Regional News/Northeast: Brooklyn residents upset over hospital closures, and other news

NEW YORK—Amid upheaval in Brooklyn's hospital industry, a study released last week captures the health needs of residents in some of the borough's poorer neighborhoods who suffer from high rates of chronic illness. Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Brownsville and Crown Heights residents feel health officials have not responded to their opposition to the closure of hospitals in the borough. The community health needs assessment, sponsored by the Brooklyn Hospital Center in conjunction with various community stakeholders, comes as officials are considering closing Long Island College Hospital and Brooklyn Hospital Center and Interfaith Medical Center negotiate the terms of a separate merger. “Hopefully, there is enough data to push forward with much-needed changes in Brooklyn,” said Dr. Richard Becker, president and CEO of Brooklyn Hospital Center. “We still have extremely fragmented and uncoordinated care in Brooklyn. When hospitals and community providers become better aligned, that is when we can have better health outcomes.” About 51% of 644 residents surveyed felt they had limited access to healthcare, with such barriers as long waits before and during appointments, lack of insurance and the cost of care. Many people cited lack of access to dental care and mental health services. When asked which healthcare services households had difficulty accessing in their neighborhood, 100% of respondents said a dentist. The most common illnesses or health conditions among those surveyed were high blood pressure/hypertension (24.8%); asthma (19.9%); diabetes (15.7%); and hearing or vision problems (15.2%).

—Crain's New York Business

CAMDEN, N.J.—Cooper University Health Care plans to take a 20% stake in AmeriHealth New Jersey and develop an accountable care model with the health insurer. Cooper and AmeriHealth will create new health plan offerings—including insured, self-insured and Medicare products—aimed at improving the coordination of care and delivering better care at lower costs. The deal is one of several that are blurring the lines between healthcare providers and insurers. Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives, for example, is developing its own insurance arm. In Georgia, Piedmont Healthcare and WellStar Health System said last December that they planned to launch an insurer within a year. Cooper recently instituted an employee-centered medical home model for its 9,100 covered employees. The program gives employees with chronic conditions efficient, coordinated and close management of their care to keep them healthier and reduce their costs. As part of the new venture, Cooper also plans to implement the patient-centered medical home model in its primary-care practices in southern New Jersey. Cooper, which is anchored by a 493-bed hospital in Camden, employs more than 500 physicians and has about 100 outpatient offices in southern New Jersey. “Under this new partnership with AmeriHealth New Jersey, Cooper's network of advanced medical specialists and primary-care physicians will provide coordinated patient care never seen before in our region,” George Norcross, chairman of Cooper's board, said in a news release.

—Rachel Landen

Follow Rachel Landen on Twitter: @MHrlanden