Dr. Rahul Koranne, HealthEast Care System, Named to Two State Health Care Reform Work Groups

ST. PAUL, MN--(Marketwire - July 13, 2009) - HealthEast Care System announced today that Rahul Koranne, MD, MBA, FACP, has been selected to serve on two of the Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) task force work groups charged with developing and delivering recommendations that make progress toward achieving quality, affordable, accessible health care for all Minnesotans.

Dr. Koranne was nominated by the Minnesota Hospital Association to serve on MDH's Health Care Home payment methodology steering committee. The steering committee will provide strategic direction on the development of the payment methodology through partnership with a diverse group of providers, payers and consumers. The development of Health Care Homes in Minnesota is part of the groundbreaking health reform legislation passed in May 2008 and includes payment to primary care providers for partnering with patients and families to provide coordination of care.

Dr. Koranne was also invited by the MDH to join its work group exploring the operational and administrative challenges of implementing Baskets of Care and proposing practical solutions to address those challenges. Baskets of Care are collections of health care services designed to treat particular health conditions and offering these bundled services is a major reform in the way health care costs are managed and compensated.

Dr. Koranne is the physician lead for a system wide HealthEast effort which champions an essential Care Navigation project designed to significantly improve the quality of care and experience of older or chronically ill patients as they move along the continuum of care.

In May 2009, Dr. Koranne co-moderated a national webinar educating American Hospital Association members on HealthEast Care System's innovative Care Navigation strategy and "Transition Coach" program which are meeting all three of the Triple Aim goals (quality, enhanced patient experience, and cost control) established by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). IHI is an international group of 15 organizations whose work is dedicated to creating a system that offers the best health care for the whole population at the lowest cost.

Dr. Koranne brings to these roles extensive strategic planning experience in the development and delivery of clinical quality initiatives for Bethesda Hospital (member HealthEast Care System) at all levels of inpatient and outpatient care. As part of the HealthEast Care Navigation initiative, Dr. Koranne has helped develop inventive systems and processes that improve patient handoffs at transitions of care, ensure patient empowerment, and leverage information technology to enhance coordination of care. These areas are seen as key components to the type of commitment that future state reform initiatives must reflect to improve quality performance and increase patient satisfaction.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to share both my medical experience and my business expertise with colleagues working to improve how we provide health care for Minnesotans," Dr. Koranne said. "This is an important opportunity for me to offer insights into the visionary work that HealthEast is doing and to see how thinking about health care in a new way can benefit our patients now, and for generations to come."

Dr. Koranne is board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

HealthEast Care System is a community-focused, non-profit health care organization that provides innovative technology, compassionate care and a full spectrum of family health services. HealthEast includes Bethesda Hospital, St. John's Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital and Woodwinds Health Campus as well as outpatient services, clinics, home care, pharmacies and medical transportation services.

Practicing financial responsibility, HealthEast is the largest, locally owned health care organization in the Twin Cities' East Metro with 7,300 employees, 1,200 volunteers and 1,400 physicians on staff.

Contact Information: Contact: Lynn Sadoff Senior Public Relations Specialist HealthEast Care System 651-326-3590 (office) 612-723-8991 (cell) 651-864-1023 (pager) Email address: