U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative Practice Transformation Networks

The Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) model will test whether a three-pronged approach to national technical assistance will enable large scale transformation of thousands of clinician practices to deliver better care and result in better health outcomes at lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees. This technical assistance design includes: (1) aligned federal and state programs and resources moving toward common transformation goals; (2) Practice Transformation Networks (PTN) formed by group practices, health care systems, and others that join together to serve as trusted partners to provide clinician practices with quality improvement expertise, best practices, coaching and help as they prepare and conduct clinical and operational practice transformation; and, (3) Support and Alignment Networks (SANs) formed by professional associations and others that align their memberships, communication channels, continuing medical education credits and other work to support the PTNs and clinician practices.

This opportunity is intended for the PTNs. Applicants that are selected as PTN cooperative agreement awardees will collaboratively lead clinicians and their practices through the TCPI phases of transformation, achieve the TCPI goals, and through adaptive redesign, position these clinicians and their practices to be sustainable components within the changing care delivery system. The Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative model will fund successful applicants as Practice Transformation Networks (PTN) that propose the most compelling approaches for assisting clinicians in transforming their practices, and commit to meeting quantifiable outcomes. These outcomes must be aligned with the overall aims of the TCPI model, including:

1. Support more than 150,000 clinicians in work to achieve practice transformation
2. Build the evidence base on practice transformation so that effective solutions can be scaled, if successful
3. Improve health outcomes for 5 million Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries
4. Reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and other overutilization of other services for 5 million Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries
5. Sustain efficient care delivery for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries by moving at least 75% of clinicians that complete the TCPI phases of transformation to participate in incentive programs and practice models that reward value upon completion of TCPI
6. Generate savings to the federal government over a period of 4 years through reduced Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP expenditures

The TCPI infrastructure will include a group of national faculty experts that will support TCPI improvement activities. The national faculty will be supported through a TCPI contract. The national faculty in collaboration with the PTNs will coach and mentor clinicians in developing core competencies to assist them in moving through the TCPI Phases of Transformation and TCPI Change Package. The PTNs will be responsible for:

• Recruiting clinician practices and building strategic partnerships
• Serving as champions for continuous improvement, culture change, and patient and family engagement
• Facilitating improved clinical practice management
• Using quality measures and data for improvement

Amount: Up to $670 million is available for up to 35 awards ranging from $2,000,000-$50,000,000. Grants will cover a 4-year period.

Eligibility: An organization must be recognized as a single legal entity by the state where it is incorporated, and must have a unique Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). Applicants must demonstrate pre-existing relationships with multiple clinician practices (primary care and/or specialists) that include data sharing capabilities. Examples of the types of organizations expected to apply are as follows: Health Systems; Regional Extension Centers; Quality Improvement Organizations; Large Group Practices; Regional and State-based Health Collaboratives; and Hospital Systems.

Link: https://www.grantsolutions.gov/gs/preaward/previewPublicAnnouncement.do?id=50067

Note: A letter of intent to apply is due by November 20, 2014.

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