NOVEMBER 16, 2012

In this month's edition of Health News from OHA and OHPB:
Oregon Health Policy Board to host public forum on progress of health system transformation
Oregon Health Policy Board and Early Learning Council team up for kids
Final wave of CCO implementation and fee-for-service member transition updates
A bridge from hospital to home
In the news

Oregon Health Policy Board to host public forum on progress of health system transformation

The December Oregon Health Policy Board meeting will focus on the progress to date of Oregon’s Medicaid health system transformation and provide a format for public input in the early stages of the new Coordinated Care Organizations.

The board meeting will be a forum for consumers, advocates, and stakeholders to offer feedback on certain questions related to health system transformation and Oregon's coordinated approach to care. More information will be provided as the meeting approaches.

The meeting will be held at its usual time Tuesday, Dec. 11, from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. but will be conducted at the Multnomah County Commissioner's office, 501 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214.

If you or your organization wish to give a public comment, please email the Oregon Health Policy Board staff at ohpb.info@state.or.us with the subject line: Health System Transformation Feedback. For those around the state who cannot travel to Portland, alternative means of commenting will be provided.

Oregon Health Policy Board and Early Learning Council team up for kids

OHPB and the Early Learning Council have teamed up to make Oregon a better place for children to grow up strong and successful. The two boards will work together to ensure that Oregon children are healthy, happy, and ready to learn when they start school.

Because children's health care and the early learning system are interconnected, policymakers in Oregon want to target both, not just individually, but together. To that end, OHPB and the Early Learning Council have teamed to create a joint subcommittee that will recommend ways to integrate and align these two policy areas. By focusing on and combining programs that help children be healthy and school-ready, Oregon will be creating a path toward a better, brighter future for our children.

Mike Bonetto and Carla McKelvey, M.D., were selected to serve as the OHPB representatives on the subcommittee. The subcommittee's recommendations will be presented to the Oregon Health Policy Board and Early Learning Council by August 2013.

Final wave of CCO implementation and fee-for-service member transition updates

Coordinated care organizations have formed in most parts of the state.

On Nov. 1, PacificSource Community Solutions CCO, Columbia Gorge Region, began serving OHP members in Hood River and Wasco counties and Yamhill County Care Organization began serving members in Yamhill County and parts of Marion, Clackamas, Polk, Tillamook, and Washington counties.

In addition, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization, an existing CCO, expanded its services to Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler, Grant, Harney and Lake Counties Nov. 1.

A full list of CCOs is available online at www.health.oregon.gov.

Most fee-for-service, or open card, members moved to a CCO Nov. 1 for physical and mental health care.

In communities with more than one CCO available, clients may choose to change their enrollment to a different CCO up to 30 days after they enroll. Certain open card clients will not be transitioning yet. These clients include individuals with special health needs who will move to a CCO when a safe transition plan is in place for their particular needs.

Members should call the Oregon Health Authority's member transition line at 1-855-226-6170 if they have any questions about this transition.

A bridge from hospital to home

When Luis Ubiles, 61, of Portland, landed in the emergency department, Oregon Health & Science University was able to offer him a wellness bridge from the hospital back to his home. Ubiles was enrolled in an innovative program to help patients transition back to their homes so that their conditions stay stable, they connect effectively with primary care, and their health improves.

OHSU is part of Health Share of Oregon, a Portland-based CCO. This program is just one example of how coordinated care helps patients get better care and improved health.

Read the full story about Luis Ubiles and C-TraIn, and more stories about how coordinated care is already serving Oregonians.

In the news

The Chronicle Online
Coordinated care program makes progress
The Chronicle reports how Columbia Pacific CCO is progressing and suggests that coordinated care in the area is making a positive impact.

KTVZ.com Central Oregon
Oregon tops U.S. in reducing uninsured children
According to a new report, Oregon was able to reduce its children's uninsurance rate by 3.1 percent from 2009 to 2011, best in the nation.

New England Journal of Medicine
The developing vision of primary care
Three primary care physicians-in-training, including one who works at the OHSU Richmond Clinic in Portland, teamed up to describe their vision of the future of primary care in America. It includes care coordination, teamwork throughout a primary care clinic, and a strong focus on the patient and on prevention.

OHPB's next meeting

Tuesday, December 11, 2012
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Multnomah County Commissioner's office
Board of Commissioner’s boardroom
501 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214

Stay involved!

Connect with us: Use Facebook.com/OregonHealthAuthority and Twitter.com/OHAOregon to find out about events, public input opportunities, and to learn more about state and federal health reform news.

Send input and comments to OHPB at ohpb.info@state.or.us
View calendar of health reform meetings