A strongly reported series examining a new program targeting 'super-utilizers' in Pennsylvania debunks a number of myths about the system's sickest and most vulnerable patients. Timothy Darragh tells the story behind the story and the lessons he learned along the way.

An effort to reduce the number of patients who are "super-utilizers" in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley requires providers to enter into what one expert calls the "messy space" — a relationship that's closer and more personal than the traditional doctor-patient relationship.

Health care super-users are often chronically ill, alone and with limited incomes. They typically need the medical skills of a trained health-care professional, but also the listening, counseling and support offered by social workers and clergy.