Leveraging Data Analytics to Reduce Patient Readmissions: Bizzell’s Impact on Healthcare Quality

Leveraging Data Analytics to Reduce Patient Readmissions: Bizzell’s Impact on Healthcare Quality

By Editorial Staff

Hospitals face many unseen challenges in today’s ever-changing medical landscape. Service utilization, rising care costs, patient readmissions, optimal staffing, and insurance navigation are but a few issues that may arise in healthcare settings. Reducing patient readmissions is a critical priority in healthcare, as it improves patient outcomes and helps alleviate the strain on healthcare resources. In this realm, Bizzell US (Bizzell) stands out as an industry leader, harnessing the power of data analytics to drive transformative change and enhance patient care. High rates of patient readmissions present significant challenges and costs to healthcare systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over $52.4 billion (about $160 per person in the US) is spent annually to care for patients readmitted to the hospital within 30 days (about four weeks) for a previously treated condition[1]Is the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program Associated with Reduced Hospital Readmissions? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9113654/. Frequent readmissions strain already stretched healthcare resources, especially amid the rise of COVID-19.

Various analytics techniques shape healthcare strategies. These strategies include predictive, prescriptive, descriptive, and discovery analytics. Predictive analytics aid in anticipating patient outcomes and optimizing prevention efforts, while prescriptive analytics focuses on treatment optimization. Descriptive analytics help us understand healthcare trends over time, including quality of care. It is often used to create reports about changes in historical data over time.

An example of this could be to look at how many face masks are ordered during a pandemic and the types requested during each pandemic. Prescriptive analytics occur when health problems are complex and fuse medical knowledge with data. Most evidence-based medical treatments are supported by prescriptive analytics.

Leveraging a complete spectrum of analytic tools enables us at Bizzell to redefine patient care and enhance the healthcare experience. Predictive analytics also operate on past performance, summarizing historical data to visualize new trends. Predicting risks in drug dosages, clinical trials, epidemic spreads, etc., these analytics find hidden patterns and illuminate them for healthcare professionals. Funding and allocation of funds are moved around utilizing these analytics. Planning healthcare resources, such as how many gauzes or vaccines to order, are confirmed through analytics. Discovery analytics uses knowledge to discover new medical trends, including treatments or instruments[2]The use of Big Data Analytics in healthcare https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733917/.

At Bizzell, our team of analytics experts is at the forefront of leveraging big data to support the reduction of patient readmissions. From analyzing patient records and drug costs to transforming clinical practice, our commitment to improving healthcare quality and administration shines through in every project we undertake.

Data analytics empower healthcare agencies to make informed decisions and revolutionize their approaches to healthcare delivery. Bizzell, a leader in the field, utilizes advanced analytic methodologies to extract actionable insights from vast datasets. For instance, Bizzell’s support of heart disease and stroke prevention involves sophisticated GIS analyses and statistical modeling to inform strategic priorities and program effectiveness.

Bizzell’s innovative solutions have yielded tangible results in reducing patient readmissions across various healthcare settings. For instance, by implementing predictive analytics models, we successfully identified at-risk patients and implemented targeted interventions to prevent readmissions. These interventions have significantly improved patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency, demonstrating the efficacy of Bizzell’s approaches. We assist our clients by applying advanced machine learning or predictive modeling techniques that uncover hidden patterns that contribute to our hospital partners not functioning optimally. From crisis planning and women’s health to combatting higher readmission rates, the need for data collection is high, but the value lies in the ability to sift through it all to find a true story.

The benefits of utilizing analytics in hospitals cannot be emphasized enough. Beyond cost savings, we aim to encompass improved patient outcomes and enhanced healthcare quality nationwide. Our partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) shows examples of our commitment to this work. Our focus was to re-adjust the standardized federal per diem payment rates paid to the 1,535 participating hospitals nationwide to account for cost changes (like wages) and resource utilization. These rate adjustments consider the beneficiary’s age, selected chronic conditions, and facility-level adjustments on ruralness, teaching status, and qualifying emergency department visits. In 2019, IPFs collectively served over 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries. For this project, ensuring we had the correct data and comparing the data over time was crucial for success.

