Fifteen Fairview clinics and two independent clinics associated with Fairview are among only 36 clinics in the state that qualify for an incentive award for outstanding outcomes in the care of adults with diabetes.

Announced July 12, the “pay for performance” checks represent the second such awards in Minnesota from a not-for-profit organization that encourages improvement in patient care.

In the large employer group, Fairview clinics earned a $71,000 award and another $1,800 went to two independent clinic members of Fairview Physician Associates.

Bridges to Excellence® (BTE) is a national organization that encourages physician practices to deliver safer, more effective and efficient care through financial and other incentives.

Of more than 600 primary care clinics in the state, 209 clinics applied for the BTE diabetes award, according to Barry Bershow, M.D., Fairview clinics medical director, quality and informatics.

At Fairview clinics, 22.8 percent of adult patients with diabetes achieved their goals for diabetes care in 2006, compared to a 2006 state average of 14 percent.

The Diabetes Focus Clinic at Fairview Oxboro Clinic in Bloomington achieved the state’s highest rate for diabetes care at 36 percent of patients reaching treatment goals. “We’re very proud of the work of our patients and diabetes care teams,” says Bershow, “but despite the progress, we still have a long way to go to help all patients with diabetes meet their care goals. Chronic disease treatment is complicated and still struggling to organize around what we know to be best practice.”

In order to qualify for a BTE award, participating clinics must publicly post their diabetes outcomes. Fairview’s diabetes results by clinic appear at Fairview.org/Patient_Safety, click on the Effective care tab.

Goals for diabetes care include:

· Patient is tobacco-free

· Patient is on a low-dose aspirin therapy

· Hemoglobin A1c test completed every six months with results less than 7 mg/dl · LDL (bad cholesterol) test completed every 12 months with results less than 100 mg/dl

· Blood pressure less than 130/80 mm/hg

Pay for Performance recipients include:

Fairview Red Wing Clinic

Fairview Cedar Ridge Clinic, Apple Valley

Fairview Eagan Clinic

Fairview Lakeville Clinic

Fairview Ridge Valley Clinic, Prior Lake

Fairview Ridges Clinic, Burnsville

Fairview EdenCenter Clinic, Eden Prairie

Fairview Crosstown Clinic, Edina

Fairview Oxboro Clinic, Bloomington

Fairview Chisago Lakes Clinic

Fairview Elk River Clinic

Fairview Hugo Clinic

Fairview North Branch Clinic

Fairview Rush City Clinic

Fairview Princeton Clinic

FPA Clinics: Richfield Medical Group and France Ave. Family Physicians (Edina)