Massachusetts Health Policy Commission |
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Let us know if there are care delivery transformation topics or work in the Commonwealth that you would like the HPC to showcase in this newsletter. We would love to hear from you!
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SHIFT-CARE CHALLENGE OUD INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
HPC Releases Findings and Insights from the SHIFT-Care OUD Initiatives
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The HPC has released an evaluation report and impact brief detailing findings from the SHIFT-Care Challenge Investment Program OUD cohort, through which nine awardees initiated medication for addiction treatment (MAT) for patients in the emergency department (ED) and facilitated timely follow-up care to support ongoing engagement and retention in treatment.
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To complement the evaluation report, the HPC has also released a video featuring SHIFT-Care awardee UMass Memorial Medical Center, and Dr. Sarah Wakeman, Addiction Medicine Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. The video underscores the importance of peer recovery coaches in building strong, supportive relationships with patients through their recovery journeys.
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ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS |
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HPC Certifies 14 ACOs Under the New Learning, Equity and Patient-Centeredness 2022 Standards |
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The HPC has certified 14 accountable care organizations (ACOs), which comprise the first cohort to be certified under the new Learning, Equity and Patient-Centeredness (LEAP) 2022 criteria. LEAP 2022 builds on the HPC’s previous standards which position the ACO model as a catalyst for learning and improvement among health care organizations. ACOs receiving this recognition have met a set of objective criteria focused on core ACO capabilities demonstrating dedication to patient-centered care, use of evidence-based and data-driven strategies to improve care delivery, and commitment to addressing long-standing health inequities. |
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Preliminary findings on HPC-Certified ACOs include:
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The use of risk contracts with payers appears to have held steady from the previous round of certification in 2019, with a total of 95 risk contracts covering 2.8 million Bay Staters. Overall, the majority of covered lives (93%) attributed to these 14 ACOs are in two-sided risk contracts, a slight uptick from 2019.
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ACOs’ organizational efforts to improve health equity have focused on training for their staff, recruitment strategies, quality improvement initiatives, and expanding access to telehealth services.
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The most common supports ACOs report they are offering for telehealth include interpreter services, a common technology platform for providers, and associated technical assistance for technology use. The most common elements of digital strategies include patient portals, virtual visits, remote patient monitoring, and e-consults between primary care providers and specialists.
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ACOs identify the most effective strategies for controlling health care cost growth as complex care management programs, reductions in avoidable inpatient or post-acute care utilization, and investments in primary care and behavioral health capacity.
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ACOs report that the most common challenges to their cost control efforts include growth in drug prices, medical supplies, or other challenges in translating risk contract incentives into incentives for clinicians and prices of providers outside of the ACO.
More information on the HPC ACO Certification process is available here.
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PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS |
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The Promise of Medical-Legal Partnerships |
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This innovation spotlight highlights the benefits of medical-legal partnerships in helping meet patients’ social needs and implementation lessons learned from three HPC investment program awardees—Boston Medical Center, Community Care Cooperative, and Steward Health Care Network. |
South Shore Hospital Presents on Efforts to Support Substance Exposed Newborns and their Caregivers at PNQIN Summit |
The South Shore Hospital staff described the neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) landscape in Massachusetts, identified barriers to care for their patient population, and highlighted the ways their team has utilized the C4SEN funding to expand services, including:
- Supporting ongoing training for program staff that cover lactation support, perinatal loss, motivational interviewing, car seat installation, and cultural humility
- Providing parenting supplies to patients, such as travel cribs, strollers, and car seats, and coordinating transportation to and from appointments and groups
- Expanding group meetings to include pregnancy education, lactation support, and parenting support groups
- Hiring a doula to provide prenatal, labor, and postnatal support
Even as they recognized their accomplishments, the South Shore Hospital team reflected on the work that lies ahead for their programs, including prioritizing improved collaboration with obstetricians, expanding screening for behavioral health needs and SUD, and sustaining services beyond the C4SEN grant period.
More information on the C4SEN Investment Program is available here
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Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Releases Report on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health |
According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Black non-Hispanic women are 1.9 times more likely to die during pregnancy or within one year postpartum as compared to white non-Hispanic women. In response to these stark inequities, legislation signed by Governor Charlie Baker in January 2021 established a 28-member Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health to investigate and study methods to reduce racial inequities in maternal health in the Commonwealth. Jasmine Bland, Program Manager for the HPC’s Birth Equity and Support through the Inclusion of Doula Expertise (BESIDE) program participated in the Special Commission as the HPC Executive Director’s designee. The Special Commission developed a comprehensive report which offers key findings, recommendations and calls to action based on research investigating the factors influencing poorer maternal health in three main domains: Family and Community Engagement, Public Health Infrastructure, and Health Systems Improvements
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UPCOMING EVENTS & RESOURCES |
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HPC Board and Committee meetings, and some upcoming meetings and training opportunities offered by non-profit and governmental organizations focusing on health care quality improvement and cost containment.
Health Policy Commission
July 13, 2022
National Institute on Drug Abuse
July 20, 2022
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Disorders
August 23-25, 2022
National Academy for State Health Policy
September 12, 2022
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
September 17-18, 2022
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A sampling of resource materials and publications produced by the HPC, other Commonwealth agencies, and non-profit organizations.
MA Health Policy Commission, 2022
MA Health Policy Commission, 2022
MA Health Policy Commission, 2022
MA Health Policy Commission, 2022
MA Health Policy Commission, 2022
Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Commission, 2022
MassLive, 2022
National Center for Medical Legal Partnership, 2022
National Center for Medical Legal Partnership, 2022
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Health Policy Commission
50 Milk Street, 8th Floor
Boston, MA 02109
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