Health Care Innovation Awards: Florida

Notes and Disclaimers:

• Projects shown may also have operated in other states (see the Geographic Reach)
• Descriptions and project data (e.g. gross savings estimates, population served, etc.) are 3 year estimates provided by each organization and are based on budget submissions required by the Health Care Innovation Awards application process.
• While all projects were expected to produce cost savings beyond the 3 year grant award, some may not achieve net cost savings until after the initial 3-year period due to start-up-costs, change in care patterns and intervention effect on health status.

FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH

Project Title: “Using care managers and technology to improve the care of patients with schizophrenia”
Geographic Reach: Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon
Funding Amount: $9,380,855
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $10,080,000

Summary: The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research received an award to develop a workforce that is capable of delivering effective treatments, using newly available technologies, to at-risk, high-cost patients with schizophrenia. The intervention will test the use of care managers, physicians, and nurse practitioners trained to use new technology as part of the treatment regime for patients recently discharged from the hospital at community treatment centers in eight states. These trained providers will educate patients and their caregivers about pharmacologic management, cognitive behavior therapy, and web-based/home-based monitoring tools for their conditions. This intervention is expected to improve patients’ quality of life and lower cost by reducing hospitalizations. Over a three-year period, the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research will retrain nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physicians, and case managers to use newly available mental health protocols and health technology resources.

INNOVATIVE ONCOLOGY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC.

Project Title: “Community oncology medical homes (COME HOME)”
Geographic Reach: Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas
Funding Amount: $19,757,338
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $33,514,877

Summary: Innovative Oncology Business Solutions, Inc., representing 7 community oncology practices across the United States received an award to implement and test a medical home model of care delivery for newly diagnosed or relapsed Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and commercially insured patients with one of the following seven cancer types: breast, lung, colon, pancreas, thyroid, melanoma and lymphoma. Cancer care is complicated, expensive, and often fragmented, leading to suboptimal outcomes, high cost, and patient dissatisfaction with care. Through comprehensive outpatient oncology care, including extended clinic hours, patient education, team care, medication management, and 24/7 practice access and inpatient care coordination, the medical home model will improve the timeliness and appropriateness of care, reduce unnecessary testing, and reduce avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Over a three-year period, Innovative Oncology Business Solutions will fill 115.6 new health care jobs, including positions for training specialists, data analysts, patient care coordinators, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses, as well as for a finance manager and a compliance manager.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (YMCA OF THE USA)

Project Title: "Delivery on the promise of diabetes prevention programs"
Geographic Reach: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas
Funding Amount: $11,885,134
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $4,273,807

Summary: The National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States of America (Y-USA), in partnership with 17 local Ys currently delivering the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, and 7 other leading national non-profit organizations focused on health and medicine, is serving prediabetic Medicare beneficiaries in 17 communities across 8 states in the U.S. The intervention delivers community-based diabetes prevention through a nationally-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change program, coordinated and taught by trained YMCA Lifestyle Coaches. The goal is to prevent the progression of prediabetes to diabetes, which will improve health and decrease costs associated with complications of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension. The investments made by this grant are expected to generate cost savings beyond the three year grant period. Over a three-year period, Y-USA and its partners will train an estimated 1500 workers and create an estimated eight jobs. The new jobs will include communication specialists, a program manager, a grant administrator, a workforce development manager, data specialists, training specialists, and administrative coordinator.

TransforMED

Project Title: "Multi-community partnership between TransforMED, hospitals in the VHA system and a technology/data analytics company to support transformation to PCMH of practices connected with the hospitals and development of “Medical Neighborhood”
Geographic Reach: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia
Funding Amount: $20,750,000
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $52,824,000

Summary: TransforMED received an award for a primary care redesign project across 15 communities to support care coordination among Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), specialty practices, and hospitals, creating “medical neighborhoods.” The project will use a sophisticated analytics engine, provided by a vendor, Phytel, to identify high risk patients and coordinate care across the medical neighborhood while driving PCMH transformation in a number of primary care practices in each community. Truly comprehensive care will improve care transitions and reduce unnecessary testing, leading to lower costs with better outcomes. TransforMED will work with VHA to capture learnings from leading performers. Cost trends will be identified via claims data using an analytic tool provided by a vendor, Cobalt Talon. Over a three-year period, TransforMED’s program will train an estimated 3,024 workers and create an estimated 22 jobs.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

Project Title: "Deep South Cancer Navigation Network (DSCNN)"
Geographic Reach: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee
Funding Amount: $15,007,263
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $49,815,239

Summary:

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center received an award extending a regional network of lay health workers to expand comprehensive cancer care support services through a five state region. Working through the participating UAB Health System Cancer Community Network associate sites, the program seeks to create a national model for improving the quality of cancer care while decreasing unnecessary hospital utilization and enhancing patient satisfaction.

The program, named “Patient Care Connect,” is designed to serve Medicare beneficiaries with complex or advanced stage cancers, including those with psycho-social barriers to appropriate care, many living in medically underserved inner city and rural communities. Each navigation team will include an RN site manager and specially trained non-clinical patient navigators. The navigation teams will focus on helping patients by providing information about their cancer treatment, empowering patients to make informed choices about their care, providing emotional support and problem-solving, assisting with overcoming common barriers to cancer treatment, and helping patients make wise use of healthcare resources.

It is expected that the program will result in a reduction in emergency room visits and unnecessary hospital utilization, earlier acceptance of palliative and hospice services, better adherence to evidence based care plans, and an improved overall quality of life for cancer patients.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Project Title: "Expanded activities of school health initiative”
Geographic Reach: Florida
Funding Amount: $4,097,198
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $5,620,017

Summary: The University of Miami, in partnership with Medicaid health plans, the University of Florida College of Dentistry, the Center for Haitian Studies, the Larkin Residency program, and Overtown Youth Center, received an award to improve care and access to care for children in four communities in the Miami-Dade County area who have health problems that include asthma, obesity, type II diabetes, and STDs. This intervention has resulted in an expansion of  services and utility of school-based health clinics, increased collaboration with other care providers, services, and school-health stakeholders, and enhanced usage and sharing of health information technology. A team-based approach is being utilized to improve care and quality of services. This approach incorporates community health workers, nursing assistants, and dental hygienists while taking advantage of telehealth opportunities. The program will lower cost through preventive and more appropriate care and increase access to care, services, and benefits. Over a three-year period, the University of Miami’s program will train an estimated 60 workers and will create an estimated 25 jobs. The new workforce will include community health workers, dental hygienists, physicians and nurse practitioners.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER

Project Title: "Brookdale Senior Living (BSL) Transitions of Care Program"
Geographic Reach: Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Texas
Funding Amount: $7,329,714
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $9,729,702

Summary: The University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), in partnership with Brookdale Senior Living (BSL), is developing and testing the Brookdale Senior Living Transitions of Care Program, which is based on an evidenced-based assessment tool called Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) for residents living in independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in Florida, Colorado, Kansas and Texas. In addition, community dwelling older adults who receive BSL home health services will be included in the Transitions of Care Program. Over the course of the award the program will expand to other states where BSL communities are located. The program will employ clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) to act as program managers. CNLs will train care transition nurses and other staff on the use of INTERACT and health information technology resources to help them identify, assess, and manage residents' clinical conditions to reduce preventable hospital admissions and readmissions. The goal of the program is to prevent the progress of disease, thereby reducing complications, improving care, and reducing the rate of avoidable hospital admissions for older adults. Over a three-year period, the Brookdale Senior Living Transitions of Care program will train an estimated 10,926 workers and create an estimated 97 jobs for clinical nurse leaders and other health care team members.

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