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Medical College of Wisconsin physicians and
health professionals provide cost savings

Highlights of cost savings for adult care

Adult care provided at Froedtert Hospital and other Froedtert & the Medical College locations

Congenital spinal stenosis caused Robert Haebig years of pain. He was referred to the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin SpineCare Program, where a team with specialized expertise in back and neck pain provided an individualized, conservative treatment plan for Haebig that managed his condition for four years. When surgical treatment became necessary in 2009, Haebig healed quickly. The program has a surgical rate that is among the lowest in the community, and has demonstrated reduced costs for back pain treatment.

• Costs have been reduced by more than $4 million in less than one year for physician preference items (PPI) such as pacemakers, orthopaedic and spinal implants, stents, valves, and interventional devices.  In July 2009, a PPI Review Committee was established led by Medical College physicians and personnel from purchasing, compliance and administration from the Medical College, Froedtert Hospital, Community Memorial Hospital,St. Joseph's Hospital in West Bend and the West Bend Clinic.  Their work has reduced PPI costs through vendor consolidation, competitive bidding, and capitated contracting.
• Hospital stays for most bone marrow transplant patients have been reduced  from 2 to 4 weeks to about 1 to 2 weeks.  Infections among patients have also been lowered, further reducing costs.  Medical College doctors at Froedtert provide the expertise for effective management of the complexities of bone marrow transplants, which has allowed some care to be shifted to outpatient settings.
• Costs associated with fragility fractures among the elderly have decreased by 15%, hospital stays have been reduced by one day on average, and the probability of new injuries is lower.  These are the benefits of the Geriatric Orthopaedic Fracture Initiative, an innovative program that is achieving greater efficiencies and better outcomes by uniting Medical College doctors and professionals from multiple disciplines to co-manage care.
• Froedtert & the Medical College transdisciplinary spinal care has achieved an incidence of surgery that is four times lower than the national average.  Hospital stays for patients who require surgery are shorter.  The program ranks in the Top Ten among University HealthSystem Consortium members for the shortest length of stays associated with lumbar fusion procedures.
• The Outpatient Antibiotic Program is lowering costs up to 75% by replacing traditional inpatient treatments.  The Medical College’s Division of Infectious Diseases oversees the program, which transitions individuals from inpatient to outpatient treatment.  Arrangements are made with a home care agency to ensure patients receive recommended therapies.  Costs are further reduced by monitoring lab reports on a weekly basis so outpatient visits are kept to a minimum.
• Hospital stays have decreased by 1.5 days and readmission rates are 11% lower for spinal cord patients as a result of a collaborative effort involving Froedtert Hospital and Medical College doctors from Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Emergency Medicine.  Hospital admissions are more efficient and the needs of many spinal cord patients are being met through clinic appointments rather than hospitalizations.  The collaboration has produced a best practice model for treating urinary tract infections in spinal cord injury patients.

Highlights of cost savings for pediatric care

Pediatric care provided at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and other Children’s locations

• The average charges for an Emergency Department visit at Children’s Hospital are 40% lower than elsewhere in the metro area, due in part to fiscally responsible care from Medical College Emergency Medicine physicians.  In addition to being cost-effective, emergency medicine was rated #2 in the nation by Parents magazine in its 2009 Best Children's Hospital rankings.  
• Nearly all Children's Hospital admissions have been eliminated for children with diabetes, through a pioneer home management program established by Medical College pediatric endocrinologists for children with newly diagnosed diabetes.   The program enables care to be provided in the outpatient setting.
• The Special Needs Program at Children's Hospital has resulted in a $30 million decrease in charges, $21 million decrease in payments and a decrease in hospital days from 17,400 to 8,900 between 2002 and 2009.  The program was established by a Medical College Pediatric Specialist to provide comprehensive care coordination for medically complex and fragile children with chronic conditions.
• Emergency room visits and hospital admissions have been reduced for the care of children with eczema, asthma, vitamin D deficiency and lead poisoning, through a multidisciplinary program coordinated by Medical College pediatric specialists at Children's Hospital that emphasizes prevention, early identification and treatment.
• Charges for Medical College pediatric surgeons at Children's Hospital are less than many other peer pediatric hospitals in the nation.  Moreover, patient survival rates are consistently some of the best in the nation.
• Medical College pediatric orthopaedic surgeons at Children's Hospital treat complex cases of scoliosis and hip dislocation, but their charges for a number of orthopaedic procedures (including spinal fusion) are significantly less than those at other pediatric hospitals in the Pediatric Hospital Information System.  Patients also have shorter length of stays after surgery for hip dislocation. 
• Costs have been reduced for the care of children with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, through coordinated care by Medical College pediatric gastroenterologists at the Inflammatory Bowel Disease clinic at Children's Hospital.