June 22, 2012 OHA Director's messages on the web
To: All OHA employees
From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Director

Milestones

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail " ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two important announcements are coming soon about state and federal health reform.

First, by the end of next week we will be announcing the list of certified Coordinated Care Organizations that will begin serving OHP clients by August 1. As soon as the certification is final, I will send an all-staff message so you will know exactly which CCOs are starting.

This is an important milestone because it marks the beginning of building a new model of care focused on innovative ways to improve health and help make health care more affordable. Over the next few years each CCO will be working with its local community and working out the ways to best coordinate mental and physical health and bring preventative care and chronic disease management into the services clients receive.

They will also be reporting to OHA on key health metrics for the populations they serve and will be accountable for showing improvements. This is how we will get to our triple aim: better health, better care, lower costs.

And more communities are stepping up to form CCOs. Five organizations have applied for certification in wave two, which begins September 1. You can see that list here.

On the national front, also expected next week is an announcement from the Supreme Court about the federal Accountable Care Act. No matter what the ultimate decision, one thing is certain: the ruling will not affect Oregon's Coordinated Care Organizations. Our timelines, goals, and the federal investment into health system transformation will not change.

I will send out more information as I know more. Meanwhile, we move forward to building a new and better health care system for Oregon. Thank you for all you are doing to be a part of it.

Finally, this week we say goodbye to Jeanny Donovan and Madeline Olson.

Jeanny, who is deputy director of Medical Assistance Programs, has been with the agency since 2004. Madeline, deputy director for the Addictions and Mental Health Division, has been with the state since 1980 – all 32 of those years with DHS/OHA. During their combined 40 years of service they have touched many lives within and outside of the agency.

Jeanny and Madeline leave a long legacy of outstanding service and accomplishment. Each and every one of us who have worked with them over the years has been bettered by the experience. While they will be truly missed, they leave us well poised to meet our challenges ahead. I know you all join me in thanking them for their service, celebrating their accomplishments and wishing them well.

OHA on the web