There is immense potential for further advancements in using analytics to address patient readmissions and other factors contributing to hospital challenges, such as high supply costs, underutilized services, and streamlining healthcare processes. Bizzell remains at the forefront of this innovation, continuously striving to refine its methodologies and expand its impact. By contributing to ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality and efficiency, Bizzell is driving positive change and shaping the future of healthcare delivery.

References

[1] Is the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program Associated with Reduced Hospital Readmissions? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9113654/#:~:text=A%20significant%20portion%20of%20the, be%20attributed%20to%20hospital%20readmission.&text=In%20addition%2C%20over%20%2452.4%20billion, for%20a%20previously%20treated%20condition
[2] The use of Big Data Analytics in healthcare https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733917/#:~:text=descriptive%20analytics%20in%20 healthcare%20is,making%20informed%20decisions%20%5B33%5D

Transforming Data Through Healthcare: Bizzell’s Analytic Expertise

Transforming Data Through Healthcare: Bizzell’s Analytic Expertise

By Editorial Staff

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, data analytics have a profound impact on transformative and patient-centric care. As we navigate the complexities of modern healthcare, data analytics revolutionize the way we understand, administer, and improve healthcare services.

Data analytics allow healthcare agencies to make informed decisions about ways to revolutionize their approaches to healthcare. Organizations and agencies in the healthcare sector are at the helm of change, steering us to unprecedented advancements. Enhancing healthcare quality can occur through advancing analytic methodologies. Analyzing vast datasets allows organizations such as Bizzell to extract trends to be implemented and applied[1]The use of Big Data Analytics in healthcare https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733917/. Many types of analytics are utilized in developing strategies in the healthcare industry. An example of this can be found in Bizzell’s support of heart disease and stroke prevention. Bizzell performs GIS analyses and produces maps that support the priorities of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Providing statistical support, utilizing databases relating to heart disease and stroke prevention outcomes and cardiovascular disease risk factors, we can conduct statistical analyses for agency members. We use this data to document the burden of heart disease and stroke and the reach of existing programs and policies that aim to increase quality of life.

There are other types of analytics used to develop healthcare strategies. These include predictive analytics, prescriptive analytics, and descriptive analytics. Predictive analytics include anticipating patient outcomes and disease patterns to optimize prevention. This would also include investigating staffing models and analyzing equipment utilization for appropriate resource distribution. Prescriptive analytics focuses more on treatment and historical data for patients, while descriptive analytics involves summarizing and interpreting historical data to find trends and patterns. Utilizing the complete spectrum of analytic tools can help redefine what we think we know about patient care and allow the opportunity to innovate modern technology to aid health navigation and enhance the overall patient experience.

Using data as a framework for technological advancement is also crucial to healthcare evolution. Programs such as machine learning algorithms and natural language processing such as the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), can help to develop personal treatment plans and extract insight from clinical notes. Remote patient monitoring allows providers to monitor the patients’ progress in real-time through wearable devices. Data analytics are utilized broadly throughout the healthcare system, from tech innovation to population health management. It also streamlines processes such as ordering medical supplies and inventory management.

At its core, data is a tool to be used for medical evolution, ushering in a wave of precision that has never been seen before. Using data to enhance personalized patient care, and tailoring treatments for environmental, medical, lifestyle, and genetic factors has never been easier than it is today.

Another example of this is our national work around vaccination rates. Bizzell supported efforts designed to increase vaccination rates for routinely recommended vaccines given to pregnant women, children, and adolescents. Our target was 14 metropolitan service areas across the U.S. with high numbers of non-medical exemptions in their kindergarten population. This was accomplished by enhancing the immunization culture in OB/GYN, family practices providing prenatal healthcare, and childbirth classes. We developed and disseminated educational materials to over 100 OB/GYN sites and childbirth education professionals. Bizzell staff worked with OB/GYN sites to modify workflows, implement quality improvement, and collect data throughout the project to evaluate implementation.

