New CMS contracts to continue Partnership for Patients work

Following the success of the Partnership for Patients initiative in reducing adverse medical events, CMS is planning a second round of contracts in hopes of continuing the downward trend.

Called Hospital Engagement Network 2.0, the new set of contracts will attempt to rectify a problem with Partnership for Patients by requiring all participants to use the same measures to track outcomes.

“The Hospital Engagement Network funding will be available to award contracts to national, regional or state hospital associations, large healthcare organizations that hold corporate ownership and operational control of a group of hospitals that consist of at least 25 hospitals, or national affinity organizations that will support hospitals in the efforts to reduce preventable hospital acquired conditions and readmissions,” CMS Chief Medical Officer Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, wrote in a blog post explaining the solicitation.

HHS reported late last year that Partnership for Patients and the Medicare policy of not reimbursing hospitals for certain preventable readmissions, in place since 2011, together helped save 50,000 lives, prevent 1.3 million hospital-acquired conditions and cut costs by $1.2 billion from 2010 to 2013. Both programs are part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“We are committed to making even greater progress keeping people as safe and healthy as possible. That is why we are launching a second round of Hospital Engagement Network contracts to continue reducing preventable hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions,” explained Conway, who also serves as deputy administrator for innovation and quality at CMS headquarters in Baltimore.

The application deadline is March 30.