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With the ongoing healthcare debate continuing in Congress, the question of the day is this: Can other communities replicate the Grand Junction model of low-cost, high-quality, near-universal healthcare? With an emphasis on primary care and prevention, providers in this western Colorado city and surrounding area emphasize that certain elements of its successful system can certainly be replicated.
Grand Junction’s heavily non-profit system of health care: -Saved Colorado $2 million a year in Medicaid reimbursements between 2003 and 2005 -Saved the federal government $13.2 million on Medicare from 2000 to 2002 -Is the most cost-effective deliverer of services
Phil Smith was told by physicians outside Colorado that he would likely have to endure painful and expensive surgery to ease his back pain. He returned home to Grand Junction, where doctors suggested he could try another cure: a simple 30-second exercise. It worked. Smith’s story exemplifies how Grand Junction is providing high quality healthcare at low costs.
A comparison of diseases — ranging from diabetes to heart disease and arthritis — between residents of Grand Junction and McAllen, Tex., which has among the highest rates in the country
[flowplayer src=http://www.kbdi.org/news/wp-content/video/GrandJunction.mov, splash=http://www.kbdi.org/news/wp-content/video/GJHospiceframe.jpg width=450, height=285] In this 3.5-minute video by videojournalist Sonya Doctorian, Dr. Michael Pramenko explains how Grand Junction has built its health care delivery system. Cooperation, coordination and a high level of communication is essential. RELATED: Key components
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