The CMS Innovation Center has announced the first awardees for the Health Care Innovation Awards. These organizations will implement projects in communities across the nation that aim to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), particularly those with the highest health care needs. Funding for these projects are for 3 years. This list will be updated as additional projects are selected.
Department officials said they expect to cut healthcare spending by $254 million over three years through the execution of these programs, part of an Affordable Care Act initiative to increased the coordination of care for dual eligibles -- individuals who are qualified to receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Dual eligibles are among the sickest of nursing home residents. The projects encourage cooperation among hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technology innovators, community-based organizations, and patients' advocacy groups and other providers.
As one example, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center received nearly $5 million for a their project: "Preventing avoidable re-hospitalizations: Post-Acute Care Transition Program (PACT)". It is expected to save $12.9 million over three years.
The project is aimed at improving care and reducing hospital readmissions for dually eligible patients representing over 8000 discharges for conditions such as congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarctions, and pneumonia. By integrating care, improving patients' transitions between locations of care, and focusing on a battery of evidence-based best practices, this model is expected to prevent complications and reduce preventable readmissions, resulting in better quality health care at lower cost in the urban Boston area with estimated savings of almost $13 million over 3 years. Over the three-year period, Beth Israel's program will train an estimated 11 health care workers, while creating an estimated 11 new jobs. These workers will include care transition specialists who will help integrate care between hospital and primary care practices.
It is easy to see how these grants award organizations that are addressing the full continuum of care. That is what will be rewarded in the future. Aging services providers should be hooking their coattails to these innovators.
Learn more ~ or join the conversation!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment