The Innova Group

Medicalfond

Dominican Republic

To address the problem of diabetes in the Dominican Republic, The Innova Group inspired leadership at Medicalfond to focus on the root of the problem through formation of a disease management entity rather than spending capital on end-stage solutions.

Center for the Management of Diabetes & Obesity Business Plan

The Dominican Republic (DR) population suffers the second highest incidence rate for diabetes in all the Americas. Six thousand Dominicans died from complications related to diabetes last year, with many more expiring from co-morbid conditions caused by this disease. Although causal factors are not fully known, access to care and medications, health literacy, and lifestyle factors all contribute.

Medicalfond, a philanthropic investment group, originally asked The Innova Group to explore the construction of a hospital to treat acute diabetes cases.  Innova quickly re-focused the discussion on solutions related to prevention, screening, and health maintenance for pre-diabetic and diabetic patients, and helped Medicalfond envision a business plan to stem the tide of diabetes in the DR through formation of a Center of Excellence and disease management company to help local health plans control medical spending for health-intensive diabetics.

The Innova Group provided feasibility analysis, business planning, and functional program planning for a new multi-disciplinary clinic, care management organization, and research entity called Center for the Management of Diabetes and Obesity (CEMDOE). Integration with the community of providers and social supports is a central component of the business plan, with CEMDOE envisioned as a center of excellence that will come alongside referring physicians in the management of their patients. CEMDOE will provide specialized care while offering physician training and support to the existing medical infrastructure. While CEMDOE will bill for clinical services delivered to insured patients, most of its revenues will derive from disease management services delivered to health plans seeking to control medical spending for high cost diabetes and co-morbid patients.

Innova continues to provide implementation assistance as Medicalfond prepares to operationalize the medical group research and disease management businesses in the new facility. Additionally, there is ongoing work to operationalize disease management programs, including construction of a disease registry and glucose control unit specializing in the management of complex diabetic patients. Medicalfond and its CEMDOE start-up are well along the path toward cementing business relationships with payers and provider partners