Mankato Clinic’s North Mankato Family Practice has been named as a 2010 Minnesota Bridges to Excellence award winner by the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG). The award honors health care providers that deliver “optimal care to patients with diabetes, vascular disease and depression,” according to the organization.
The Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program, which was established by BHCAG in 2005, relies on data that is publicly reported to identify clinics that qualify for an achievement reward for meeting or exceeding optimal care standards for a specified percentage of patients or have experienced substantial improvement.
“We are proud to receive recognition from BHCAG for the Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program,” said Randy Farrow, chief executive officer of the Mankato Clinic. “Diabetes care is a key focus for us and our North Mankato Clinic has shown more than a 10% increase in their diabetes care performance over the last year. They were also recognized for substantial increases in their care performance in vascular disease. The Mankato Clinic’s goal now is to bring this same level of quality improvement across our entire system to make a positive difference in the quality of life for more and more of our patients.”
"When health care providers share their performance outcomes with the public and everyone is working from a common set of standards and measures, we can create positive change in the marketplace,” said Carolyn Pare, president and CEO of the Buyers Health Care Action Group, the organization that developed the Minnesota Bridges to Excellence Program. “Medical groups and clinics that are receiving Bridges to Excellence rewards have shown their commitment to transparency and to delivering quality care to their patients. They should be applauded for these efforts."
To be eligible for a reward, clinics had to have a certain percentage of patients at optimal levels of care or a 10% improvement over last year. For diabetes, measurement components included levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, along with non-smoking status and daily aspirin use for patients over 40. Vascular disease measurements included cholesterol, and blood pressure, along with non-smoking status, and daily aspirin for all patients. Clinical criteria for the Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program are developed by the Minnesota-based Institute for Clinical System Improvement (ICSI).