At the Hospitals: April 19, 2015
TDI Receives $800,000 For Neonatal Care Study
Lebanon — The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice has received a three-year, $800,000 grant from the Anthem Foundation for a nationwide study of neonatal intensive care, the first of its kind, researchers say.
“Very few published reports have examined the quality and efficiency of medical care across the full range of newborns and care settings,” Dr. David Goodman, a professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and at TDI, said in a news release from the medical school. “This study will provide the first national description of the care of newborns, including those who are very ill and those with less severe problems.”
Goodman will lead the project, which will include the creation of the first Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care of Neonatal Intensive Care. The Dartmouth Atlas, based at TDI, is known internationally for its detailed reports examining the cost, quality, and efficiency of health care and how care varies from region to region and between medical centers, Geisel said.
In the past 30 years, neonatal intensive care has been highly successful in reducing death and disability among infants who are born critically ill or premature, Geisel said. As a result, neonatal intensive care units have grown tremendously in size and number in the U.S., while the number of newborns has remained about the same.
Researchers will use data from commercial health insurance companies and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to answer questions such as, How do cost, quality, and practice patterns of newborn care differ among regions of the country?
“By mapping the quality, variations, and outcomes of neonatal intensive care region by region, we will be providing health care systems the information they need to identify best practices and improve their own quality, thereby improving neonatal intensive care across the nation,” said Dr. George Little, a professor of pediatrics and of obstetrics at Geisel, who is collaborating with Goodman on the project.
HCRS Receives Wellness Award
Springfield, Vt. — Health Care and Rehabilitation Services received the Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness award.
The Springfield, Vt.-based nonprofit was one of ten companies with 500-1,000 employees that received the award from the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports last month.
The award honors Vermont employers that are “creating and recognizing a culture of health and wellbeing for their employees,” HCRS said in a recent news release.
— Compiled by Aimee Caruso
