News Release
January 28, 2010
Kauai Medical Associates achieves highest quality measures
Chuck Marshall
(808) 948-6826
chuck_marshall@hmsa.com
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) celebrated the outstanding quality
outcomes of Kauai Medical Associates (KMA) this week by awarding the group top honors
for achieving the highest score in HMSA’s annual quality program for its HMO
health centers.
Promoting healthy communities is a top priority for the nonprofit health plan, and
HMSA’s Quality and Performance (Q&P) Evaluation Program promotes the delivery
of high-quality, cost-effective, service-oriented care.
Each year, HMSA recognizes the HMO health center with the best overall performance.
Over the past 11 years, HMSA has awarded more than $34 million to these centers.
For the year ending June 30, 2009, KMA earned a near-perfect score, higher than
any other network health center. Program scoring is based on health screenings,
exams, tests and drug usage.
KMA reached top tiers in key quality areas, including:
- Appropriate antibiotic usage.
- Breast cancer screenings for women.
- Cervical cancer screenings.
- Chlamydia screenings for women.
- Hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests for patients with diabetes.
- Retinal exams for patients with diabetes.
- Statin usage for patients with coronary artery disease.
“Kauai Medical Associate’s performance is outstanding, and illustrates
its commitment to delivering high-quality care,” said Ron Fujimoto, D.O.,
HMSA Q&P medical director. “Our Kauai HMO members receive excellent care
from a group of physicians dedicated to providing care that focuses on keeping people
healthy. We congratulate the physicians of Kauai Medical Associates on this historic
accomplishment.”
Health Plan Hawaii, HMSA’s HMO health plan, has 20 health centers around the
state. KMA, an association of independent physicians, is the largest network health
center on the Garden Island. With offices in Eleele, Kalaheo, Kapaa, Kilauea, Lihue
and Waimea, KMA is comprised of 24 primary care providers and specialists. KMA physicians
practice family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics,
general surgery, ophthalmology, and orthopedics. KMA’s primary goal is to
provide cost effective, high-quality care for the people of Kauai.
HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is
governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health
care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large.
HMSA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Nationally,
HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to
more than 100 million members.
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