The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced $840 million in grants available for 150,000 clinician practices engaged in developing comprehensive quality improvement strategies. The grants are made available through the Transforming Clinical Practices Initiative, which aims to help clinical practices transition to providing value-based, patient-centered, and coordinated health care services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will award funding for two different types of networks.
- Practice Transformation Networks – These consist of providers who have made progress in quality improvement and electronic health records. Providers will use the funding to help other practices adopt best practices.
- Support and Alignment Networks – These consist of associations and other organizations that are helping their members by generating evidence-based guidelines for clinical practice, promoting measurement for improvement, and effectively incorporating safety and patient and family engagement. These groups will support Practice Transformation Networks and clinical practices.
CMS is accepting applications for both types of networks through Jan. 6, 2015. Potential applicants are highly encouraged to submit nonbinding letters of intent by Nov. 20.
