Larry J. Hogan, Jr., Governor
Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor
Dennis R. Schrader, Health Secretary
|
Allan Anderson, MD
Elizabeth Chung
Maritha R. Gay
J. Wayne Howard
William Jaquis, MD
Surina Jordan, PhD
Barry Ronan
Carol Ivy Simmons,
PhD
Julie Wagner
Anthony C. Wisniewski
|
 |
|
Physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries are subject to laws and regulations governing their payment as outlined in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The law, passed in 2015, makes fundamental changes in the government's approach to physician payment.
Congress gave the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the task of developing regulations to implement MACRA. The agency issued final regulations October 14, 2016 and the initial phase of the law commenced January 1, 2017. CMS now refers to the program as the "Quality Payment Program." This policy brief focuses primarily on the context in which these changes are taking place, implementation challenges, and the debate over the law and the concepts that underlie it.
The Maryland Health Care Commission, provides educational assistance as well as online resources to assist stakeholders subject to MACRA in adjusting their current approach and practice management based upon MACRA's specifications. Click here for further information.
|
|
|
|
Guidelines for Successful Transition of People with Mental or Substance Use Disorders from Jail and Prison: Implementation Guide
The
guide provides behavioral health, correctional, and community stakeholders with examples of the implementation of successful strategies for transitioning people with mental or substance use disorders from institutional correctional settings into the community. The Guide also highlights the prevalence of mental and substance use disorders in correctional settings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calvert County Health Department's Project Phoenix to be supported by Calvert Memorial Hospital
The Calvert County Health Department received a
three-year grant from the CHRC in 2015 to support the functional integration of the delivery of mental health and substance use treatment services in the County, with a particular emphasis on serving low-income individuals. The program, "Project Phoenix," identifies patients with primary or underlying behavioral health disorders who have frequent hospital-based care and provides comprehensive care coordination services. In the first 18 months of the project, Project Phoenix has provided services to 446 patients through 3,680 patient visits. For the six months ending November 2016, the number of ED visits per program participant decreased 25% from the preceding six month period.
In light of the reductions in avoidable hospital costs, Calvert Memorial Hospital has indicated that it will provide financial support to continue implementing the program once the initial CHRC grant funds are expended in 2018.
|
|
Charles County Department of Health completes dental grant
In 2014, Charles County Department of Health received a three-year grant to provide oral health services to underserved children and adults. During program implementation, the grantee provided services to 4,389 individuals through 4,694 patient visits. Of this total served, 1,322 of these individuals were emergency
walk-in patients; 152 individuals were referred from the emergency department. In addition to providing dental services, the program provided oral health education to more than 20,000 individuals and provided diagnosis of and education on hypertension.
The CHRC grant to Charles County is one of 35 grants totaling $7 million awarded by the Commission to expand access to dental services. These grants have collectively served more than 52,000 individuals. Click here
for more information about CHRC funded dental programs.
|
Frederick Regional Health System leverages CHRC grant to receive additional $80,000 in funding from the Rotary Club of Frederick County
The Frederick Regional Health System received a two-year from the CHRC in FY 2015 to support the opening of a new dental practice in Frederick, the Monocacy Health Partners Dental Clinic. The clinic involves an innovative partnership between Frederick Regional Health System and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, as dental students serve patients at the clinic as part of the rotational practicum needed for degree completion. The Frederick Regional Health System refers dental patients from the emergency room to the clinic, and since the clinic opened in 2016, the grantee reported a 43% decrease in ED visits for dental related emergencies. The grantee has leveraged the initial CHRC grant to receive an additional $80,000 from the Rotary Club of Frederick.
Supporting programs that expand access to affordable, high-quality health services for low-income individuals and leverage additional funding are priorities of the CHRC. Since its inception, the initial funding provided by the CHRC ($59.8 million) has enabled its grantees to leverage $19.5 million in additional funding. Click
here
to read more about how CHRC grantees have leveraged CHRC funds to expand health care access for Marylanders.
|
American Academy of Family Physicians highlights Anne Arundel Medical Center's efforts to expand access in underserved communities
As part of National Minority Health Month, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) highlighted the work of the Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) efforts to reach and treat minority patients in underserved communities. The piece, quoting Dr. Pat Czapp, Chair of Clinical Integration, highlights AAMC's strategy of expanding access to primary and preventative care services by opening a number of community-based clinics in areas of high need. AAMC received a grant from the CHRC in 2011 to help defray the costs of opening a new primary care clinic in Annapolis and a second grant in 2013 to open a second clinic in Annapolis, as part of the Health Enterprise Zone Initiative.
Primary care services provided at the AAMC clinics have been shown to decrease unnecessary hospital utilization and have led to an increase in healthcare access and patient satisfaction to those in an underserved area of the state. Click here to read the AAFP article.
|
|
|
