FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2014
Contact: Jennifer Arnold, 202-745-5113
jarnold@gymr.com
RIDGEWOOD MED-PEDS NAMED A PROVIDER OF AMERICA’S MOST VALUABLE CARE
Groundbreaking Study Includes Ridgewood Med-Peds on List of 11 Exemplary Primary Care Practices Providing
Higher-Quality Patient Care at Lower-Than-Average Total Annual Cost
Rochester, NY – A new nationwide analysis shows that Ridgewood Med-Peds has been identified as delivering
significantly higher-quality care—at a substantially lower cost—than nearly all of its peers across the United
States.
The findings were announced today by the newly-established Peterson Center on Healthcare, which funded
the research conducted by Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center. Researchers looked for
primary care practices that performed in the top 25 percent on nationally-recognized measures of quality, and
the lowest 25 percent on healthcare costs per patient. Of 15,000 primary care practices considered, just 5
percent met these criteria. Of these, researchers conducted in-depth site visits to a sample of the highest
performing sites, including Ridgewood Med-Peds.
“The U.S. healthcare system is the most expensive in the world, but patient outcomes are often worse than
many other nations,” said Jeffrey D. Selberg, executive director of the Peterson Center on Healthcare.
“Innovative primary care practices in communities across America illustrate that there are bright spots in the
system. There are healthcare providers in communities large and small who are consistently delivering highquality care at a lower-than-average total cost. If we replicated what these providers are doing on a national
scale, America would have one of the world’s highest-performing healthcare systems.”
Researchers observed that these high-performing primary care practices are distinguished in three distinct
ways from practices with average costs and quality scores: their relationships with patients are deeper; their
interactions with others in the local healthcare system are more coordinated; and their practices are organized
to foster teamwork.
“We do the best we can to give the patient the best care possible, and that holds true even when we’re
sending them somewhere else for that care,” said John Chamberlain, MD, Ridgewood Med-Peds. “To achieve
this, we work with a certain group of specialists, and provide them with complete information on the patient,
often through our electronic health record. We include why he or she is coming to them and what our
expectations are. By the time a referral reaches the specialist, we ensure he or she has all of the information
they need to accurately and appropriately treat the patient.”
The following 10 features shared by Ridgewood Med-Peds and others on the list can serve as a blueprint to
achieve higher-quality care at lower cost:
1. The practices are ‘always on.’
Patients have a sense that the practice is ‘always on call,’ and they can reach the care team quickly,
whether the practice is open or closed.
2. Physicians adhere to quality guidelines and choose tests and treatments wisely.
Care teams have systems to ensure patients receive evidence-based care and physicians are mindful of
benefits, risks and patient preferences when ordering tests and treatments.
3. They treat patient complaints as gold.
Practices actively solicit patient feedback, good and bad, to improve the patient experience.
4. They in-source, rather than out-source, some needed tests and procedures.
Care teams do as many tests and procedures—as can be done safely—in-house, often with guidance
from specialists.
5. They stay close to their patients, even when referring them to specialists.
Physicians refer to a select group of specialists they trust to act in their patients’ interests and stay in
close communication as care decisions are made.
6. They close the loop with patients.
Practices actively follow up to ensure that patients are seen rapidly after hospitalizations, adhere to
medications, and see specialists when needed.
7. They maximize the abilities of staff members.
Support is provided to physicians by a range of staff who are encouraged to perform at the ‘top of
their license.’
8. They work in ‘hived’ workstations.
Open, ‘bullpen-style’ environments facilitate physician supervision and communication across clinical
teams.
9. They balance compensation.
Physicians are not paid solely on volume of services or revenue they individually produce.
10. They invest in people.
Investment in staff is prioritized over space, equipment and technology.
The other exemplary primary care practices named today include: Banner Health Clinic Internal Medicine
(Phoenix, AZ); Baptist Medical Group, Memphis Primary Care (Memphis, TN); Family Physicians Group
(Kissimmee, FL); Florida Medical Clinic Internal Medicine (Zephyrhills, FL); Northwest Family Physicians (Crystal,
MN); St. Jude Heritage Medical Group (Yorba Linda, CA); South Cove Community Health Center (Quincy, MA);
SureCare Medical Center (Springboro, OH); TriHealth West Chester Medical Group (West Chester, OH); and
USAA Health Services (San Antonio, TX).
“Our findings challenge the belief that excellent primary care can only be provided by large healthcare
organizations that are household names,” said Arnold Milstein, MD, director of Stanford’s Clinical Excellence
Research Center. “We found un-sung physicians who are achieving something extraordinary—much better
quality at a lower cost. This doesn’t mean that they are the only practices delivering top-notch care in a given
community, but they share transferable features with other high-performing primary care practices
nationwide.”
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About the Peterson Center on Healthcare
The Peterson Center on Healthcare is a non-profit organization dedicated to making higher-quality, more affordable healthcare a reality
for all Americans. The organization works to transform U.S. healthcare into a high-performance system by finding innovative solutions
that improve quality and lower costs, and accelerating their adoption on a national scale. Established by the Peter G. Peterson
Foundation, the organization collaborates with stakeholders across the healthcare system and engages in grant-making, partnerships
and research.