Partnership for Patients

Federal Office: CMMI

Better Care, Lower Costs, a new public-private partnership that will help improve the quality, safety, and affordability of health care for all Americans. The Partnership for Patients brings together leaders of major hospitals, employers, physicians, nurses, and patient advocates along with state and federal governments in a shared effort to make hospital care safer, more reliable, and less costly.

Major stakeholders – including more than 2,000 hospitals – have pledged to join with Medicare in a shared effort to save thousands of lives, stop millions of injuries, and take important steps toward a more dependable and affordable health care system.

The Partnership for Patients includes Community-based Care Transition Program (CCTP) and Hospital Engagements Networks (HENs).

Funds:

$500 billion to $1 billion

Awardees:

HENs Selected: American Hospital Association, Ascension Health, Carolinas HealthCare System, Catholic Healthcare West, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation, Georgia Hospital Association Research and Education Foundation, Healthcare Association of New York State, Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Intermountain Healthcare, Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, Joint Commission Resources, Inc., Lifepoint Hospitals, Inc., Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Minnesota Hospital Association, National Public Health and Hospital Institute, New Jersey Hospital Association, Nevada Hospital Association, North Carolina Hospital Association, Ohio Children’s Hospital Solutions for Patient Safety, Ohio Hospital Association, Premier, Tennessee Hospital Association, Texas Center for Quality & Patient Safety, UHC, VHA, Washington State Hospital Association

For Community-based Care Transition Program sites - see the CCTP section.

Next Steps:

HENS: On December 14, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $218 million to 26 State, regional and national hospital system organizations to serve as Hospital Engagement Networks. Hospital Engagement Networks will work at the regional, State, national or hospital system level to develop learning collaboratives for hospitals so that they can implement the changes and innovations necessary to achieve the Partnership for Patients’ safety and care transitions goals. They will engage in a wide array of initiatives and activities to spread established, effective interventions and rapidly improve patient safety in hospitals. CMS awarded 2-year contracts, with the option for a third year. CMS will require that Hospital Engagement Networks to develop content, conduct learning activities, and make best practices available to partner hospitals in ten core areas of focus, although they do not have to limit their work to this core set. The National Content Developer, another contract that was awarded under the Partnership for Patients, will work with the Hospital Engagement Networks in developing the training materials.

For CCTP next steps -- see the CCTP section

For more information on the Partnership for Patients, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/compare/partnership-for-patients/. For more information on Hospital Engagement Networks, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/compare/partnership-for-patients/safety/index.html. For information on Community-based Care Transition Programs, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/compare/partnership-for-patients/care-transitions/index.html.