An Akron partnership is trying to establish a national model to improve Americans’ health.
The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron on Wednesday released what it called a white paper detailing its Accountable Care Community initiative.
The project brings together public health, medical providers, health systems, higher education, safety-net services, researchers, mental-health services and other community agencies to develop communitywide health improvement programs, said Dr. Frank L. Douglas, president and chief executive of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron.
The institute is a partnership among Akron’s three hospital systems, the University of Akron and the Northeast Ohio Medical University, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The goal of the ACC project is to “lessen burden of disease, reduce health-care costs and empower patients to improve their lives and the health of the community,” Douglas said during a national conference call on Wednesday to explain the initiative.
The Accountable Care Community project in Summit County will be a “living laboratory” for improving health in communities nationwide, said David R. Zook, managing partner of Faegre Baker Daniels’ Washington, D.C., office. The firm advises the private and public sectors on budgetary, legislative and regulatory issues.
“There really is a rising emphasis on reducing health-care fragmentation, especially on the community level,” said Zook, who advised the partners on developing the Accountable Care Community. The Austen institute ‘‘and its partners are positioned to have a major impact through the ACC implementation — something that will be good for Akron and the entire nation.”
More than 60 other social service and medical organizations have agreed to work together “to empower patients and improve the health of the community,” said Dr. Janine E. Janosky, vice president of the institute’s Center for Community Health Improvement.
The developing project will bring together public health and medical providers to better coordinate health promotion and disease prevention and improve access to care, she said.
“Our vision for the future is one of shared responsibility for improving the health of our community,” she said. “…We have the opportunity to impact the quality of life of those in our community and the economic vitality of our community.”
Initial target areas include diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and obesity, said Cynthia Capers, special assistant to the provost and former dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Akron.
About 10.8 percent of Summit County residents are diabetic, compared to 8.3 percent nationwide and 10.1 percent statewide, Capers said.
In addition, 30.4 percent of adults in the county are obese, and nearly a quarter of residents report they have had no physical activity within the past month, she said.
Although America has outstanding resources and technology, the entire nation ranks poorly compared to other developed nations, said Dr. C. William Keck, past president of the American Public Health Association and retired director of health for the city of Akron.
For example, he said, the U.S. ranks 29th for infant mortality and 19th for unnecessary deaths, despite outspending all other nations for health-care services.
“It seems the need for innovation and collaboration is greater than ever,” he said.
The local effort is receiving between $500,000 and $2 million a year for five years from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Transformation.
More information about the Accountable Care Community project is available at www.abiakron.org/acc
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.
