Foundation Program Sites

Lumbar Fusion Surgical Bundle

(Adopted January 2019)

The majority of health care payments are for number of services provided rather than quality of care or per person or per unit of time. This workgroup develops recommendations to tie provider payment to an entire episode of care including potential complications resulting from poor care and has focused on total knee and total hip replacement, lumbar fusion, and coronary artery bypass surgery.

Implementation and Evaluation

The Lumbar Fusion Surgical Bundle and Warranty has been implemented at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Medical Center as part of the Health Care Authority’s Centers of Excellence programs. These Centers of Excellence were able to leverage the Bree standards they implemented to secure other value based contracts with self-insured entities such as Contigo Health and Walmart.

See the article below for an example of UW Medicines evaluation of the Bree recommended use of multidisciplinary care teams to improve assessments of patient need and readiness for spinal fusion surgery.

Yanamandala V, Kim Y, Buchlak Q, Wright A, Babington J, Friedman AS, Mecklenburg RS, Farrokhi F, Leveque JC, Sethi R.  Multidisciplinary Evaluation Leads to the Decreased Use of Lumbar Spine Fusion:  An Observational Cohort Pilot Study.  Spine (Phila PA 1976). Sept 2017; 47(17):E1016-E1023.

For more information on outcomes for our Spinal Surgery Report please visit our Spine Care Outcomes Assessment Program page.

Previous Meeting Materials

Date Materials
January 23 Agenda January 23
Accountable Payment Models: Lumbar Fusion Charter and Roster
Bree Collaborative Process
Lumbar Fusion Surgical Bundle
Lumbar Fusion Warranty
February 27 Agenda February 27
Minutes January 23
Draft Bundle and Warranty
March 27 Agenda March 27
Minutes February 27
Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty Draft
April 24 Agenda April 24
Minutes March 27
Draft Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty
Draft Lumbar Fusion Evidence Table
May 22 Agenda May 22
Minutes April 24
Draft Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty
Lumbar Fusion Evidence Table
June 26 Agenda June 26
Minutes May 22
Draft Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty
July 24 Agenda July 24
Minutes June 26
Draft Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty
August 28 Agenda August 28
Minutes July 24
Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty Draft
Draft Lumbar Fusion Evidence Table
ASA Basic Standards for Preanesthesia Care
Volume Standards Talking Points
September 25 Agenda September 25
Minutes August 28
Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty Draft
Draft Lumbar Fusion Evidence Table
October 23  Agenda October 23
Minutes September 25
Draft Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty
Draft Evidence Table
December 18 Agenda December 18
Minutes October 23
Lumbar Fusion Bundle and Warranty Draft
Lumbar Fusion Evidence Table
Public Comments

Re-Review Workgroup Members

Name Title Organization
Robert Mecklenburg, MD (Co-Chair) Medical Director, Center for Health Care Solutions Virginia Mason Medical Center
Kerry Schaefer, MS (Co-Chair) Strategic Planner for Employee Health King County
Lydia Bartholomew, MD Senior Medical Director, Pacific Northwest Aetna
Arman Dagal, MD Medical Director Spine SCOAP
Sharon Eloranta, MD Division Director, Clinical Excellence and Quality CHI Franciscan Health
Farrokh Farrokhi, MD Neurosurgeon Virginia Mason Medical Center
Gary Franklin MD, MPH Medical Director Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Andrew Friedman, MD Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Virginia Mason Medical Center
Michael Hatzakis, MD Physiatrist Overlake Medical Center
Sara Groves-Rupp Asst Administrator, Performance Improvement University of Washington Medicine
Marcia Peterson Manager of Benefits Strategy and Design Washington State Health Care Authority
Linda Radach Patient Advocate
Mia Wise, DO Medical Director, Provider & Customer Engagement Premera Blue Cross
Jason Thompson, MD Spine Surgeon Proliance Surgeons

 

Workgroup Members

Member Title Organization
Susie Dade. MS Deputy Director Washington Health Alliance
Gary Franklin. MD, MPH Medical Director Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
April Gibson Administrator Puget Sound Orthopaedics
Dan Kent. MD Medical Director, Quality & Medical Management Premera Blue Cross
Bob Manley. MD Surgeon Regence Blue Shield
Gary McLaughlin Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer Overlake Hospital
Robert Mecklenburg. MD (Chair) Medical Director, Center for Health Care Solutions Virginia Mason Medical Center
Peter Nora. MD Chief of Neurological Surgery Swedish Medical Center
Charissa Raynor Executive Director SEIU Healthcare NW Benefits
Kerry Schaefer, MS Strategic Planner for Employee Health King County
Julie Sylvester Vice President of Quality and Safety Initiatives Qualis Health
Jay Tihinen Assistant Vice President Benefits Costco