At Bizzell, our team of public health professionals, scientists, and researchers have extensive experience in sustainability and capacity building, program management, quality assurance and improvement, network development, and growth in healthcare settings. We use innovative algorithms and programs such as  BigML, SAS (Statistical Analysis Software), TableauR, and Excel. Our expertise includes working with vulnerable populations and racially and culturally diverse audiences on several public health issues. We have experience successfully reaching and training providers who serve vulnerable populations, understand the clinical realities facing programs serving vulnerable populations, and can create compelling products that engage our various audiences.

Our commitment to excellence in the healthcare sector extends beyond patient care to the very administrative processes that support healthcare systems. The crux of Bizzell’s analytical impact lies in its positive influence on patient outcomes. In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare administration, organizations embracing data analytics find themselves equipped with powerful tools to navigate challenges, enhance efficiency, and pave the way for a more streamlined and effective healthcare ecosystem that patients deserve.

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733917/

Innovative Solutions for Building Economic Inclusion: Bizzell’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives

Innovative Solutions for Building Economic Inclusion: Bizzell’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives

By Editorial Staff

Global progress, economic inclusion, and entrepreneurship are catalysts that drive transformative change. When not only used as a buzzword, economic inclusion embodies the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to fuel advancement. Economic inclusion is not only ethical but also can provide a source of inspiration when applied in communities. Paired with entrepreneurship, this combination can become a key to sustainable development, which can inspire anyone to contribute to society.

One of the profound ways economic inclusion and entrepreneurship intersect is by dismantling barriers to economic entry points. For aspiring entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, accessing traditional avenues of business support will have many challenges. Economic inclusion initiatives strive to level the playing field, ensuring that underrepresented entrepreneurs receive the mentorship, resources, and capital necessary for their ventures to thrive. This enhances individual economic standing and contributes to the diversification and enrichment of the broader business landscape.

Innovative solutions to economic inclusion involve creative approaches and strategies to foster equal opportunities and promote financial participation for individuals who may not otherwise have an entry point into business. Some of these include digital financial inclusion, blockchain for financial identity security, and the creation of new microfinance models. Leveraging digital technologies such as mobile banking, using blockchain to secure digital identities, and using microfinance models to provide funding for entrepreneurs solidifies access to both security and capital. Community investment platforms, social impact bonds, skill development catalysts, and partnerships with social enterprises can all also positively impact budding entrepreneurs, providing community support and opportunities for skill building, coupled with financial and social capital to bring ideas to life. Cross-industry collaboration is another strategy to promote increased inclusion as entrepreneurs across sectors can share knowledge, networks, and resources.

Unfortunately, despite all the innovative ideas outlined, we are still far from strategically rolling out these solutions nationwide. Implementing these strategies requires collaboration between governments, financial institutions, technology companies, and social organizations to create a more inclusive and equitable economic landscape.

At Bizzell, our corporate programs focus on providing efficient and effective youth empowerment and economic development solutions that improve overall quality of life. Using participatory approaches, we leverage our team’s combined experiences to develop both our Job Corps program and Small Bizzness Accelerator. Job Corps is a renowned organization dedicated to providing education and vocational training opportunities to young adults across the United States. Our mission is to empower youth and emerging adults with the skills and knowledge to pursue successful careers. This program continues to connect us to the vision and foundation of Bizzell, committed to building healthy, secure, connected, and sustainable communities across our nation and around the world. The Bizzell Small Bizzness Accelerator aims to foster entrepreneurship and economic development by supporting startups with planning, guidance, and resources.

