Ochsner Health Network announces multi-million dollar impact

Annual performance report shows lower healthcare costs, better patient experiences, gains in diabetes and cancer care, and significant provider rewards

2023-12-20

(Press-News.org) Ochsner Health Network, LLC (OHN), the Gulf South’s largest physician-led clinically integrated network, is pleased to report its 2022 – 2023 impact resulting from care delivered to nearly a half-million patients living throughout the Gulf South. The network’s all-new digital report boasts more than $56 million in total cost-of-care savings to our community’s most vulnerable populations, with $38 million in rewards to be shared among the network’s providers.

“Our country’s healthcare system must evolve; our communities’ health must improve; and the rising costs of care must be reversed. Proudly, Ochsner Health Network remains a driving force in the industry, impacting meaningful, sustainable change for the better, year over year,” noted Eric Gallagher, CEO, OHN.

Highlights from OHN’s all-new digital impact report showcase advantages of the network, such as higher patient satisfaction; lower costs of healthcare; improved health outcomes in chronic disease management; and effective interventions in high-risk behaviors like smoking/tobacco cessation. Member clinicians are rewarded for high outcomes in these areas.

Among the notable results of Ochsner Health Network and its partner accountable care organization, the Ochsner Accountable Care Network, in 2022:

Reducing Medicare patient care costs by more than $27 million Ranking in the top 5% of all ACOs (accountable care organizations) for best customer service Reaching 87% in breast cancer screenings among the network’s covered lives Securing a 95% testing rate for patients at risk for diabetes Earning $12.9 million in care management fees for improved clinical outcomes Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are groups of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated, quality care to Medicare patients. The goal of an ACO is to improve efficiency, coordination and experience of care, resulting in improved care delivery and reduced healthcare costs to the patient and organization. Patients see the benefit of an ACO through improved communication of their healthcare teams and reduced duplication in paperwork and medical tests.

“The blossoming success of Ochsner Health’s network and ACO is a testament to our team’s unwavering commitment to providing greater value and experiences for our patients across the Gulf South,” said OHN Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beau Raymond.

“As a practicing primary care physician member of OHN and OACN, delivering value-driven care requires significant resources that most individual physicians cannot afford or possess independently,” said OHN member Dr. William A. Cefalu, Jr., of Morgan City, La. “Our network provides the critical data tools and systems; supportive care programs and networking; and EMR (electronic medical record) technology platform that makes my approach to care management reliable and efficient. OHN, in turn, rewards me for my office’s efforts to deliver higher value care and experiences to our patients – ensuring that we are incentivized for performing to the highest standards for quality healthcare.”

For more information, please visit www.ochsner.org/ohn , www.ochsneracn.org or the 2022-23 Impact Report.

About Ochsner Health Network

Anchored by Ochsner Health System, OHN was founded in 2015 with the following health system partners – Ochsner Health System, Ochsner LSU Health North Louisiana, Lafayette General Health, Slidell Memorial Hospital, St. Tammany Parish Hospital and Terrebonne General Medical Center. These leading health systems, their employed physician groups, and affiliated community physicians across the greater Gulf South comprise a network that is a leader in healthcare delivery innovation and is one of the largest and most advanced Clinically Integrated Networks (CIN) in the nation. For more information, please visit ochsnerhealthnetwork.org.

About Ochsner Accountable Care Network

OACN is an accountable care organization that consists of more than 2,700 providers in Louisiana and Mississippi. OACN was founded in 2013 to ensure that patients, especially those with chronic conditions, get the right care, at the right time, in the right place. OACN is dedicated to improving health outcomes and supports population health efforts across Louisiana and the Gulf South. As the largest ACO in Louisiana, OACN’s team includes Ochsner employed and community providers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Tammany Parish, Houma and South Mississippi.

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 37,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.

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