On November 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a five-year contract to an alliance of three organizations, Healthcentric Advisors, IPRO, and Qlarant to serve as a regional Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) under the recently launched 12th Statement of Work. IPRO, based in Lake Success, NY is serving as prime contractor with Healthcentric Advisors serving as a subcontracting member for New England. For the past five years, Healthcentric Advisors served as the QIN-QIO for the six New England states.
QIN-QIOs serving under the 12th Statement of Work will provide customized quality improvement to nursing homes and providers, serving rural communities and the most vulnerable populations. Through this body of work, CMS is focusing on results, protecting taxpayer dollars, and most importantly, ensuring the safety and quality of care delivered to every Medicare beneficiary.
“We are pleased that the federal government has recognized the quality and expertise of our organization’s work over the past five years by having us continue to serve Medicare beneficiaries and providers throughout New England for another five years,” according to H. John Keimig, Healthcentric Advisors, President and CEO. “Working cooperatively with IPRO and Qlarant to serve providers in 11 states and D.C., we will make major gains in addressing some of the most challenging issues our healthcare system has to grapple with.”
Under the award made this month by CMS, Healthcentric Advisors will lead quality improvement work in all six New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island); IPRO will direct activities in New York, New Jersey, and Ohio; and Qlarant will direct activities in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
The alliance of IPRO, Healthcentric Advisors, and Qlarant will be responsible for nursing home and community coalition quality improvement focused on the following areas:
- Improving Behavioral Health Outcomes – Including Opioid Misuse
- Increasing Patient Safety
- Increasing Chronic Disease Self-Management
- Increasing the Quality of Care Transitions
- Improving Nursing Home Quality