Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
PHOTO/ PROVIDED
St. Luke’s recognized for innovation
Stacy Wescoe//March 31, 2026//
St. Luke’s University Health Network announced that it has been named a recipient of the 2025 Richard L. Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare by MCG Health, part of the Hearst Health network.
The Doyle Award recognizes exceptional use of evidence-based guidance and transformative care models that advance quality, improve outcomes, and reduce unnecessary costs.
St. Luke’s was honored for its High Utilizer Care Program a systemwide initiative developed to improve care coordination for patients who frequently use emergency and inpatient services without improved outcomes.
The program integrates individualized care plans into the electronic health record and applies MCG Chronic Care guidelines to align multidisciplinary teams across emergency, inpatient, outpatient, behavioral health, and community settings—resulting in measurable improvements in care and cost.
Since implementation, patients enrolled in the HUCP for at least six months have experienced a 39% decrease in emergency department visits, a 50% reduction in inpatient admissions, a nearly 48% reduction in high-end inpatient radiology studies, and a 42% drop in hospital charges, while outpatient engagement increased—confirming success in redirecting care to appropriate settings.
This has resulted in over $400 million in cost savings over the past three years, the health network said in a release.
“Our High Utilizer Care Program reflects our commitment to compassionate, coordinated, and value-driven care,” said Rebecca Miller, network director of Outpatient Care Management at St. Luke’s. “Receiving the Doyle Award underscores the dedication of teams across our Network who work every day to improve continuity, address social and clinical needs, and achieve outcomes that matter to patients and communities.”
Doyle Award recipients are selected annually by an independent panel of healthcare experts who are not affiliated with MCG. Members of the SLUHN team will be recognized at the MCG Client Forum, June 1–3 in Aventura, Florida.
