A new service for Medicaid patients in the Bronx seeks to stem the flow of frequent but potentially preventable hospitalizations and emergency room visits by providing patients with a place to receive patient-centered care. The Intensive Wellness Program is an integrated, multidisciplinary primary care program that provides general and mental health care, community outreach, and intensive case management. EDC is conducting an evaluation of the program with a focus on patient perceptions.
“The patients have complex problems and were not receiving care that met their needs,” says EDC’s Sarah McGraw. “Our evaluation will document the kinds of contacts patients and care providers have. We will talk to patients to get their thoughts on what they need and their perspective on the care they receive.”
The program serves 250 Medicaid patients at risk for repeat hospitalizations. It is run by the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Health Center and is funded by the New York State Health Foundation.
Originally published on April 17, 2009
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