Greater Cincinnati Healthcare Organizations, including CMH, partnering to reduce senior costs
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The Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati Health Council and several area hospitals and health care organizations, including Clinton Memorial Hospital, is one of the nation’s first recipients of a major federal contract designed to reduce hospital admissions among seniors.
The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its first seven site selections for the Community-based Care Transitions project of the Partnership for Patients initiative.
The Council on Aging is the leading partner in the newly formed Southwest Ohio Community Care Transitions Collaborative which will carry out the contract with CMS. The focus will be on coaching hospitalized seniors on how to get home, stay healthy, and avoid return visits to the hospital.
The collaborative estimates that the program will serve nearly 5,400 seniors per year and bring an annual net savings to Medicare of more than $1 million. Savings are achieved through reductions in hospital readmissions.
Through this award, CMS has recognized the important role Council on Aging plays as an Area Agency on Aging in helping older adults transition smoothly among different care settings. In seeking remedies for the nation’s fragmented health care system, CMS required that funding applicants be or include community-based organizations, such as Area Agencies on Aging, that contribute to better healthcare outcomes for older adults.
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010 health care reform law), CMS is awarding the contracts, via competition, to identify the programs and partnerships around the country that have demonstrated effectiveness at reducing harm to older hospital patients, returning them home as quickly as possible, and preventing avoidable and costly readmissions to the hospital.
Health coaching helps seniors manage chronic conditions and remain independent.
The funding will allow the collaborative to expand a successful program Council on Aging has started. Based on the proven Care Transitions Intervention developed by Dr. Eric Coleman of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the program uses coaching, health information technology, help with medications, and chronic disease management to help hospitalized seniors get home and stay home.
“Our mission is to help older adults remain independent in their homes and Care Transitions gives us a new way to accomplish that,’ said Council on Aging chief executive officer Suzanne Burke. “We have effectively managed the long-term care needs for seniors in our community for 40 years and have developed a coordinated infrastructure that successfully serves seniors in our community. We’ve had success in our initial care transitions efforts in Cincinnati and look forward to being able to help additional seniors as they transition from various care settings. We are thrilled that CMS is recognizing our aging network as a valuable partner in improving healthcare outcomes.”[[In-content Ad]]
The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its first seven site selections for the Community-based Care Transitions project of the Partnership for Patients initiative.
The Council on Aging is the leading partner in the newly formed Southwest Ohio Community Care Transitions Collaborative which will carry out the contract with CMS. The focus will be on coaching hospitalized seniors on how to get home, stay healthy, and avoid return visits to the hospital.
The collaborative estimates that the program will serve nearly 5,400 seniors per year and bring an annual net savings to Medicare of more than $1 million. Savings are achieved through reductions in hospital readmissions.
Through this award, CMS has recognized the important role Council on Aging plays as an Area Agency on Aging in helping older adults transition smoothly among different care settings. In seeking remedies for the nation’s fragmented health care system, CMS required that funding applicants be or include community-based organizations, such as Area Agencies on Aging, that contribute to better healthcare outcomes for older adults.
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010 health care reform law), CMS is awarding the contracts, via competition, to identify the programs and partnerships around the country that have demonstrated effectiveness at reducing harm to older hospital patients, returning them home as quickly as possible, and preventing avoidable and costly readmissions to the hospital.
Health coaching helps seniors manage chronic conditions and remain independent.
The funding will allow the collaborative to expand a successful program Council on Aging has started. Based on the proven Care Transitions Intervention developed by Dr. Eric Coleman of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the program uses coaching, health information technology, help with medications, and chronic disease management to help hospitalized seniors get home and stay home.
“Our mission is to help older adults remain independent in their homes and Care Transitions gives us a new way to accomplish that,’ said Council on Aging chief executive officer Suzanne Burke. “We have effectively managed the long-term care needs for seniors in our community for 40 years and have developed a coordinated infrastructure that successfully serves seniors in our community. We’ve had success in our initial care transitions efforts in Cincinnati and look forward to being able to help additional seniors as they transition from various care settings. We are thrilled that CMS is recognizing our aging network as a valuable partner in improving healthcare outcomes.”[[In-content Ad]]