Health Care Innovation Awards: Montana

Notes and Disclaimers:

• Projects shown may have also 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.

HEALTHLINKNOW, INC.

Project Title: "Patient-centered medical home for mental health services in Wyoming and Montana"
Geographic Reach: California, Montana, Washington, Wyoming
Funding Amount: $7,718,636
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $8,100,000

Summary: HealthLinkNow Inc, partnering with a number of local provider groups and health networks in Montana and Wyoming, is received an award to provide a Patient Centered Medical Home Program (PCMH) with mental health and substance abuse services in areas where geography and lack of psychiatrists and psychologists complicate access. This model will offer videoconferencing between local patients and HealthLinkNow psychiatrists; instant messaging, email, and telephone calls via HealthLinkNow between providers and patients; and a HealthLinkNow IT platform that allows billing, e-prescribing, and practice management. The program will improve access to psychiatric consultations, therapy, and long-term mental health case management. Lower costs through reduced hospital admissions and emergency room visits are anticipated. Over a three-year period, HealthLinkNow will hire 24 health care providers, including both psychiatrists and therapists.

MINERAL REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER

Project Title: “Frontier Medicine Better Health Partnership”
Geographic Reach: Montana
Funding Amount: $10,499,889
Estimated 3-Year Savings: $31,922,800

Summary: Mineral Regional Health Center, partnering with Montana’s frontier and rural health care communities, Appalachian Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute Consortium (A-OPTIC), and iVantage Health Analytics, received an award to develop and implement a Frontier and Rural Performance Network and learning collaborative that will standardize operations and efficiencies across all of the state’s hospitals, including tertiary care centers and critical access hospitals. By the third year of the project, there will be a total of 25 critical access included in the network, serving over 52,000 beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Training will be provided to all participating sites in this network. Support for sites will include health improvement specialists, technology specialists, and data analysis. The goal is to standardize improvement efforts and operational processes based upon best practices, resulting in better health care outcomes and efficiencies. Over a three-year period, the Mineral Regional Health Center will hire 35 health care workers, including a program director, associate director, chief financial officer, chief clinical officer, LEAN/community collaborative specialist, workforce development officer, team coordinator, and a human resources director as well as a staff of health improvement specialists, technology specialists, health analysts, and administrative support workers.

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