“It is only through collaborating and sharing ideas with many partners that we can truly be successful in achieving our vision of a better health care system and a stronger community. Thank you for your partnership.”
David C. Howes, MD
President and CEO of Martin's Point
Martin’s Point is deeply invested in transforming the health care system. Only by doing so can we truly make an impact in how patients and members experience care, in the overall health of our communities, and in a way that is financially sustainable.
We’ve referred to this work as a “journey.” But what is our ultimate destination? What does success look like over the next several years and beyond and what role does Martin’s Point hope to play in shaping it?
Better Coordinated Care to Manage Chronic Diseases
Tomorrow’s health care system must better support the rapidly growing number of people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. We must help these patients take a more active role in changing behaviors that reduce the impact of the disease on their lives. This active partnership between patients and providers will mean fewer expensive tests, less frequent hospital admissions, and ultimately better health for our patients.
We must create a system that is more about the person being cared for and less about the cumbersome system that we know today. Patients should be able to come to a single place, where their trusted primary care physician and clinical team can provide the majority of their care. And beyond that, this primary care team should efficiently coordinate and track needed ancillary hospital and specialist services.
Community Collaboration In Wellness and Prevention
None of us can do this work alone. To be successful in improving health and reducing system costs, we will need the involvement of every player in the care system. The most obvious partners include primary care, specialty care, hospital providers, and health insurance plans. But to really make a difference, success requires partnerships with patients, employers, schools, and community resources. The power of wellness and prevention efforts cannot be underestimated in terms of their global impact on the health of populations and costs to the system.
Martin’s Point is inspired, optimistic, and challenged to be a key player in this critical body of work for our community, state, and nation. Like any journey, the landscape may change and new challenges will present themselves. But we can see our destination, and we are committed to working hand-in-hand with our patients, their communities, and health care partners in taking focused steps towards reaching it.
