In January of 2017, the state of Washington signed a binding agreement between CMS and the HCA to transform the Medicaid Delivery System via a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Waiver. This is a one-time opportunity to create generations long change, radically improving health in our community.
When it came time to decide on how to enact Medicaid Transformation in Washington, BHT wanted to align our work around strengthening the natural systems of care and partnerships in our region, rather than organize around specific projects. In March of 2018, to support this vision of whole-person care, which connects health care and social determinants together, we landed on our Collaborative setting model to organize the work and distribute funds.
The model was highly influenced by the great work of our rural health coalitions, which bring together all the folks who actually make people healthy and puts the organizations responsible for impacting health as the drivers of local transformation. With the Collaborative model, BHT has set out to empower local communities to take ownership of transformation efforts. This is in the spirit of the formation of the ACHs; recognizing local communities know best what solutions will work for them.
The Collaboratives are comprised of the key settings needed to make transformation happen. These are the settings ultimately being asked to take responsibility for community health. With the shift to Value Based Payments (VBP), health care will require close, cross-sector partnerships to be successful. Our Collaboratives are meant to mirror the natural network of care that would develop to serve communities.
Transformation funds will allow organizations the flexibility to build partnership and select innovative projects; structured for success within a model tied to outcomes. By empowering the local and necessary partners for Transformation, we position the region for success once transformation funds are gone.
