TMCnet News
$150K in Funding Awarded to Three Boston-Area Community Health Centers for High-Need Patient Care InnovationsCommonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA) today announced Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, Lynn Community Health Center, and Upham's Corner Health Center as the recipients of its first-ever Consumer Centered Innovations in Quality Program awards. The program, designed to promote collaborative quality improvement approaches between primary care practices and their patients, identifies innovative projects that can help improve overall patient care and services for those with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs, including members of CCA's two health plans. In total, $150,000 was awarded to the three organizations. "CCA created this program to help local provider partners test care improvement methods that have the potential to impact broader healthcare transformation," said Christopher D. Palmieri, President and CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance, the not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization that serves over 30,000 members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. "In supporting these initiatives, we are supporting healthcare innovation, which is vital to our mission to provide the best possible care, tailored to meet the complex needs of the high-cost, high-needs populations we serve." With the support of CCA's Consumer Centered Innovations in Quality Program, the recipients will implement the following projects to enhance quality of care:
Beyond funding, CCA will provide technical assistance to the selectd providers to ensure that patient and caregiver input is embedded throughout all the project components. "Patients with complex health and social needs are not typically asked to partner with providers to evaluate and improve care and service. While such partnerships can yield rich insights and achieve great results, new methods and tools may be required for successful engagement," said Dr. Larry Gottlieb, Chief Quality Officer at CCA. "We are excited to be able to draw upon our experience to assist these primary care partners as they embark on these innovative projects." Provider organizations across the Commonwealth who care for large numbers of patients in CCA's One Care or Senior Care Options health plans were invited to submit proposals focused on one of four areas of care:
In addition, project submissions were required to include clear metrics, milestones, and overall measurements for success. All projects were evaluated against a set of criteria that prioritized the incorporation of patient voices, methodology of implementation, and a system for evaluation, scalability and sustainability after the funding period. At the conclusion of the year-long funding program, CCA plans to invite providers for a learning collaborative, where recipients will share perspectives, lessons learned, and outcomes. "The learning collaborative is a critical component of this program," noted Dr. Gottlieb. "The shared learnings will help participating providers to sustain and expand their initial improvement efforts past the initial funding period while also supporting wider dissemination of important lessons learned."
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