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Change management Anticipation vs. reaction By Todd Archbold, LSW, MBA
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Chronic disease spending in Minnesota Analyzing the All Payer Claims Database By Edward Ehlinger, MD, MSPH
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new report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows the significant financial toll chronic disease is taking on individuals, our communities, and our state. It also serves as a powerful reminder that as we struggle to adapt to an aging population and rising health care costs, we cannot afford to treat our way out of this chronic disease crisis.
The high cost of spending For the first time, Minnesota can place dollar figures on the state’s chronic disease spending thanks to data gathered from the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database (MN APCD). In 2012, Minnesota’s total bill for chronic disease was $22.7 billion. That means insured residents with one or Chronic disease spending in Minnesota to page 16
t was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who was known for his doctrine that change is central to the universe. Among his many writings, he stated that nothing remains the same and everything changes. Now, nearly 2,500 years later, managers in all aspects of business continue to philosophize about the best ways to understand and manage change. We could say that one thing has in fact remained unchanged, and that is our constant struggle to understand and manage change. Managing change has traditionally been characterized by using psychological and behavioral tactics to manipulate processes or systems, such as using the “carrot and stick” method of motivation. However, change is more successfully managed through thoughtful multi-dimensional assessments and using tactics deployed through understanding and engineering technical measures. An example may be using a root cause analysis to determine how or where an error in a process originated, and how it impacted related systems. Understanding and managing change Health care is a rapidly changing industry faced with pressures from political, social, financial, and ethical forces. Innovation in technology and the digitization of our information and care delivery has created both challenges and
Change management to page 18