In the dynamic and intricate terrain of the business landscape, aspiring entrepreneurs face multifaceted challenges. Navigating these complexities requires not only vision, and determination, but strategic guidance and insights. In today’s interconnected world, inclusion is recognized as a moral imperative and a strategic advantage for any enterprising organization. We stand at the forefront of this with global initiatives such as the XcelHERate challenge. This program, launched in 2024, supports young women entrepreneurs aged 18-35 years with existing businesses that demonstrate resilience. This program benefits any women-led businesses that offer unique, scalable products or services with a positive social impact on the community. The challenge winner will gain access to the SNDBX workspace and its community of over 35 entrepreneurs from various fields, facilitating potential collaborations and partnerships to scale their businesses and explore new markets.

At Bizzell, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of economic inclusion and encourage entrepreneurs, both budding and established to continue to move the needle in our national and global economies.

Dr. Bizzell helping present lab coats

Bizzell US Invests in the Next Generation of Stem Professionals

Bizzell US Invests in the Next Generation of Stem Professionals

February 16, 2024 (Beaufort, SC) – Bizzell US (Bizzell) is proud to announce its latest collaboration with local and national leaders to support youth from diverse backgrounds pursuing careers in healthcare and medicine. As part of our ongoing commitment to equity across healthcare systems, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, Chairman & CEO, Bizzell, has partnered with The African American History Education Conference to lead important dialogue in Beaufort, South Carolina on the vital voices in medicine, leadership, and resilience in the African American community. The third annual African American History Education Conference, which is a historic collaborative effort, is sponsored by Beaufort County School District (BCSD), Technical College of the Lowcountry, University of South Carolina Beaufort, Penn Center, and the Gullah Geechie Cultural Heritage Corridor.

The African American History Education Conference aims to provide students, teachers, and staff with a transformative dive into the historical context of African American achievement through tours and engaging sessions led by locally and nationally renowned educators, authors, and entertainers. Keynote speaker Michael Boulware Moore, U.S. Congressman Candidate for District 1, shared insights on his personal history of activism and public service during the day.

At Bizzell, we know that the future holds tremendous promise, and supporting the next generation of medical professionals is paramount to ensuring a healthier and brighter tomorrow. With over 1500 students in the MED Tech 7 initiative as part of BCSD’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program, BCSD’s continued focus is on science and technology education for students in grades K -12. This program provides courses to help students develop the necessary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) career development skills. Through this collaboration, Bizzell offers practical resources to empower and encourage students as they explore future career pathways through several other initiatives, such as our national Job Corps program.

Job Corps, the nation’s most extensive residential job training program, prepares young adults, ages 16-24, with education and firsthand career training for entry-level positions that lead to careers in today’s workforce. Bizzell further displayed its commitment to the future of healthcare and workforce innovation by providing students in the Med Tech 7 with white lab coats and medical kits full of supplies.

ID badge for Anton C. Bizzell, M.D. at third annual African American history education conference
lab coat from white coat event

The white coat holds significant symbolism for clinicians and scientists, embodying values of professionalism, compassion, and dedication to discovery and community well-being. By gifting these symbolic tools to students who may face adversity due to varying social determinants of health, Dr. Bizzell reaffirms his commitment to equity by fostering confidence and pride in their abilities as they enter the workforce.

“Our mission at Bizzell is to drive positive change and uplift communities in meaningful ways,” said Dr. Bizzell. “By honoring and supporting our young people pursuing vocational and technical careers in STEM we are investing in a better future. As African Americans in the sciences, we must remove barriers, provide resources, empower students, and provide examples for them to emulate. All of these things are a part of nurturing their talent and assisting them with actualizing their dreams.”

About Bizzell US:

Bizzell is a consulting, strategy, investment, and technology firm headquartered in New Carrollton, Maryland, with offices in 20+ countries. Bizzell is a partner of choice for federal, state, and local government agencies, and private organizations. With a strong emphasis on innovation and impact, Bizzell transforms small ideas into powerful catalysts that drive change across markets worldwide.

For more information: info@bizzellus.com

Media Contact: media@bizzellus.com