A Collaborative Approach to Health Reform in Virginia

RICHMOND – 12-19-12 — Marking a collaborative approach to health reform in Virginia, leaders from every area of health care are joining together to develop the Virginia Health Innovation Plan – a massive multidisciplinary effort launched today by the Virginia Center for Health Innovation.    Top-level leaders from the health care, government, non-profit and business communities have committed to an intense and deep examination of ways to improve results in six key areas:

  • Improving Early Childhood Outcomes
  • Educating and Engaging Consumers to Purchase Value
  • Improving Transparency and Availability of Data
  • Payment and Delivery Reform: Improving Chronic Disease Care
  • Payment and Delivery Reform: Improving Care Integration for Physical and Mental Health
  • Improving the Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Appropriate Mix of the Health Care Workforce

The work groups include members of the Virginia Health Reform Initiative  (VHRI) Advisory Board, the Virginia Center for Health Innovation (VCHI) Board of Directors, State Government, and top thought leaders in each particular priority area, including physicians, hospital executives, employers, nonprofit sector leaders, and others.  “Each of these dedicated advisory group members will work with their teams to explore and recommend demonstration programs in their targeted area to be included in the Commonwealth’s three-year implementation plan,” explained Chairman of the Virginia Health Innovation Plan, Secretary William A. Hazel, Jr., MD.  A full list of those involved in this process can be found below.

Funding for the development of the Plan was shepherded by Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell.  “This effort is essential to the economic health of Virginia. Working together, we can identify ways to improve both the delivery of health care and the way we pay for it.  If we are successful, we will begin to provide better value to Virginia’s health care purchasers and patients,” the Governor said.

The kick-off meeting, held today, began by providing all stakeholders with an overview of the process and purpose of the State Health Innovation Plan and acquainted them with the electronic tools to facilitate their upcoming discussions.   In the afternoon, work groups assigned to each of the priority areas began the intense work of reviewing and rethinking “business as usual” in Virginia health care and started the process of evaluating and developing recommendations.

Prior to today’s kick-off event, an in-depth inventory of health innovation projects already under development in each of the priority areas was conducted, including direct input from key stakeholders.  The findings of that inventory are being used as the starting point for each of the work group’s efforts.

By the end of March 2013, each work group will submit up to three demonstration project ideas for inclusion in the three-year Virginia Health Innovation Plan.  A team of consultants will review the recommendations of all six work groups, develop cost savings projections, prepare implementation plans, and prepare a final report.   This process of economic analysis assures that the best pilot programs are included in the final plan, which will be submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as an application for a multi-year State Innovation Model grant.

Candidate pilot programs, which are recommended by workgroups but not submitted to CMS, will be considered by VCHI for funding and implementation through other vehicles.

VHIP Advisory Group Members

For more information on the Virginia Health Innovation Plan, contact Beth Bortz, President & CEO, Virginia Center for Health Innovation, bbortz@vahealthinnovation.org