CJA

July, 2003

Every month we will highlight the innovative and exciting work from one of our member communities. Check back often!

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKS OF GEORGIA
105 Patrol Rd, Suite 2
Forsyth, Georgia 31029
Contact: Greg Dent
gdent@chwg.org

HOW WE BEGAN AND WHO WE ARE
In the fall of 1999, Ethel Cullinan Ph.D., CEO of the MedCen Community Health Foundation convened more than a hundred regional leaders to address the question, "How might we better, together, serve the uninsured than we've been doing separately?" From that original convening emerged a band of 10 visionary leaders who committed themselves to a vision of better health for all people through communities working together, to a vision of systemic change in the financing and delivery of health care for health.

Those leaders engaged others in a process of focused, data-driven planning bent on rapid implementation. From that work emerged a private non-profit governed by a unique array of health system, social service, county government and physician leadership; we have come to be known as Community Health Works.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designates CHW as one of thirteen U.S. Communities in Charge. Since beginning patient services in June 2001, CHW has been identified as one of six national sites to demonstrate return on community investment in health by the National Association of Counties.

WHAT WE DO
Community Health Works delivers medical homes as well as access to needed life-sustaining specialty care, labs, diagnostics, hospital services and pharmaceuticals for uninsured adult region residents with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or depression.

OUR RESULTS
To date, we have served 2,020 patient members. Our average member has 2 co-morbidities, an 11th grade education, an annual income of less than $7000 and needs 5 prescriptions per member per month. We deliver those medications for an average cash outlay per month of less than $20.

Provider relations and referral processes are smoothed. Partners are linked through a state-of-the-art web application to facilitate care and financial management.

Our evaluation - conducted by one of the nation's leading health economists regarding issues of the uninsured - demonstrates astounding results: More than 95% of patient members report improved health status. Our members utilize the ER at rates dramatically lower than national average and utilize hospital services at rates lower than national average.

Our rigorous external evaluation demonstrates $355,000 in ANNUAL savings to the health system. Trends indicate that those numbers will grow substantially over time. Further, we have made more than a million dollars in new revenue available to provider partners to date.

Contact:

Greg Dent, CEO
gdent@chwg.org
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKS OF GEORGIA
105 Patrol Rd, Suite 2
Forsyth, Georgia 31029
478-994-1914