Creating a Sustainable Obesity Management Program: The Center for Better Health and Nutrition

Area of Science:

• Pediatric health
• Public health
• Healthcare management

Background:

• Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. have tripled over 30 years, with one-third of children overweight or obese.
• The Center for Better Health and Nutrition (CBHN) at Cincinnati Children's Hospital addresses this underserved population.
• Increasing patient volumes and low reimbursement rates necessitated an analysis of the program's financial sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the financial health and determine the long-term sustainability of the CBHN program.
• To identify key revenue drivers and cost-saving measures for comprehensive obesity treatment programs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of downstream revenue, identifying sources and amounts.
• Evaluation of quality improvement initiatives, including E/M coding and the Nurse Practitioner role.
• Assessment of capturing all billable services, such as biometric measurements.

Main Results:

• Downstream revenue exceeded $754,000 in fiscal year 2015.
• Quality improvement efforts led to increased revenue and a lower cost profile.
• Capturing all billable services positively impacted the program's financial performance.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive revenue stream analysis is crucial for the financial viability of pediatric obesity programs.
• Implementing quality improvement initiatives and ensuring complete billing are essential for program sustainability.
• The CBHN program, by optimizing revenue and managing costs, operates at a low but positive level of profitability.