IBM's Dr. Paul Grundy Addresses Community and Business Leaders

Dr. Paul Grundy, IBM Director for Health Transformation and Strategic Initiatives and President of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, spoke at a dinner September 10th at the Omaha Marriott focused on the patient-centered medical home.  Seventy attendees represented insurers, employers, health systems, and state officials at this program sponsored by the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians, the Nebraska Chapter of the American College of Physicians and the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Prior to the evening event, meetings were held including representatives from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton Medical Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Alegent and Methodist Health Systems, and physicians representing family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics.

A follow up-meeting was held on September 11th with the director of the state department of health and human services, several Medicaid officials, state senators and legislative aides who have expressed interest.  At least two insurers are collaborating on medical home efforts.

Nebraska was selected to attend a meeting of the National Association of State Health Policy.  Dr. Robert Wergin will represent the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians.  Nebraska Medicaid officials will also attend.

The next step will be setting up the Medicaid medical home advisory panel as specified in LB396, which Governor Heineman signed into law in April 2009. 

The three organizations, Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians, the Nebraska Chapter of the American College of Physicians and the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics are collaborating since they represent the vast majority of primary care physicians in Nebraska.