Safety Net Medical Home Initiative
In May 2008, The Commonwealth Fund, Qualis Health and the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation at the Group Health Research Institute initiated a demonstration project to help safety net primary care clinics become high-performing patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) and achieve benchmark levels of quality, efficiency and patient experience. The goal of the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative (“the Initiative”) is to develop and demonstrate a replicable and sustainable implementation model for medical home transformation.
The Initiative calls for partnerships between safety net providers and community stakeholders to work together towards a new model of primary care delivery that is recognized and rewarded for its holistic approach to patient care. Policy activation is critical in this transformation, and all partners in this Initiative are expected to participate in Medicaid and other policy reform efforts in their respective regions.
Five Regional Coordinating Centers were selected to participate in the demonstration project, and each partnered with 12-15 safety net clinics in their state. These collaboratives will receive technical assistance on practice re-design topics such as enhanced access, care coordination, and patient experience. They will also receive funding to support a Medical Home Facilitator (who will lead clinic-based quality improvement projects) and other activities. The work of the Regional Coordinating Centers began in April 2009 and the Initiative will continue through April 2013.
Oregon Primary Care Association
The Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) is a 501(c)(3) membership organization of Oregon’s safety net primary care providers that was founded in 1984. Its mission is to shape health policy and provide technical assistance to members in order to help increase health equities and access to comprehensive health care for low income and vulnerable people in Oregon.
Its membership primarily includes the federally qualified Community Health Centers (CHCs) and affiliate members such as Rural Health Clinics, Indian Health Clinics, other community sponsored clinics and organizations with similar missions and governance. The vision of OPCA is to be a catalyst and unifying voice of its members for collaboration, leadership, growth and sustainability by shaping public policy with knowledge, understanding and information and empowering members to deliver the highest quality service to low income and vulnerable people in Oregon.
CareOregon
CareOregon was founded by safety net providers in 1994 as a non-profit, fully capitated health plan focused on serving the Medicaid managed care population of the Oregon Health Plan. It is the largest Medicaid managed care plan in Oregon, with over 105,000 members, the majority of whom reside in Portland and the surrounding area. The Oregon managed Medicaid population includes the full spectrum of vulnerable populations, from adults and elders with multiple challenges to women and children. In the last several years, CareOregon also has added a Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP) for its 5,600 dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid members.
Approximately 50% of CareOregon members are seen in safety net practices, including CHCs in the Willamette Valley, southern and coastal Oregon. CareOregon’s executive leadership has been unchanged since 2003 and has established a well run, financially sound and innovative organization committed to improving the health of its members and to promoting health care delivery system change, consistent with CareOregon’s Mission and Vision:
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Vision - Healthy Oregonians regardless of their income or social circumstances.
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Mission - Be a Community Benefit Organization to assure Oregon’s vulnerable populations receive access to high quality healthcare from a stable network by a well managed, financially sound organization.
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