Delaware leaders praise Christiana Care for Innovation Grant project

Delaware leaders praise Christiana Care for Innovation Grant project

U.S. Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney announced Christiana Care Health System and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children were recipients of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the CMS Innovation Center that was created by the Affordable Care Act. The delegation was joined by Gov. Jack Markell, Dr. William S. Weintraub of Christiana Care Health System and Dr. Kevin Churchwell of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Together, these hospitals received nearly $13.7 million for new programs. Photo courtesy of Sen. Tom Carper, used by permission.
July 25, 2012
U.S. Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney announced Christiana Care Health System and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children were recipients of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the CMS Innovation Center that was created by the Affordable Care Act. The delegation was joined by Gov. Jack Markell, Dr. William S. Weintraub of Christiana Care Health System and Dr. Kevin Churchwell of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Together, these hospitals received nearly $13.7 million for new programs. Photo courtesy of Sen. Tom Carper, used by permission.

Delaware’s political leaders praised Christiana Care Health System for receiving the $10 million Innovation Grant during a joint news conference Monday at University of Delaware’s Townsend Hall.

Gov. Jack Markell, U.S. Senior Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Junior Senator Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney officially announced the sizable grant awarded to Christiana Care from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Christiana Care was one of only 107 projects picked for the Innovation Grants from more than 3,000 applicants nationwide.

William Weintraub, M.D., Christiana Care’s John H. Ammon Chair of Cardiology and the director of the Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research, thanked the delegation and governor for their assistance. Christiana Care’s proposal is tailored to use existing hospital and office information systems to trigger alerts specifically for patients who need extra care both during hospitalization and upon discharge to their homes. The alerts will help a team of nurses and other health care professionals respond quickly and effectively to the patients, enabling them to recuperate in their homes and safeguarding them from symptoms that can result in a costly readmission.

“Our work through this grant will result in patients experiencing an improved quality of care and an improved quality of life,” Weintraub said. “The advantage of our proposal is that it is designed to work with existing hospital information systems so we can zero in and customize our care of patients in the most efficient and effective manner.”

Several Christiana Care leaders were present for the event, including: Randall Gaboriault, chief information officer; Terri Steinberg, M.D., chief medical information officer; Timothy Gardner, M.D., medical director of the Center for Heart and Vascular Health; Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America-endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center; Richard Derman, chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology; and Rosa M. Colon-Kolacko, Ph.D., executive director of the Learning Institute and chief diversity officer. State Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, a Christiana Care trustee and UD’s Professor of Nursing & Joint Faculty Urban Affairs, also was on hand for the event.

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