Proclamation issued to acknowledge and praise BTE efforts
For more information, contact:
Donna Marshall
Colorado Business Group on Health
303-922-0939
Colorado Springs, CO — Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera has issued a proclamation in support of Bridges to Excellence and its programs, declaring April 25, 2007, as “Bridges to Excellence Diabetes Recognition Day.” The Colorado Business Group on Health, which coordinates the program in Colorado Springs, will host a Recognition Dinner on April 25 to commend physicians who provide excellent care to diabetic patients as recognized by the BTE Diabetes Care Link program.
Mayor Rivera stated, “Our goal is to be one of the healthiest communities in Colorado. Bridges to Excellence’s diabetes program and our local physicians’ dedication is helping us to achieve this goal. We hope that our neighboring communities in Colorado will follow in our footsteps and create relationships with community physicians to improve the delivery of healthcare throughout the state.”
The City of Colorado Springs, along with several employers in the area, participates in Diabetes Care Link to help improve the quality of healthcare delivered to over 1,000 diabetic employees. Six physicians, who are nationally recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), have greatly impacted the health status of these diabetics by providing top-notch quality care that will enable these patients to effectively manage the disease. The Colorado Business Group on Health (CBGH) estimates that the number of physicians participating in the program will increase rapidly through the end of 2007, potentially totaling 50 physicians who will receive NCQA recognition.
“We are thrilled with the uptake of the diabetes program in the Colorado Springs area and commend the recognized physicians who are raising the bar to deliver excellent care within our community,” said Donna Marshall, Executive Director of the Colorado Business Group on Health. “We plan to expand the program both geographically and in program scope so that other communities and patients in Colorado will experience similar benefits,” she added.
Due to the success of the Diabetes Care Link program in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Business Group on Health plans to expand the initiative to also include BTE’s Cardiac Care Link program. Additionally, employers in the Denver-metro area have expressed interest in participating in both the cardiac and the diabetes programs in 2008.
“The implementation of BTE's programs throughout the state will help focus everyone's attention on the significant need to improve the management of chronic illness for Colorado residents. We commend CBGH’s and Mayor Rivera's commitment to significantly improving the quality of health care and recognizing the efforts of physicians who are delivering that better quality,” said Francois de Brantes, National Coordinator for Bridges to Excellence.
In Colorado Springs, four health plans have also agreed to participate in the program to promote quality improvement. Two regional health plans, Rocky Mountain and Great West, as well as national BTE health plan participants United Healthcare and CIGNA have committed to distribute financial rewards to recognized physicians who effectively administer care to each health plan’s fully insured diabetic population. Anthem, another national health plan participant, has also recently decided to participate in Colorado’s BTE efforts. United Healthcare, CIGNA and Anthem all have signed agreements to participate in Bridges to Excellence’s programs in several other BTE markets, reinforcing their support of healthcare transformation through quality improvement efforts. They have advanced the value of BTE programs through expanding participation and promotion of BTE across the country.
For more information about Bridges to Excellence, visit www.bridgestoexcellence.org.