 In an unprecedented manner, a majority of
Maryland primary care providers have voluntarily elected to apply to
participate in the Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP). These
dedicated and hard-working primary care physicians, nurse practitioners,
physician assistants, and their staff have committed to joining a program and
starting a journey that promises to improve the quality of care, reduce the
cost of care, and improve the well-being of Marylanders.
The work that needs to be done to achieve
these important goals will not be easy or quick. This will be a journey of many
changes, over several years, with measured and progressive gains as we go. The journey will be guided by experienced practice
transformation experts from our federal partners, by Care Transformation
Organizations (CTOs) newly established for this purpose, and by practice coaches
from the State. Technical and cutting
edge medical informatics will be provided through the Chesapeake Regional
Information System for our Patients (CRISP), the State designated Health
Information Exchange, and from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
(CMMI). Generous funding and financial
support for the program is provided both from the federal government and the State. If we are successful, all of these supports,
together with the focused efforts of our providers, will lead to a new and
sustainable model for the delivery and payment of health care in Maryland and a
model that could serve the nation. It is
a weighty honor to be given the opportunity to serve in this fashion.
As in any long journey, it is well advised to
prepare adequately before the start. We
are now in that phase of preparation. Over the next several months, participants
will review and execute a number of documents including welcome letters,
financial documents, Participation Agreements and Arrangement documents between
CTOs and practices. In the coming weeks, final selections of practices and CTOs
will be made, CTO and practice pairings will be announced, and practice coaches
will be making connections with their assigned practices. The MDPCP Program Management Office (PMO) will
continue to host weekly webinars on relevant topics for practices and
CTOs. The next few months will be busy
as we prepare for a January 1 start. For a schedule of upcoming educational
events, please see our event calendar. New resources for CTOs and practices will be posted on our website.
The State PMO and the CMMI MDPCP team are working
together and look forward to joining you on this journey and pledge continuous
support to all of our participants across the great State of Maryland.
Howard Haft, MD, MMM, FACPE
Executive Director, Program Management Office
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