Delfini Showcase: Self-funded Health Plan Program
This past educational program for managers of self-funded health plans and employers provides an example of Delfini work in course development and training and provides ideas for programs for these groups.

Conference Information
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Delfini Group, LLC Employer Seminar Sponsored by OMNI Medical Group, St. John Medical Center

Delfini message to self-funded group health plan purchasers here.

Delfini testimonial from Paul Mackey, General Manager of Human Resource Administration for Alliance Coal here.

Getting What You Pay For:The Employer’s Role in Health Care Quality & Value

Mission: Help employers and managers of self-funded health plans understand the powerful role they can play in improving the quality of health care and in decreasing waste.

Problem: There are tremendous problems with the health care system and the various alignments negatively affecting the provision of quality and value-based health care. Employers and managers of self-funded health plans can play a big role in helping direct care quality — but they need information to help guide them.

Concept: Create an education day directed to employers and managers of self-funded health plans. (Read testimonials regarding Delfini's evidence-based training here.)

• The Quality and Cost Problem in Health Care
• Improving Quality through Evidence-based Medicine: Stories
• Critical Appraisal “Sampler”
• More on Critical Appraisal: Case Studies
• Primer on Quality Improvement Phases & Steps
• Evaluating Quality in Health Care Organizations: Health Care
• Quality System Assessment Tool
• Selecting Good Projects

Conference Recommendation
About a year ago, I attended a seminar presented by Delfini Group. This seminar changed the way I think about managing my company’s self-funded health care plan for our 2700 employees. I was so profoundly moved by what I was taught that I wanted to learn more … and to encourage others from my company and among my peers to join me in this discovery process.

I’m excited that the opportunity has now come. Delfini Group will present a special one-day seminar especially for managers of self-funded health plans. I’m grateful that this seminar is being hosted by the Omni Medical Group at no charge to attendees, as an educational outreach to business leaders across the state.

This seminar promises to help us:

• Gain insights into ways to simultaneously reduce costs and improve patient-care quality
• Learn how best to evaluate health care quality (it’s not done the way you might think)
• Hear success stories of health care improvements driven by purchasers

If your company is like mine, health care cost is one of senior management’s fastest-growing concerns. In 1980 health care comprised 8.8% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). In 2000 it was up to 13%, this year it will likely climb to nearly 16% ($2 trillion), and it’s expected to reach 20% of the GDP by 2015. Businesses must find a long-term solution to runaway health care costs, and I believe a significant part of the answer lies in ensuring our participants receive the most effective care...medicine supported by the science of the best evidence.

“Evidence-based medicine” (EBM) has become a buzzword in today’s health marketplace, but it is estimated that fewer than one out of four doctors actually practice medicine using the best-available evidence. If we wish to change our cycle of spiraling cost and diminishing health, then we must understand and purchase care from medical providers who truly practice EBM.

As purchasers, our power is in our purse. And I’d like to have as many as possible in Oklahoma join me in using this power to effect change among medical providers. That’s why I’m personally inviting you to join me – along with several members of my HR staff, as well as our corporate medical director, epidemiologist, and health care consultant – at this important seminar.

You will find this to be a very productive use of one day of your valuable time.

Sincerely, Paul Mackey

Delfini testimonial from Paul Mackey, General Manager of Human Resource Administration for Alliance Coal here.

For the past five years Delfini has been invited to work with the OMNI Medical Group to help advance EBM within their group. OMNI has a strong committment to evidence- and value-based care. Their leaders are committted and support EBM. They annually conduct EBM training and discussions for their professional staff and others interested in evidence-based clinical improvement activities. which are very well attended and received. Feedback from the directors and attendees indicates that many of the trained clinicians approach their daily work in a more evidence-based way.

This event for employers takes EBM to a new level and expanding and embedding evidence-based clinical improvement skills and techniques more solidly and more broadly into their community. We are grateful for being asked to assist in such a wonderful community project. The benefits of this project are numerous:

• Employers join with healthcare professionals to help solve one of America’s greatest challenges—our
  nation’s cost and quality problems in healthcare.
• Physicians see the tremendous leverage possessed by employers and payers.

Delfini message to self-funded group health plan purchasers here.

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