Ochsner Health Network extends high-quality, value-based care to patients and communities

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Feb 28 2023

Ochsner Health Network (OHN), the Gulf South's largest clinically integrated network (CIN) and nationally recognized leader in value-based care, has released its 2021-2022 Impact Report.

This report is a culmination of the accomplishments and efforts of our network of physicians and healthcare partners to extend high-quality, value-based care to patients and communities along the Gulf Coast."

Eric Gallagher, OHN Chief Executive Officer

The report demonstrates the profound impact the network has made upon:

• Patients – contributing to more than 400,000 healthier lives throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
• Physicians – supporting more than 3,500 physicians with clinical, contracting, population health, and technology resources
• Employers – improving workforce health and productivity while saving healthcare dollars for more than 2,600 companies
• Payers – driving plan value through highly reliable, evidenced-based care delivery, improved outcomes, and cost efficiencies

OHN's population health efforts bring together more than 5,500 physicians and healthcare providers to improve care quality and patient outcomes and improve healthcare efficiency.

"Through industry-leading care management programs, powerful data and analytics tools, and evidence-based protocols, we are equipping partner physicians and their care teams to create better patient outcomes and experiences at a lower cost," said OHN Chief Medical Officer Beau Raymond, MD.

The last two years have delivered unprecedented challenges to the healthcare community, from delays in care due to COVID-19 to skyrocketing healthcare costs. Despite these headwinds, Ochsner Health Network and its partners have achieved meaningful results, both clinically and financially. The network also partners with payers and employers who value quality care as much as they do.

"OHN takes an individualized approach with each payer by offering both value-based agreements and network products that deliver high quality outcomes for patients at a lower cost. As a result, OHN is able to deliver a better patient experience and continued growth and success for our partners," said Jeff Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Population Health and Chief Executive Officer, Ochsner Health Plan. "Since January 2021, our administrative services only (ASO) products have gained over 12,000 beneficiaries. We've also added more than 22,000 beneficiaries to our Medicare Shared Savings Program in the same timeframe."

The network's latest impact report highlights its patient population growth, participating physician growth, and employer contract growth over the last two years. It also explores quality performance metrics on populations managed at OHN, with a focus on chronic conditions such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, as well as preventative care efforts, such as cancer screenings.

OHN growth

• In 2021, OHN welcomed 700 new physicians, and in early 2022, welcomed three new health systems: Titus Regional Medical Center in Texas and Singing River Health System and Ochsner Rush Health in Mississippi.
• In 2021, Ochsner expanded its integrated post-acute network, adding skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and inpatient rehab facilities throughout Louisiana and into the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This high-performing post-acute network ensures that patients living in communities across Louisiana and southern Mississippi have access to high-quality coordinated care after discharge. The integrated network improves health outcomes and reduces costs after hospitalization by reducing readmissions helping patients and families navigate the continuum of care.
• In 2021, OHN drove a 4% increase in covered lives.
• From 2019 to 2021, OHN drove a 10% increase in physician growth.
• Over 2,670 employers partnered with OHN in 2021 to provide care for their employees. These employers have chosen to offer preferential benefits to their employees who use OHN because it delivers the best possible outcomes at a better cost for their businesses.
• Employer and payer relationships also played a key role in OHN expansion. Loyola University New Orleans and the Archdiocese of New Orleans chose OHN as their network of choice, bringing an additional 5,800 patients into the network and enabling these organizations to improve employee health outcomes while reducing care costs for both members and their businesses.

Population health

• In 2021, OHN achieved Tier 5 status in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana's (Blue Cross) Quality Blue program. The insurer's population health and quality improvement program is designed to optimize care delivery for patients who live with chronic conditions. OHN achieved the top-tier ranking based on its performance relative to chronic disease care goals. It earned high scores across categories, including Hypertension, Optimal Diabetes Care, Optimal Vascular Care, and Optimal Chronic Kidney Disease Care.
• Within OHN's commercial population, it scored 20 out of 20 possible points (Tier 5) for Optimal Diabetes Care as well as Optimal Chronic Kidney Disease Care.
• In the Blue Advantage population, OHN scored 20 out of 20 possible points (Tier 5) for Hypertension, Optimal Diabetes Care, and Optimal Vascular Care as well as perfect five out of five scores for hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol medication adherence.

"Six years since its founding, Ochsner Health Network's vision remains steadfast – bringing like-minded physicians together to strengthen communities and inspire patients to live healthier lives by providing the right care in the right place at the right time," said OHN CEO Eric Gallagher. "Through OHN, patients' healthcare dollars go further, their health information is streamlined among their providers, and they gain access to a wealth of preventive, diagnostic, treatment-related and wellness-promoting resources. "