The Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program will recognize 104 clinics from 22 medical groups in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and North Dakota by paying physicians cash bonuses for meeting diabetes and cardiovascular treatment goals.
Program officials say the number of clinics has doubled since last year.
The Bridges to Excellence effort in Minnesota is sponsored by BHCAG, an employer-based coalition that includes public and private healthcare purchasers.
This year, the top-performing Minnesota physicians in diabetes and cardiovascular care can earn up to $300 for each patient covered by a participating employer by meeting certain clinical measures.
The reward provided to each physician is determined by an annual healthcare quality analysis conducted by MN Community Measurement, which provides results on the quality of treatment at more than 600 clinics throughout Minnesota.
"The financial incentives provided by this program accelerate physician practice changes and ultimately improve care for diabetic and cardiovascular patients," said Carolyn Pare, the CEO for BHCAG. "Our goal is to convince more providers to strive for the Bridges to Excellence distinction so that consumers will have access to information on high-quality providers throughout Minnesota."
Since the program was started, the Minnesota Bridges to Excellence "Champions of Change" have paid more than $750,000 in bonuses.
"By meeting Bridges to Excellence standards of care, physicians help patients manage their illness and reduce complications that affect people living with these chronic conditions," said Charlie Montreuil, BHCAG's chairman and vice president of human resources for Carlson Companies.
This spring, BHCAG and Minnesota Bridges to Excellence announced the addition of a depression care management pilot to its rewards program. The Depression Management pilot will monitor physician and practice performance and improvements, evaluate the impact of better management of depression on costs of care and understand how the measures could be implemented through electronic medical record systems.