Center for Health Value Innovation Releases White Paper: Value-Based Design Manages Costs, Improves Health for Public Sector Employers

Further strengthening its leadership role to institute meaningful change in health care nationwide, the Center for Health Value Innovation (www.vbhealth.org), the nation's premier information exchange for value-based design, has released a white paper: "Value-Based Design in Action: How Five Public Sector Employers are Managing Cost and Improving Health Using Value-Based Design" (http://www.vbhealth.org/wp/analysis/value-based-designs-in-action-citiescountiesstate/). The document features case studies validating the success of value-based design to foster improvements in health and cost control for the State of Maine; Chippewa County, Wisconsin; Polk County, Florida; Springfield, Oregon; and Battle Creek, Michigan.

"Members of the Center have been working tirelessly for almost three years to develop, implement, track, and analyze value-based designs (VBD)," says Cyndy Nayer, president and CEO of the Center. "A growing body of evidence shows improved health and economic status as a direct result of these efforts. The economic downturn has accelerated VBD adoption as a means for improving health with limited resources, especially at a time when most public entities are experiencing huge financial burdens. This white paper highlights the unique challenges that public sector employers face, and describes innovative approaches for solving immediate problems while building competencies and strategies for the long run."

The selection of one state (Maine), two cities (Battle Creek, Michigan and Springfield, Oregon), and two counties (Chippewa County Wisconsin and Polk County Florida) represents a range of different catalysts for VBD and the variety of approaches available. Additionally, these innovators represent a broad time horizon, from the Chippewa County initiative that started in 2000 to The City of Battle Creek, which launched in September of 2009.

"This white paper provides ample evidence that VBD has built a solid foundation that yields palpable dividends," Nayer adds. "It also demonstrates real-world opportunities to reduce health risks, improve quality of care, and minimize losses in productivity."

Raymond Zastrow, M.D., president of QuadMed, a subsidiary of Quad/Graphics, and vice president of Evidence for the Center, adds, "Value-based design helped QuadMed reduce its health care costs to approximately $6,800 per employee -- 30 percent less than the average similar-sized manufacturer in the Midwest. We will continue to champion VBD, share information, and serve as models of this rapidly evolving discipline so that more companies will be able to improve employee health and rein in rampant health care cost trends."

About The Center for Health Value Innovation

Information Exchange for Value-Based Design

The Center for Health Value Innovation has grown into the nation's premier organization dedicated to sharing the evidence of improved health and economic outcomes through value-based designs for sustainable health and financial improvement.