Internal Medicine
South San Francisco Medical Center
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Program
As Chief of Utilization Management, in 1996, Dr. Wilkes spearheaded the development of a program to more effectively manage patients with CHF – the most common medical diagnosis for hospital admissions.
The program uses clinical pathways, outpatient classes and case management to help prevent return visits to the ED or hospital. It resulted in a 23% lower hospital admission rate and 21% fewer ED visits, while the readmission rate dropped 46%, to become the lowest in the region. Most importantly, the quality of life improved for the 1000 patients enrolled in the program in the Golden Gate Region. It is now being used throughout Northern California.