their employees, eValue8 collects data about how plans manage critical processes that improve overall quality and disease management, ensure patient safety, close gaps in care, control costs, and cut down on waste.
