The Chartis Group and HPMG partner to help providers improve outpatient care delivery systems

HealthPartners Medical Group and Clinics (HPMG) and The Chartis Group today announce a unique collaboration to help hospitals and health systems achieve superior performance in health care quality and patient service, while simultaneously lowering costs. Together, The Chartis Group, a leading national healthcare management consulting firm, and HPMG, a successful integrated healthcare delivery system in Minneapolis, will provide advisory services, program management and knowledge transfer to improve delivery of ambulatory care services.

HPMG and The Chartis Group will apply jointly developed design principles and operating model concepts to help other health systems create "patient-centered" outpatient services and prepare them to operate under the future environment of health reform and accountable care.  The Chartis Group – HPMG approach is grounded in organizational alignment, evidenced-based clinical guidelines, consistency and coordination of key care processes, and rigorous performance measurement and feedback, and is tailored to each provider organization's culture, strengths, and specific patient population characteristics.

"We share a vision for revolutionizing healthcare delivery founded on a core set of principles that is transferable to other organizations. The combination of HPMGs real-world experience and The Chartis Group's breadth of experience and project management capabilities results in a truly unique approach to transforming ambulatory care as we know it," states Melissa McCain, Principal and Director of Ambulatory Operations Redesign at The Chartis Group.

HPMG developed, implemented and improved upon its own ambulatory care systems and processes and has now successfully applied the new care model to its entire patient population of 425,000, in each of its clinics, across all payers and health conditions. To date, HPMG has achieved outstanding successes in health outcomes, patient service while simultaneously lowering cost. Results include significantly better than average percentage of patients with optimized diabetes control, 98% patient satisfaction ratings, and costs of care 10% below the statewide average. HPMG can now more effectively manage several primary care health maintenance processes, as well as chronic conditions, due to the successful implementation of its new care model. Today, HPMG has care protocols for diabetes, congestive heart failure, depression, mammography, colorectal screening and other preventative services, tobacco cessation, pediatric immunizations, child and teen well visits, and pediatric asthma. HPMG was also awarded the distinction of one of the first NCQA-designated Patient-Centered Medical Homes.

"I have had the privilege to work with dozens of health systems across the country over the last 20 years, and HPMG's quality, service and cost performance stands out among the best.  HealthPartners is delivering on the promise of the integrated healthcare model and sophisticated ambulatory care delivery that most other health systems are just beginning to assemble." shared George Sauter, Director and Leader of the Advanced Operations Practice at The Chartis Group.

The Chartis Group--whose consultants have worked with nearly half of the nation's academic medical centers, 81% of the US News and World Report Honor Roll Hospitals, and 19 of the nation's top 25 health systems--brings a disciplined approach to performance improvement and organizational change that uniquely combines rigorous analytics with an understanding and sensitivity to each client's culture, market, and organizational dynamics. Working in partnership with clinical and administrative leaders, as well as all levels of management and staff, The Chartis Group's approach bridges both strategy and execution, ensuring sustainable results that meet an organization's immediate and longer-term goals.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with one of the nation's leading healthcare consulting firms, particularly one that shares our mission to improve healthcare delivery.  The Chartis Group brings in-depth knowledge of hospitals and health systems and how they really work, a multi-faceted approach to creating enduring results, as well as a commitment to their clients that I have not experienced with other consulting firms," says Beth Waterman, Chief Improvement Officer at HealthPartners.

HPMG and The Chartis Group jointly authored a whitepaper discussing the design of ambulatory care systems of the future and have been recently featured as speakers at several national healthcare industry conferences and forums. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, providers will require flexible, responsive care models designed to support ever higher levels of performance. The Chartis Group – HPMG partnership is uniquely positioned to help providers succeed in redefining their outpatient care delivery systems to achieve simultaneous improvements in cost, health outcomes and service.