TRENTON — A recently released state report that shows the number of hospital admissions that are potentially preventable through effective primary care puts Cape May County at or better than the state rates in 11 of 14 categories.

In its Prevention Quality Indicators Report, the state Department of Health and Senior Services used 2005 hospital discharge records to compile statistics on conditions and complications in which hospitalization could be prevented with good outpatient care and early intervention.

“The release of the Prevention Quality Indicators report by NJDHSS gives the heath care community an important baseline measure of the quality of ambulatory care,” said Dr. Richard P. Falivena, Cape Regional Medical Center’s vice president of medical affairs.

“This information will be used by Cape Regional Medical Center and its medical staff to identify the health care needs of the community in order to target resources and monitor the impact of interventions.”

The report looked at hospital admissions for the following conditions: short-term diabetes complications, perforated appendix, long-term diabetes complications, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure, low birth weight, dehydration, bacterial pneumonia, urinary tract infection, angina without procedure, uncontrolled diabetes, adult asthma, and lower-extremity amputation with diabetes.

The report found that hospital admission rates tend to fluctuate between counties depending on the affluence of the area. Richer areas tended to have lower hospital admission rates than poorer urban areas, where many residents use hospitals as their primary care facilities.

“Without treatment by a primary care provider, chronic health conditions get progressively worse and people end up in the emergency room,” said Health and Senior Service Commissioner Heather Howard. “The data in this report present the issues, but the solutions – like early detection of chronic disease and health education – rest within the community.”

While this county was close to the state average in eight of the 14 categories, as one of the wealthier areas in New Jersey, it was also found to have significantly lower admission rates than the state in three of the quality indicators.

Just Hunterdon and Ocean counties had a lower risk adjusted rates for dehydration admissions than Cape May’s rate of 80.4 (all rates are per 100,000). The state rate for dehydration was 117.7. Similarly, this county’s rates for adult asthma, 112.4, and diabetic lower extremity amputation, 23.7, were much lower than the state rates in those categories, 145.7 and 35.6 respectively.

“It is good news that Cape May County performed as well or better than the state average for the care of diabetes, chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, appendicitis and the health of newborn babies,” Falivena said.

This county, however, also saw significantly higher hospital admission rates than state averages in three separate indicators:

• Bacterial pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection
• Angina without procedure

There were 566 bacterial pneumonia admissions in this county for a risk-adjusted rate of 427.3 compared to 28,575 admissions statewide and a rate of 358. Four counties (Salem, Atlantic, Essex and Sussex) had higher rates than Cape May County.

The county had 287 admissions for urinary tract infection for a rate of 221.6, compared to the state, which had 13,845 admissions and a rate of 174.1. Cape May’s rate was the second highest behind only Salem County’s 250.9.

Cape May County saw 78 hospital admissions for angina with a 65.9 rate, compared to the state rate of 47.4 and 3,737 admissions. Only Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties had higher angina rates.

“It is unclear whether the below average performance in Cape May County for the care of acute lung and urinary tract infections and dehydration are related to characteristics of our population or our health care delivery system,” Falivena said. “This deserves further study.”

According to county Health Officer Kevin Thomas, possible reasons for the county’s higher rates in certain areas could be its population, which is older than most counties and has a higher percentage of transients with vacationers and seasonal workers. There are also a number of low-income residents in the county who don’t have health insurance.

To target the population of residents that would use the emergency room at Cape Regional as their primary care provider, this area has two facilities that serve the uninsured and underinsured, Thomas said.

Cape Community Health Center is a federally qualified Center for Primary Health Care that bills patients based on their ability to pay. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds. The center is located at 410 Route 9 North, Court House.

Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) is a nonprofit organization of healthcare professionals that provide medical, pediatric and eye care services to financially eligible individuals and families who other wise have no access to health care.

“I urge those without medical insurance to utilize the services offered by VIM and the Cape Community Health Center,” Thomas said.

Thomas also noted that the Health Department does free cancer screenings for people without insurance.

According to the state, one of the main goals of the report is to provide county health departments, hospitals and policy makers with this information to help them identify healthcare needs and develop planning efforts in their communities.

Locally, the Cape May County Health Department’s Community Health Planning Division is involved in all types of preparedness efforts, disease surveillance as well as education and communication with the community and public health partners.

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com