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Tracking SIM practice transformation efforts
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SIM expands its presence, extends access to integrated care
The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) welcomes cohort-2 practices to the initiative. We are pleased to announce that the second cohort of this governor's office initiative, which is funded by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, includes practices across the state. These providers will help SIM reach its goal of increasing patient access to integrated behavioral and physical healthcare in primary care settings for 80% of Coloradans.
Read more about the progress cohort-1 practices have made to date and
watch Glenn Madrid, MD, a SIM cohort-1 provider, talk about how SIM has helped his practice integrate care and prepare for ongoing success with alternative payment models.
Part of that success, as Madrid explains, relies on the effective use of practice data, which was the focus of the third SIM Multi-Stakeholder Symposium held last week. About 40 representatives from SIM practices, health plans and practice transformation organizations attended the event, which was held in Denver. The first hour and a half was dedicated to data discussions between health plans and SIM providers and the rest of the four-hour meeting was spent discussing needs and ways SIM partners can collaboratively address them.
"Wouldn't it be lovely if we could take this SIM opportunity to make a cultural shift and look at how we all are partners in this and then work to get patients into this game?," asked a payer representative. "We all need to take ownership and accountability for healthcare. There needs to be a cultural shift so that there's no bad guy in this; we're all working together."
More details about the meeting will be posted on the
SIM website early next week.
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Download a free copy of the new
suicide prevention toolkit for primary care practices
to help your team gain skills and confidence to help patients in need. SIM providers are encouraged to attend an in-person orientation. If you're interested, email
Sarah Brummett
for more information.
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Whole-person health: Why integration matters
Addressing fragmentation in healthcare is key to realizing why integrated care is so important, says Ben Miller, PsyD, in the
latest episode of Innovation Insights, a SIM podcast series. "Integration rights a pretty significant wrong in healthcare," says Miller, an associate professor at the Colorado University School of Medicine and chief policy officer for the Well Being Trust in California. "It is the future of healthcare delivery." Hear Miller talk about why integrated care is so important, and how SIM providers are paving the way for better healthcare in Colorado and beyond. Subscribe to SIM
SoundCloud and
YouTube channels to see all SIM videos and podcasts, which help tell the SIM story.
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SIM cohort-2 small grants opportunity
The Colorado Health Foundation has pledged up to $3 million to fund competitive small grants for practices in the three SIM cohorts. These small grants, which are administered by the SIM office, supplement other forms of SIM practice transformation support and help care teams actualize practice improvement plans. Cohort-2 practices are encouraged to discuss this opportunity with their practice facilitators and clinical health information technology advisers and to start preparing for the request for application, which will be released Nov. 15. The deadline for small grant applications is Jan. 15, 2018. Read more about eligibility and small grant stories from cohort-1 practices
here.
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The SIM team will start working with Arrow Performance Group (APG) to engage 500 healthcare consumers and community members, who will help identify and address key areas of healthcare concerns in the state. APG will conduct consumer outreach activities in at least two medically underserved regions to learn more about consumers' experiences accessing integrated healthcare and with healthcare delivery reform. The team will conduct focus groups, community forums, key informant interviews and surveys. The goal is to select and train 25 community leaders from the healthcare consumers group to provide a consumer voice in SIM healthcare transformation workgroups and meetings and participate in healthcare transformation efforts in their communities. The training shall ensure that the community leaders:
- Can engage in and provide critical feedback about SIM activities and milestones
- Participate in and provide critical feedback to the consumer engagement workgroup
- Act in other leadership capacities
Stay tuned for more information about this work, and t
he first SIM podcast with a patient, who shares her experiences with integrated care. The podcast will be published next week.
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Gap analysis IDs opportunities for sustainability
A
new report will help identify population-based behavioral health initiatives in the state that are focused on promotion and prevention as the SIM team shifts more attention toward sustainability. The scan and gap analysis, which was conducted by Health Management Associates and funded by SIM, will inform a call to action with recommended strategies and actions to ensure the sustainability of SIM efforts to improve access to integrated care.
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SIM educational sessions scheduled
Registration is open for the Nov. 3 and Dec. 15 collaborative learning session (CLS) events in metro Denver and Grand Junction, respectively. SIM practices are encouraged to attend these educational sessions to learn from and connect with SIM peers as well as local and national speakers. CLS events offer training on related clinical content and continuing medical education, as well as strategic planning to help your team gain momentum with practice transformation goals.
Click here for more information about CLS requirements and to register.
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Improve practice collections with the 3 Cs
SIM practice managers are encouraged to join a webinar with the Medical Group Management Association on Wednesday, Oct. 18 (12 - 1 PM MT) to gain the following skills:
- Identify different types of self-pay patients and those with high deductibles
- Educate patients on what to expect with payment collection
- Learn the 3 Cs of compassionate care conversations that will help you improve collection rates
To attend, enter the
skills development virtual room (open two hours before the webinar begins) and listen using your computer speakers; a call-in number will be posted in case of audio issues. This webinar will be recorded and available on-demand after Oct. 18. A link will be shared in the SIM newsletter.
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SIM practices progress with CQM reporting
SIM practices are required to report on physical and behavioral healthcare clinical quality measures (CQMs), which help them track the health of patient populations, the effects of care team interventions, and to negotiate future contracts. The second quarter of 2017 was the best yet in terms of data reporting and quality. During that time frame, 92% of active SIM primary care practice sites reported on the minimum required number of CQMs, an increase from 77% of sites in quarter 1 of 2017. Check the
SIM data hub to learn more about how SIM is collecting and using data to evaluate the initiative and listen to
this podcast with SIM data experts, who talk about the importance of CQMs.
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Gearing up for mental health
Sarah Johnson, regional health connector, shares upcoming community events that address mental and physical health and writes about the importance of integrated care in this
blog post. "One of the most important things we can do in our community is to make seeking mental health treatment not only OK but the expectation - just like it is for diabetes and heart disease," she writes. To get connected to the regional health connector in your community,
visit the new RHC website.
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New substance abuse modules available
Part two of the substance use disorders training module, which was created by the Office of Behavioral Health with SIM funding, examines the value and importance of medically trained primary care team members, who prescribe and monitor opioid use during patient encounters. It contains tools to help team members work together efficiently and effectively to reduce the risk of opioid use disorders.
Click here to view all SIM modules on the e-learning platform, and
register for a free account using the code "SIM."
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Maintenance of certification reminder
All SIM practices qualify for Maintenance of Certification Part IV, performance improvement credit (at a discounted price) if a physician participated in quality improvement through SIM. To receive credit, the doctors need to complete the appropriate attestation form found here. All clinicians need to have completed at least six months of data collection to qualify and there is a fee of $75. Attestations may be submitted at any time, but must be received no later than Nov. 27, 2017 for credit in 2017.
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Help strengthen Colorado's substance use prevention efforts
The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) wants to strengthen Colorado's primary prevention efforts for substance use disorders and contracted with the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) to conduct a statewide needs assessment to identify the right path. To accomplish this, CHI is conducting data analysis, convening an advisory group, holding statewide meetings, and reaching out to you and other prevention providers for input. OBH will use the findings to develop its strategic plan in 2018.
Sign up here
to participate in statewide meetings in October.
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Be the one to prevent suicide
A new effort by organizations in the Grand Valley encourages everyone to "Be the one to" make a difference in the life of a person, who may be at risk of suicide. Read more about this campaign:
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Incorporating behavioral health care into patient centered medical homes is critical for improving patient health and care quality while reducing costs.
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STAY CONNECTED:
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The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1G1-14-001 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM), a four-year initiative, is funded by up to $65 million from CMS. The content provided is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.
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