Opening a window of opportunity through technology and coordination: a multisite case study.

The Community Care Coordination Service (CCCS) program was implemented in April, 2000, at the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 8). The goals of the CCCS were to improve the coordination of care for clinically complex patients, referred to as veterans, and to increase their access to care while reducing complications, hospital admissions, and emergency room (ER) visits. This program used a coordinated care approach, a process whereby veterans were followed throughout the continuum of care.

Making the right connection: matching patients to technology.

Although technology has sometimes been the cause of rising healthcare costs, telemedicine technology has been proposed as a means to increase productivity in the workplace and reduce resource utilization for high-risk populations. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in April of 2000, implemented an expansive telemedicine technology initiative in its Sunshine Network, covering veterans in south Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands through the Community Care Coordination Service (CCCS). The initiative uses home telehealth technology to support veteran healthcare.