"The Ronan Report" provides insight about the activities at the Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland, Maryland, and about the changes taking place in healthcare today from a CEO's perspective.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (MCHRC)

I have the honor of serving on the above commission.  Last week, the Commission met and we had the opportunity to hear from a variety of providers about their respective grant proposal submissions.  It is amazing as to how creative these providers, consisting of primary clinics, hospitals, health departments, FQHCs, mental health clinics and the list goes on, have become.  

With Maryland now requiring all hospitals and health systems to provide care delivery under a value-based care delivery model, a lot of partnerships have evolved and that's the way it should be.  Providers need to partner with each other and I can now assure you that it's happening in Maryland.  The Commission is awarding millions in grant dollars in areas such as care coordination, dental care, primary care and behavioral health partnerships, infant mortality and diversity in the provision of care.  We voted at the end of the meeting as to who would be awarded the grants and these grantees should be thrilled with our decisions.  

However, it will also be necessary in the near future to use the savings that hospitals and managed care organizations are benefiting from as their utilization begins to decrease and savings begin to occur.  We have been benefiting from our savings by re-investing them in the organization as well as sharing it with agencies in our communities that assist with the social needs of our patients.  We are precluded from applying for grant funding under the MCHRC because I am a commissioner; but I find it rewarding to see these partnerships evolve to better address the care of their patients, and the many ideas are great for potential consideration at WMHS.

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