HHS makes available $500M for care improvement

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has made available up to $500 million in Partnership for Patients funding to help health providers improve care and avoid preventable injuries.

This funding, made available by the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, will be awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center, according to the HHS.

The Partnership for Patients is a public-private partnership charged with improving the quality, safety and affordability of healthcare, HHS stated. The partnership’s two goals are reducing harm in hospital settings by 40 percent and reducing hospital readmissions by 20 percent over a three-year period.

The partnership is seeking to contract with large healthcare systems, associations, state organizations or other interested parties to support hospitals in redesigning care processes. “Hospital Engagement Contractors” will be asked to conduct the following:

• Design intensive programs to teach and support hospitals in making care safer;
• Conduct training for hospitals and care providers;
• Provide technical assistance for hospitals and care providers; and
• Establish and implement a system to track and monitor hospital progress in meeting quality improvement goals.

Solicitations for proposals are available on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the HHS stated.