image: The Pediatric Care Network is the largest clinically integrated network dedicated exclusively for kids in the state of Colorado. view more
Credit: Pediatric Care Network
Founded in 2016 and launched in January 2017, the Pediatric Care Network, a collaboration among community pediatric providers, specialists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado), aims to enhance the health and well-being of children by delivering higher quality and more efficient care at a lower cost. The Pediatric Care Network is the largest clinically-integrated network in the state of Colorado that is dedicated exclusively to kids.
Created by physicians, the Pediatric Care Network is pediatric specific and intended to be a collaborative alignment vehicle where affiliated primary care physicians, pediatric specialists, hospitals and health systems can be mutually accountable to each other and to the patients, families and populations they serve. Additionally, the Pediatric Care Network provides a way for otherwise independent providers to collaborate on a proactive approach to respond to the rapidly evolving healthcare industry.
The Pediatric Care Network will enhance the health and well-being of children by establishing and adhering to clear standards of care across the network, coordinating care and using data and analytics to evaluate outcomes. Through robust partnerships within the communities it serves, the network of providers is building trust with patients and families, improving outcomes and reducing costs.
"With our focus on optimizing care for children to advance value-based care, we are excited to collaborate as a pediatric provider community, as well as with health insurance companies, Medicaid, employers and other health systems and networks," said Gil Peri, Chief Strategy Officer, Children's Colorado. "The Pediatric Care Network makes collaboration easier by leading the effort to create better outcomes, lower costs, and improve patient and clinician experience. There is an increasing focus on value and industry-wide economic pressures to reduce the total cost of care. We have an opportunity to define 'value' for pediatrics with population-specific, value-based metrics that truly indicate value for our patients and families."
With the establishment of the Pediatric Care Network, participating providers will be able to maintain practice independence while engaging with peers in the larger pediatric provider community. Likewise, the Pediatric Care Network will be able to coordinate its approach with payers and employers to develop contracts that enable access for all pediatric patients in the larger established network.
"It is a privilege to practice private pediatrics in the family-friendly state of Colorado," said Noah Makovsky, MD, community pediatrician and Chair of the Board of Managers of the Pediatric Care Network. "Yet, as the national healthcare landscape continues to rapidly evolve, private pediatricians must seek innovative opportunities to continue to provide the highest quality of care for kids while taking responsibility for contributing to overall healthcare value. Collaborating with Children's Hospital Colorado to create the Pediatric Care Network will help us achieve these goals and allow local pediatricians to continue focusing on what they do best - caring for kids in Colorado."
More than 1,400 providers are now partnering within the Pediatric Care Network including 275 primary care providers, and 1,175 specialty care providers. The Pediatric Care Network is led by its Board of Managers and five subcommittees, all composed of independent community providers, University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty and Children's Hospital Colorado leadership.
"The Pediatric Care Network will better prepare participants for a transformational shift in healthcare from volume- to value-based care, making it easier for our partners to continue to provide high-quality, coordinated care to the communities we serve - and in turn, improve the health of the entire patient population," said Tyler Leishman, Executive Director of the Pediatric Care Network.
Specifically, the Pediatric Care Network will benefit patients and providers through the following activities:
- Define "value" for pediatrics in value-based care with pediatric-specific metrics by measuring and demonstrating quality and cost-effectiveness
- Enhance the ability of community pediatric practices to remain independent while engaging with peers in the larger pediatric provider community
- Ensure continued access to the pediatric provider community for all patients and families by providing access to multiple adult and payer networks
- Simplified and streamlined relationships with a myriad of community partners across the care continuum making it easier to provide the right care at the right time at the right place
- Unified technology and analytics platform allowing for integration of multiple data sources to analyze and compare quality and cost to improve patient care and reduce cost
- Robust quality and practice transformation initiatives with access to professional quality coaches
- Collaborate on proactive approach to reimbursement and market changes with commercial and government payers
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Providers interested in joining or learning more can visit http://www.pediatriccarenetwork.org.
About the Pediatric Care Network
The Pediatric Care Network is the largest clinically integrated network dedicated exclusively for kids in the state of Colorado. Community pediatric providers, University of Colorado School of Medicine practitioners and Children's Hospital Colorado are mutually accountable to each other and to the community and families we serve, aiming to enhance the health and well-being of children by delivering higher quality and more efficient care at a lower cost. We accomplish this by establishing and adhering to standards of care, coordinating care effectively and using data and analytics to evaluate our outcomes.