Steve Hurd: "Welcome to Grand Junction, CO"

Grand Junction's healthcare system has received considerable positive press of late.  This attention grew on a national level from Atul Gawande's June 1, 2009 article in the New Yorker and culminated in President Obama's August townhall meeting to discuss healthcare reform.  The New Yorker article highlighted findings from The Dartmouth Atlas that Mesa County, CO maintains nearly the lowest per capita Medicare cost in the U.S.

There are numerous drivers behind Mesa County's low healthcare costs, including:

A strong focus on primary-care and services for the uninsured;

The effective cost controls of a long-standing local non-profit insurance plan;

The efficiency of one of the nation's most successful regional health information organizations; and

The presence of a non-profit hospital that sponsors a rural family medicine residency.

There is more to this story.  Mesa County is also home to an enduring and expanding integrated care project.  Marillac Clinic began providing behavioral health services in the primary care setting in 2000, when this concept was in a pilot stage.  Over the past decade, the concept of integrating care for the mind and body has been widely embraced throughout the country.

Much of the work in building the Mesa County system has been carried out by the local Integrated Care Council.   Council members represent the largest primary care offices, safety net clinics, public and private mental health offices, hospital services, healthcare payors, consumers, and families.

During this week, we will highlight successes of council members.  On Wednesday Fran Parker, the coordinator of a 5-year integration grant, will present a day-in-the-life of a safety net clinic case manager. On Thursday 2 physicians will present integrated care initiatives.  Amy Davis, a family physician, will present a prenatal group clinic for migrant families.  Patrice Whistler, a pediatrician, will present the development of integration in the for-profit sector.   And, on Friday, Randall Reitz, the current council president will describe how we have promoted integration through the creation of a community white paper.

Throughout this week, please take a moment to share some of your community's successes.