On September 29th, Year 4, the final year of CHCACT’s Practice Transformation Network (PTN), launched. There is impressive and powerful work being done by our member health centers to transform their model of care and be prepared for success under value-based payment models. One way the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is recognizing high-performing practices across the country is through their “Exemplary Practice” designation. Congratulations to Generations Family Health Center and StayWell Health Center, which earned this designation and were recognized on a national level at the CMS National Expert Panel conference in August! During Year 4, the PTN Team will work with other member health centers to help them earn this designation.

Russ Dexter, Chief Innovation Officer

 The primary focus in Year 4 for the PTN Team will be for CHCACT to support our member health centers in meeting the technical specification for all 5 Phases of Transformation:

(1) setting aims and developing basic capabilities

(2) reporting and using data to generate improvements

(3) achieving aims of lower costs, better care, and better health

(4) getting to benchmark status, and

(5) demonstrating capability to generate better care, better health at lower cost.

We believe that a strategy of shared learning is the most effective approach to doing so. In past years, we have focused on bringing our member health centers together with national experts and facilitating a combination of discussion and shared learning. Our strategy for Year 4 will remain the same, but our approach will be slightly different. In Year 4 we are introducing a model of technical assistance that we call our "cohort model." As health centers get deeper into the Phases, their needs become more specific. As a result, we are creating three cohorts, or small groups of health centers that have similar needs related to completing the 5 Phases. The cohort categories are Population Management,  Care Teams, and Clinical Outcomes - Diabetes. Health centers will be assigned to a cohort based on their needs. The cohorts will meet through a combination in-person and virtual meetings, where they will learn from each other, their peers, and from national experts.

It has been an honor for CHCACT to work with our member health centers on an important area like Transformation. We appreciate their commitment to the process and, especially, the commitment they are showing to improving care and outcomes for their patients.