Health systems join forces to reform, improve healthcare for underserved on Medicaid
The work will focus on challenges including behavioral health, women and infant care, substance use disorder and avoidable ER visits.
Seventeen major American health systems, comprising 280 hospitals, are joining forces to identify and develop solutions for improving the health of underserved patients who rely on Medicaid.
Dubbed the Medicaid Transformation Project, the efforts to reform healthcare and related social needs for Medicaid beneficiaries has the potential to impact about 75 million Americans.
The work will focus on five critical challenges facing vulnerable populations across the country, including behavioral health, women and infant care, substance use disorder and avoidable emergency department visits.
Five health systems anchor the work: Advocate Aurora Health in Chicago and Wisconsin; Baylor Scott and White Health in Dallas; Dignity Health in San Francisco; Geisinger in Danville, Pennsylvania; and Providence St. Joseph Health in Renton, Washington.
Collectively, the 17 health systems span 21 states, more than 53,000 hospitals beds, and roughly $100 billion in combined annual revenues.
The Medicaid Transformation Project will be led by AVIA, creators of a network for health systems seeking to innovate, and Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and founder and general partner at Town Hall Ventures.
AVIA leads a network of 35 health systems that collaborate to find, implement and scale digital solutions to address common challenges. Slavitt founded Town Hall Ventures as a venture capital firm devoted to investing in and supporting entrepreneurs who are improving the health of underserved populations.
According to statistics provided by AVIA, one in five Americans is covered by Medicaid, and half of U.S. births are financed by Medicaid. It's also the number one payer for behavioral health services.
The Medicaid Transformation Project will assemble a core team at each health system to implement solutions, with the goal to share best practices across the network and essentially create a roadmap for partner organizations to act quickly to create change. The work will feature a Leadership Council, chaired by Slavitt and composed of health system CEOs, to maintain course.
David Smith, formerly of Leavitt Partners, will guide the Medicaid Transformation Project and has partnered with a number of Medicaid experts as active participants in the work, including Dr. Molly Coye, former commissioner of health for the State of New Jersey and director of the California Department of Health Services.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
