Providing support for patient-centered medical homes in RI
April 30, 2012
UMass Medical School will provide support for the Rhode Island Chronic Care Sustainability Project (CSI-RI), a patient-centered medical home initiative. UMMS roles will include project direction, program implementation of strategic priorities and project administration.
The CSI-RI project is a multi-stakeholder collaborative with a mission “to lead the transformation of primary care in Rhode Island.” Established in 2007, it brings together payers, providers, purchasers, consumers and other leaders with the goal of delivering and financing sustainable, high-quality, comprehensive primary care.
In a patient-centered medical home, a primary care provider and his or her team member coordinate all of a patient's health needs. This includes management of chronic conditions, visits to specialists and hospital admissions, reminders to patients when they need check-ups and tests, and help in connecting patients to community services available to them.
Building on its experience with other patient-centered medical home projects, including the Massachusetts Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative, UMMS will provide the CSI-RI project with support in three main service areas:
Project direction
Provide leadership for the project on behalf of Rhode Island’s state government, including convening meetings and developing relationships with multi-stakeholder groups and key partners, and growing and enhancing revenue opportunities for the project
Program implementation—strategic priorities
Oversee planning and execution to achieve the strategic priorities of the project
Project administration
Manage key functions, including budgeting, contracting and communications
“The CSI-RI project will change the nature of health care for all Rhode Island residents,” said Christopher Koller, Rhode Island health insurance commissioner and project co-chair. “I’m pleased to work with the team at UMass Medical School to move this project to the next stage of its development.”
“Establishing effective patient-centered medical homes is a critical step in closing gaps in care and ensuring that physician practices have the resources and infrastructure necessary to focus fully on patient well-being,” said Thomas Bledsoe, MD, a physician in a patient-centered medical home practice and project co-chair. “UMass Medical School’s experience in leading patient-centered medical home projects will add tremendous value to the work we have already done.”
“As health care evolves, we at UMass Medical School are playing a central and unique role in supporting primary care practices as they move to the next level of patient care,” said David Polakoff, MD, MSc, chief medical officer for UMMS’s Commonwealth Medicine division, which has had a key role in patient-centered medical home initiatives. He also serves as director of Commonwealth Medicine’s Center for Health Policy and Research. “We are very excited to work with our colleagues in Rhode Island on this important initiative to transform health care delivery.”