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2003 Chronic Care Conference
Improving the Care of the Chronically Ill: Is it Good Business?

On November 21, 2003, Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative (CCGC) co-hosted, with Rocky Mountain Health Plans and the Rocky Mountain Foundation, a successful educational event featuring Ed Wagner, MD, developer of the Chronic Care Model of healthcare. The Chronic Care Model is a system-based approach to improving healthcare that has become very influential in recent years.

The event included Dr. Wagner's presentation, a panel discussion, questions and answers, and a lunch reception. Dr. Wagner and the panel presented interesting and compelling information. The event was very well-attended and very well-received. We are all looking forward to next year's conference!

Read more about Ed Wagner and the Chronic Care Model below. Download a PDF version of Dr. Wagner's presentation.

“The bottom line is healthier patients, more satisfied providers, and cost savings.”

-The Institute of Medicine

Ed Wagner, MD, MPH

Ed Wagner, MD, MPH is a general internist and epidemiologist. He is the Director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation at the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. Dr. Wagner is an internationally recognized leader in improving healthcare for chronic conditions and is the principal architect of the Chronic Care Model, which summarizes the basic elements for improving care in health systems at the community, organization, practice, and patient levels. This model is acclaimed by many organizations, including the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, and has become the basis for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework. He recently served as Senior Advisor on Managed Care Initiatives in the Director's Office of the National Institutes of Health. Since June, 1998, he has directed Improving Chronic Illness Care (ICIC), a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. His current research interests include the development and testing of population-based care models for diabetes, frail elderly and other chronic illnesses, the evaluation of the health and cost impacts of chronic disease and cancer interventions, and interventions to prevent disability and reduce depressive symptoms in older adults. Dr. Wagner has written two books and more than 200 journal articles and is a consultant to multiple Federal agencies and private foundations.

The Chronic Care Model

Many managed care and integrated delivery systems have taken a great interest in correcting the many deficiencies in current management of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, asthma and others. Those deficiencies include:

  1. Lack of care within established guidelines due to rushed practitioners
  2. Lack of care coordination among providers
  3. Lack of care follow-up
  4. Lack of patient training in managing their illness

Many of these deficiencies occur because the systems and processes we currently have in place are no longer adequate. The Chronic Care Model addresses these deficiencies.

“The bottom line is healthier patients, more satisfied providers, and cost savings.” - The Institute of Medicine.

CD-ROMs of the Ed Wagner Event

Because of the generous support of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC), we are proud to offer a set of two CDs that contain the video taping of speakers and the presentation materials from the Chronic Care event featuring Ed Wagner, MD, MPH. The set costs $15.50. If you are interested in obtaining copies, please contact the CCGC office at (720) 297-1681.

Again, our special thanks go to the UCHSC Office of Academic Affairs Educational Support Services and the UCHSC Clinical Science Programs.

hospitalAdditional Information

For questions or additional information about the 2003 Chronic Care Conference, please give the CCGC office a call at (720) 297-1681.