Aimed at restructuring New York’s healthcare system to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent over five years, the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP) has shown measurable progress. At the close of DSRIP’s third year, preventable readmissions were down 15 percent and preventable emergency department (ED) visits were down 14 percent among the state’s 25 Performing Provider Systems (PPS).
To meet their goals, PPSs are building primary care and care management infrastructure and investing in programs that strive to keep Medicaid recipients healthy so they do not need emergency or inpatient services. Each PPS is working on projects in the following areas:
- System transformation, encompassing the creation of integrated delivery systems (e.g. health homes), care coordination, care transitions (e.g. from hospital to the community), and health navigation services;
- Clinical improvement projects that promote integration of behavioral health and primary care, cardiovascular health or disease management; and
- Population health for the prevention of chronic disease or promotion of health and mental health.
What impact has DSRIP had on ordinary New Yorkers? At the United Hospital Fund’s Medicaid Conference in July, Medicaid Director Donna Frescatore told the story of a seven-year-old asthmatic boy. Due to uncontrolled asthma, he had visited the ED eight times in 12 months and had a history of 20 hospitalizations.
As part of DSRIP, the boy’s mother met with a Community Health Worker who connected her with a Certified Asthma Educator to learn about medication management and a care manager to help with appointments and coordination with the boy’s school. Additionally, the family received nutritional and health home services. Since enrolling in care management, the boy has not had any ED visits or hospitalizations.
In the state as a whole, medication management for asthma, along with many other clinical measures, is improving as DSRIP advances. For more on DSRIP, visit our DSRIP web page and stay tuned for periodic DSRIP updates from Partnership Matters.
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