Yesterday LifeLong Medical Care (LifeLong) was awarded $1,109,231 as one of the Department of Health and Human Services’ first 26 Health Care Innovation Awardees. Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, the awards support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce.
Innovative is the appropriate word for LifeLong’s project, titled “Health Care Innovation Challenge: LifeLong complex care initiative to achieve the Triple Aim”. This award will allow the center to further integrate care and encourage healthy behavior, among 3250 seniors and other adults with disabilities who are Medicaid and dual Medicare/Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries. The goal is to reduce avoidable emergency room and hospital visits. The intervention will train adults with disabilities to support adoption of healthy behaviors among their peers and to encourage self-management, with the support of a team of nurse care managers. Improved care and better health for these high risk patients will lower costs with estimated savings of approximately $1 million.
Over the three-year period, LifeLong Medical Care’s program will train an estimated 60 health care workers, while creating an estimated 60 new jobs. These workers will include peer health coaches and nurse care managers who will facilitate integrated care for seniors and for low-income adults with disabilities. LifeLong will partner with Berkeley’s Center for Independent Living and the Alameda Alliance for Health to achieve program goals.
Congratulations LifeLong!!
Improved care and better health for these high risk patients will lower costs with estimated savings of approximately $1 million.
Posted by: Margeret Desantis | August 23, 2012 at 12:18 AM
Improved care and better health for these high risk patients will lower costs with estimated savings of approximately $1 million.
Posted by: Diamond Faison | August 15, 2012 at 05:07 AM