Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Innovative Approaches to Improve Population Health

The “second curve” of population health involves an integrated approach to improving patient and community health. Three Dignity Health hospitals in Bakersfield, California—Mercy Hospital Downtown, Mercy Hospital Southwest and Memorial Hospital—have expanded population health initiatives for 10 years. Today Mercy and Memorial Hospitals coordinate more than 45 outreach programs and collaborate with several hundred different community partners. Proactive and systematic patient education and mature community partnerships to collaborate on community-based solutions are among the tactics that contribute to an organizational infrastructure that supports population health and transition to health care’s second curve.  These and other tactics are described in the HPOE guide “The Second Curve of Population Health.” Mercy and Memorial Hospitals staff three outreach centers located in the most vulnerable areas of Bakersfield and provide many services and programs, both health and non-health related. Empowerment seminars help patients self-manage diabetes and other chronic conditions, and 93% of those patients have avoided hospital and ED admissions for six months after their participation. In the Homemaker Care job training program, 66% of participants have gained employment within six months. The Community Health Initiative of Kern County enrolled more than 9,500 children in health insurance programs in 2013. For more information, contact Debbie Hull, regional director, at debbie.hull@dignityhealth.org.

HPOE.org features case studies, webinars and guides from AHA resources and other groups.