Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105590

Mary Driscoll, RN, MPH, Barbara Fischer, RN, Enrique Martinez, MD, and Terry Conway, MD. Cook County Ambulatory Health Network, Cook County Bureau of Health Services, 627 S. Wood, Suite 211, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-864-0710, mary.driscoll@hektoen.org

Cook County Bureau of Health Services (CCBHS) has historically pursued the vision of building a strong safety net partnership to provide health care for the uninsured and the underinsured. Currently CCBHS is involved in a partnership with 195 clinical safety net sites to improve access to scarce specialty care services. Using technology to create a web based referral system which coordinates and tracks referrals from primary care to specialty care and diagnostics, CCBHS has begun to address this critical need. The goal is to rationalize the flow of patients between various partners, allowing use of untapped capacity and producing cost savings by making access to needed services more efficient and appropriate. A data base tracks and monitors referrals and resources. A key feature of the system has been the development of specialty clinic entrance rules which prioritize patients clinically, ensure appropriate diagnostic workup, and provide educational guidelines based on “best practices” to keep patients appropriately managed in primary care. The system is receiving approximately 10,000 referrals per month. Thus far, it has 1) given us valuable data on demand for types of specialty services and referral patterns of providers 2) interjected treatment protocols into primary care work flow 3) has grown new specialty appointment capacity by 22% and, 4) and has consistently clinically prioritized patients . We will present this system as a potential national model; show our processes of development with lessons learned; and present. data on specialty referral supply and demand with examination of resource allocation.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the sesson, the participant in this sesion will be able to

• Describe a system for rationalizing access to specialty care.
• Recognize the importance of partnerships in providing care to the unisured and underinsured.
• Articulate the significance of specialty clinic entrance rules with best practice guidelines.
• Discuss issues of supply and demand of specialty care in the safety net.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation