Implementing a successful Delivery System Reform Incentive Project (DSRIP), or any delivery system redesign initiative, can be challenging, but overcoming those challenges can reap great reward. Organizations are often overwhelmed when planning DSRIP projects and ensuring such projects are aligned with broader population health management goals. Care management resources are often limited, resulting in focused interventions on high-risk populations that unintentionally neglect the needs of lower-risk patients. Despite the demanding nature of DSRIP implementation, organizations can offset such resource constraints by investing in a health care talent pipeline that addresses a system’s human capital demands, while providing the opportunity to grow a workforce attuned to the needs of their patients and communities.

A Workforce Development Pipeline: Health Care Talent Innovations
Health Care Talent Innovations (HCTI) is a healthcare talent development service that offers health systems a comprehensive and sustainable series of programs to address the workforce needs of hospitals, health systems and other health care providers. HCTI provides continuous recruitment, screening, education, hands-on training and professional development to individuals interested in a career in healthcare. Health Scholars, HCTI program participants, are trained in providing patient-centric, team-based care, and are recruited locally, thus, providing a workforce representative of the cultural and linguistic needs of that community.

In a post-reform environment, health care organizations across the country have been honing in on innovative strategies that drive success in value-based purchasing models. As organizations shift to taking more risk in value-based, Accountable care organization-like arrangements, they have a stronger incentive to invest in quality improvement and care coordination strategies that lay a foundation primed to achieving the principles of Triple Aim: improving population health, reducing overall costs- redirecting care to focus on value, not volume, and improving patient satisfaction.

What does this mean for DSRIP?
In a post-reform environment, health care organizations across the country have been honing in on innovative strategies that drive success in value-based purchasing models. As organizations shift to taking more risk in value-based, Accountable care organization-like arrangements, they have a stronger incentive to invest in quality improvement and care coordination strategies that lay a foundation primed to achieving the principles of Triple Aim: improving population health, reducing overall costs- redirecting care to focus on value, not volume, and improving patient satisfaction.

The federal government has emphasized this transition from volume to value-based reimbursement models by investing in innovative payment models that pilot performance based reimbursement. The Delivery System Redesign Incentive Payment (DSRIP) is a federal pay-for-performance quality improvement initiative with the goal of strengthening the healthcare delivery systems while making care more efficient and accessible. DSRIP projects focus on measurable interventions that enhance patient experience, quality of care, and access to care – at the right setting and right time. Participating healthcare organizations receive performance payments by meeting established milestones and goals.

Despite market drivers motivating health care organizations to participate in such programs, organizations often experience a limitation in workforce resources that provide additional capacity to implement strategic initiatives, such as DSRIP. Leveraging the core competencies of the Health Scholars program can be the answer to health systems workforce needs. The Health Scholars program provides the ability to put ‘boots on the ground’ and execute specific strategic initiatives to build a culturally diverse, community-based workforce for population health management purposes. Through collaborative partnerships with health systems, the Health Scholars program creates a pipeline of best-fit, competent, culturally and linguistically diverse workforce that are extensions of care coordination and case management staff.

Health Scholars work side-by-side with clinical professionals in inpatient and ambulatory care settings to provide exceptional patient care. Scholars complete a comprehensive, hands-on training program that enables them to assist staff with the care coordination needs of high-risk patient populations. Scholars have the ability to assist with resource finding for social services, discharge planning and scheduling of follow-up visits, transitions of care, connecting patients to their medical home, and informing patients about services available to them within their health system of choice.

Organizations that participate in DSRIP projects can utilize Health Scholars to assist with implementation of care coordination projects. Examples of DSRIP projects where Health Scholars can be utilized include:

• Establish/expand a health care navigation program to provide support to patient populations who are most at risk of receiving disconnected and fragmented care
• Implement/expand care transition programs
• Redesign to improve patient experience for inpatient care
• Enhance interpretation services and culturally competent care

DSRIP programs are an exciting, and unique opportunity to leverage a major investment of federal dollars to make long-term, financially sustainable changes to health care delivery and wellness promotion for Medicaid members and other safety net populations. An important aspect of successful implementation of DSRIP projects is ensuring the availability of an appropriately trained workforce to execute strategic initiatives focused on improving patient care and satisfaction. Leveraging COPE Health Solution’s Health Scholars program addresses such workforce challenges by growing a talent pipeline required for success not only in DSRIP, but also in achieving the most touted principles of Triple Aim.

About COPE Health Solutions
COPE Health Solutions is a Los Angeles-based health care consulting firm that advises hospitals and health care systems on strategy, population health management, Medicaid waivers and workforce development solutions. COPE Health Solutions provides clients with the tools, services and advice they need to be leaders in the health care industry. Our team has extensive DSRIP expertise that can be combined with years of talent pipeline success for a unique resource of experts to achieve meaningful delivery system transformation.

For more information, please contact info@copehealthsolutions.com.