Minnesota Project Receives Health Care Innovation Award
NEWS RELEASE — Washington, D.C. – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today (Tuesday, May 8) announced the first batch of organizations for Health Care Innovation awards including a program serving adults with disabilities and complex health conditions in the Minneapolis – St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota.
Courage Center received $1.8 million to improve access to primary and specialty care, and empower program participants to better manage their own health.
Made possible by the health care law – the Affordable Care Act – the awards will support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce. The preliminary awardees announced today expect to reduce health spending by $254 million over the next 3 years.
“We can’t wait to support innovative projects that will save money and make our health care system stronger,” said Secretary Sebelius. “It’s yet another way we are supporting local communities now in their efforts to provide better care and lower cost.”
The 26 projects include collaborations of leading hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technology innovators, community-based organizations, and patients’ advocacy groups, among others, located in urban and rural areas that will begin work this year to address health care issues in local communities. This initiative allows applicants to come up with their best ideas to test how we can quickly and efficiently improve the quality and affordability of health care.
Preliminary awardees were chosen not only for their innovative solutions to the health care challenges facing their communities, but also for their focus on creating a well-trained health care workforce that is equipped to meet the need for new jobs in the 21st century health system.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the health care and social assistance sector will gain the most jobs between now and 2020.
Today’s awards total $122.6 million. CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is administering these awards through cooperative agreements over 3 years.
For more information on the awards announced today, go to: http://innovations.cms.gov/initiatives/Innovation-Awards/Project-Profiles.html
To learn more about other innovative models being tested by the CMS Innovation Center, please visit: www.innovation.cms.gov.
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