2016 FreseniusRx Year in Review
At FreseniusRx, we understand that pharmacists are a critical part of our patients’ integrated care teams. Our pharmacists specialize in renal disease, which means we are uniquely positioned to partner with nephrologists, dietitians and other healthcare providers to ensure patients are appropriately dosed and to support medication adherence.
In fact, FreseniusRx launched a curriculum program in January 2016 in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation and the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences that provides deeper insights into medication management in advanced kidney disease to help maximize our specialized pharmacy services and support ESRD patients.
Here are some additional highlights from 2016:
The Changing Landscape of Healthcare
In the past few years, the U.S. healthcare industry has continued to move further away from the traditional fee-for-service model toward value-based care, with providers on the hook for quality and cost. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) eliminated the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, and Congress established two new payment systems to spur providers even more toward value-based care.
Robert Sepucha, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs for Fresenius Medical Care North America, laid out his thoughts in this blog post on how—despite a divisive U.S. Presidential election—he sees the healthcare industry continuing to march toward value regardless of the election’s outcome. The focus, Sepucha wrote, will continue to be on reining in spending and devising new ways to make physicians and providers more accountable for quality and cost.
Commitment to Integrated Care
Fresenius Medical Care continued to show its commitment to integrated care by participating in six ESRD Seamless Care Organizations (ESCOs) throughout the country—more than any other dialysis provider—because we know that integrated care improves patient outcomes. The ESCO model is a shared-risk, shared-savings plan where each ESCO member is responsible for the totality of healthcare provided to patients on dialysis. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says this model encourages dialysis providers to address the health needs of patients both in and out of the facility.
In 2017, CMS aims to add seven additional ESCOs to the program in order to gather information from a wider base of patients. There are currently about 17,000 patients in ESCO programs, and CMS hopes to add 7,000 more in the second wave.
Integrating Pharmacists With the Care Team
As part of a pilot program in the Fresenius Seamless Care center in San Diego, FreseniusRx is pushing even further to integrate pharmacists into the full spectrum of patient care. Our pharmacist in this program is able to work directly with FreseniusRx patients and physicians chairside, proactively reviewing patient medications, assessing needs and coordinating with physicians to assess whole patient health.
Showcasing Clinical Experience and Results
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCA) also showcased clinical research and quality improvement initiatives this year at the American Society of Nephrology 2016 Kidney Week Meeting with nearly 70 abstracts accepted for presentation at the meeting and/or publication in the Abstract Supplement of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). These abstracts, authored by the company’s researchers, clinicians and caregivers, addressed a wide range of topics, including the impact social support can have on a patient’s laboratory goals.