Indiana’s Hospitals Commit to Improve Six Public Health Measures

Statewide wellness effort designed to elevate state’s health status ranking

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indiana’s hospitals – known for treating illness – are now joining forces to focus on wellness. The hospitals have targeted six public health measures for statewide improvement. The selected measures include: obesity (rank 31st); smoking (rank 50th); adult diabetes (rank 38th); childhood immunizations (rank 43rd); prenatal care in the first trimester (rank 33rd); and self-reported poor mental health (rank 46th).

“It’s time to stop acting like we can’t do anything about rising health care costs,” said Douglas Leonard, president of the Indiana Hospital Association.  “Hospitals want to align efforts, narrow the focus, and use our existing resources to elevate Indiana’s health status.”

Indiana ranks low on many key health metrics. Indiana ranks 43rd overall on Wellpoint’s State Health Index and 38th on the Commonwealth Fund Sate Scorecard on Health System Performance. A study released this year by Trust for America’s Health shows that for every $1 invested in prevention, the return is about $6.

State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D., is advising the association on the effort. A group of physicians, nurses, hospital administrators, and other health professionals identified public health measures appropriate for the project. The measures selected were considered most urgent for Indiana. An IHA Health Status Improvement Task Force will develop and implement a work plan. The first meeting is set for December.

“I applaud the Indiana Hospital Association and its members for starting this important initiative,” said Dr. Monroe. “Some of the best medical care in the nation is provided at our state’s hospitals, and I am confident, if they apply the same level of hard work and commitment to addressing these public health measures, we will see a positive change in the health of Hoosiers.”

Hospital strategies will include: targeting hospital employees for improvement first; utilizing partnerships with others engaged in health improvement; aligning hospital initiatives with existing county or state initiatives, such as INShape Indiana; standardizing community needs assessments; standardizing measurement strategies; utilizing existing resources and expertise within hospitals; and making it easy for hospitals to participate.

“Wellness initiatives have an impact that is broader than improving personal health and wellbeing. They impact medical expenditures, improve economic development, lower absenteeism, and increase productivity,” said William Corley, president/CEO, Community Health Network, Indianapolis.

According to Corley, who played a key role in launching the initiative, the cost savings that his organization might see with diabetes prevention is dramatic. A pre-diabetic employee who becomes diabetic may add $10,000 a year to health care costs, even if the diabetes is controlled. Employees with uncontrolled diabetes will add $40,000 or more per year to costs.

“At the end of the day, you don’t just do it for the cost savings,” said Corley. “You do it because you care about your employees.”

The rankings provided are from the Wellpoint State Health Index of 23 key public health metrics, which are either 2004 or 2005 data depending on the measure. The Indiana Hospital Association is the professional trade association for 167 Indiana hospitals. The IHA provides data, education, advocacy, financial, and communications services.

Source: Indiana Hospital Association