Last year, Paradigm launched its value-based partnership program, setting new standards for clinical outcomes management and accountability in workers’ compensation. This approach to value-based care is built on sharing data, clinical resources, and risk between care managers and best-in-class providers to leverage mutual expertise toward improving outcomes. As an early value-based partner with Paradigm, Jacksonville, Florida-based Brooks Rehabilitation has been vital to establishing this novel initiative in the workers’ compensation industry.

For more than 50 years, Brooks Rehabilitation has delivered comprehensive physical rehabilitation services for a wide range of patients, including catastrophically injured workers. This focus puts Brooks in the top 1% in the nation with respect to complexity treatment of rehabilitation patients. In addition to inpatient, outpatient, home health, skilled nursing, and assisted-living care, Brooks also performs clinical research and is committed to integrating the latest treatment advances into care delivery.

Recently, Paradigm and Brooks completed a value-based acute inpatient rehabilitation pilot program. “Expanding our existing outpatient value-based partnership with Brooks now gives the injured workers we serve access to world-class acute inpatient rehabilitation that is aligned with Paradigm’s value-based model for clinical outcomes at fixed costs,” says Paradigm Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Choo. With this new phase of our partnership, we’re excited to share an update on the progress of this industry’s first step toward creating a value chain in the care continuum that can positively benefit our injured workers’ recovery from catastrophic injuries.

Expanding to value-based inpatient rehabilitation
Paradigm’s value-based partnership with Brooks started with the outpatient Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) care initiative. Eligible incomplete spinal cord injury cases have benefited from highly collaborative outcomes-based care plans involving novel therapeutic technology like Cyberdyne’s Hybrid-Assistive Limb (HAL), which is only available at Brooks Rehabilitation. HAL is the world’s first robotic treatment device shown to improve a patient’s ability to walk by using sensors that detect the brain’s bioelectric signals from the surface of the skin to optimize rehabilitation and neuroplasticity. Our value-based initiative was carefully designed to capitalize on Brooks’ unique innovations and its proven capability to help injured individuals facing the most severe recovery challenges regain mobility.

Now, with the expansion to Brooks’ inpatient rehabilitation, an even larger group of patients can benefit from the focused clinical expertise and advanced technologies that have established Brooks as a leader in rehabilitative care. By implementing HAL and other interventions at the inpatient care stage, spinal cord-injured patients can potentially achieve accelerated recovery timelines and improved functional gains.

Unparalleled clinical support for catastrophically injured patients
Brooks’ 160-bed hospital provides the highest-quality rehabilitation and medical care for patients requiring intensive therapy. Their facility is CARF-accredited in stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, pain, pediatrics, and general medical rehabilitation—reflecting proven outcomes based in evidence-based practice. Under the leadership of fellowship-trained SCI Medical Director, Geneva Tonuzi, MD, injured patients in this industry-first pilot program utilize Brooks’ unique technology, including HAL technology, on their recovery journey, which offers:

• One-on-one support from a top neuro-treatment team, including neurologic-certified physical therapist Staci Balkin, PT, DPT, NCS; and occupational therapy neurological fellowship graduate Devon Cohen, MS, OTR/L, BCPR
• Access to Brooks’ state-of-the-art Neuro Recovery Center, including HAL treatment and functional electrical stimulation bikes that promote movement in weak and paralyzed muscles
• A world-class wound program involving advanced wound stimulation to encourage tissue healing
• SCI education classes, including a group lunch for qualified patients to learn and implement new strategies to increase independence with self-feeding

Throughout the program, patients also benefit from assistive technology, wheelchair evaluations, and driving evaluations, all designed with the goal of restoring function and achieving the highest potential for returning injured patients to their families, communities, and productive activity.

“Brooks Rehabilitation delivers patient-centered care, services, and technologies that adhere to the highest standards in health care,” says Executive Director of National Workers’ Compensation Sales and Account Management for Brooks Rehabilitation, Josh Schuette, DPT, MBA, M.E.S.S., CFCE. “With the continued expansion of this innovative partnership, which is a first in workers’ compensation, Paradigm and Brooks will be even better equipped to help our mutual patients achieve the highest possible quality of life.”

Learn about value-based partnerships and Paradigm’s Catastrophic Specialty Network®, built on identifying and working with top providers, managed health care, and medical case management services.