Three Finalists Named for $100,000 Hearst Health Prize in Partnership With the Jefferson College of Population Health

NEW YORK, NY and PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - February 09, 2016) - Hearst Health, a division of Hearst, and the Jefferson College of Population Health of Thomas Jefferson University, today announced the three finalists for the inaugural Hearst Health Prize, a $100,000 award given in recognition of outstanding achievement in managing or improving health. The announcement was made by Gregory Dorn, MD, president of Hearst Health and David B. Nash, MD, MBA, dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health, who is one of the judges.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Centering Healthcare Institute: CenteringPregnancy is an innovative approach to prenatal care that has reached more than 125,000 pregnant women in 400 practice sites across the country. It is a group care delivery model that brings together women with similar due dates for an extended time with their clinical provider to receive three components of care: health assessment, interactive learning and community building.

Impact of program:

• Reductions in preterm birth between 33 percent and 47 percent across five published peer-reviewed studies; reduced odds of preterm birth are particularly dramatic among African American women
• Increases in birth weight, especially for preterm infants
• The model is shown to lower healthcare costs on an average of more than $2,000 per pregnant woman -- Centering's approved sites are estimated to have saved the healthcare system $35 million in 2014

Community Care of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.: A transitional care management model that includes medication management, education for self-management and timely outpatient communication with the medical home to follow up on clinical and social issues that can affect outcomes. The program is delivered to 1.4 million North Carolina Medicaid beneficiaries, including dual-eligibles, with a strong focus on identifying individuals with chronic medical conditions at risk for hospitalization or readmission.

Impact of program:

• The rates of hospitalization and readmission for the target population have declined by 10 percent and 16 percent, respectively, since 2008
• 9 percent reduction in in total Medicaid costs -- cited by North Carolina Office of the State Auditor
• Established real-time data connections with 87 hospitals, representing 78 percent of all Medicaid hospitalizations

Jersey City Medical Center - Barnabas Health: The Wealth from Health®, Inc. program provides incentives to engage patients, families and caregivers in education, care management and healthy behaviors. It serves adults and children with complex chronic diseases, including asthma, sickle-cell anemia, HIV, renal stage disease and behavioral health issues (approximately 2,500 individuals).