TY - JOUR T1 - Intensive Case Management of High-Risk Patients in a Family Medicine Residency Setting JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 264 LP - 269 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.12.4.264 VL - 12 IS - 4 AU - Stephen G. Friedhoff Y1 - 1999/07/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/12/4/264.abstract N2 - Background: As the health care system evolves, health care delivery systems have begun to share risk for the care of patient populations. The prototype for such a system has long been the uncompensated care population in a hospital's service area. This article describes a successful case management pilot program in a family medicine residency setting. Methods: Nineteen high-risk patients were cared for by a case management team for a period of 3 to 4 months. The case management team consisted of a medical director, 2 resident assistant medical directors, 1 registered nurse case manager, and 1 social worker. Results: Case management resulted in an annualized decrease of 51 percent of inpatient days and 46 percent of charges. This resulted in an annualized savings of $166,083 in charges to the health care system. Conclusion: Intensive case management of the sickest of the sick results in a substantial reduction in morbidity and cost. Family medicine residency programs are ideally situated to oversee case management of this population and potentially other populations in a shared-risk environment. ER -