CMS awards innovation project grants
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded 16 two-year Special Innovation Projects (SIPs) to 10 regional Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs).
The SIPs address healthcare quality issues such as early detection and management of sepsis, advance care planning, colorectal cancer screening and disease management in rural settings.
It is not the first year of the QIN-QIO contracts but the 2015 SIP awards represent a paradigm shift in how CMS views and utilizes the investment made in special quality innovation work, according to the announcement. "We recognize that there is tremendous quality work occurring in the field, and by requiring that the QIN-QIOs partner with organizations (federal, state, local community, and/or private), we can potentially capitalize on interventions that have not made it into mainstream use."
The outcomes of the projects can eventually be shared with others through the QIO Program Strategic Innovation Engine (SIE)--a new endeavor which aims to rapidly move innovative, evidence-based quality practices from research to implementation.
QIN-QIOs were eligible to submit proposals for two types of Special Innovation Projects in 2015: those addressing issues of quality occurring within the QIN-QIOs’ local service area; and those focusing on expanding the scope and national impact of quality improvement interventions that have had proven, but limited success.
CMS sought proposals with scientific rigor, a strong analytic framework and a reasonable, proposed intervention based on the supporting evidence provided. Additionally, CMS looked for evidence of QIN-QIO partnerships at the community, regional and national levels, and direct links to the CMS Quality Strategy goals.
Access the list of 2015 SIPs.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.