Heywood Healthcare & Health Policy Commission Roll-Out Phase II of CHART Grant

By: Heywood Healthcare
 
GARDNER, Mass. - Nov. 30, 2015 - PRLog -- GARDNER /ATHOL, MA - Heywood Healthcare, in partnership with the Health Policy Commission and with local community partners and school districts, is proud to announce the rollout of its Phase 2 for the Community Hospital Acceleration, Revitalization, & Transformation (CHART) Investment Program initiative. The initiative aims to increase collaborations to inform referrals, decrease frequent emergency department visits, and strengthen the partnership between schools and behavioral health providers.

”It is with great excitement and anticipation that we embark on Phase 2 of the CHART program,” said Win Brown, President & CEO Heywood Healthcare. “The CHART initiative has enabled Athol and Heywood to leave the confines of our hospitals and bring behavioral health care and coordination to the community where it is vitally needed. In conjunction with area schools and primary care practices CHART enables us to outreach directly to the youth and families of our region, providing important access to essential resources and behavioral health services for some of our area’s most vulnerable residents.”

Started in the spring of 2014, Heywood Healthcare’s CHART program, has successfully completed Phase 1, and as of October 1st 2015 has launched Phase 2.

The school-based work taking place in the Gardner Public Schools and the Athol-Royalston Regional School District will expand to include additional school-based care coordinators as well as clinicians to see students weekly, in partnership with Clinical and Support Options and Community HealthLink.  The Emergency Departments at both Gardner and Athol sites have increased staffing to allow better access to services for the most vulnerable patients, including additional Behavioral Health Navigators and Community Health Workers, working full time to increase pathways and connections for patients around everything from basic need resources to healthcare  services and treatment.

“Community hospitals play a critical role in the Health Policy Commission’s efforts to achieve the Commonwealth’s cost containment and quality improvement goals,” says David Seltz, Executive Director of the Health Policy Commission. “In making these vital investments, CHART hospitals were issued a challenge: propose initiatives that will put you on a path of transformation, while meeting critical health care needs of your community. Heywood Healthcare met that challenge and we look forward to continuing to partner with them and the communities they serve to build a more coordinated and affordable health care system.”

The program will use evidence-based tools, such as SBIRT (screening brief intervention referral and treatment), to aid the assessment of patient’s substance abuse and needs.  Continued community collaboration supported by the Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative,  will ensure patients receive comprehensive coordinated care for their healthcare needs.  The CHART program is a four-year community hospital public-private partnership aimed at enhancing delivery of efficient, effective care. The HPC’s partnership with community hospitals is a critical part of the agency’s efforts to achieve the Commonwealth’s cost containment and quality improvement goals.

In October 2014, the HPC announced CHART Phase 2 awards to 28 community hospitals with a groundbreaking $60 million in investments to improve community-oriented care for patients with complex social and medical needs, and to increase access to high quality behavioral health services through CHART Phase 2. A complete listing of awards is located http://www.mass.gov/anf/budget-taxes-and-procurement/over...

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About The Health Policy Commission
The Health Policy Commission (HPC) is an independent state agency that develops policy to reduce health care cost growth and improve the quality of patient care. The HPC also monitors the Commonwealth’s health care market, providing data on the impact of health care mergers, guidance for reform of the delivery and payment systems, and investments into community hospitals. To learn more, please visit www.mass.gov/hpc or follow us on Twitter.

About Athol Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Athol Hospital is a 25-bed non-profit, acute care and outpatient facility serving the communities of the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts. Athol Hospital’s services include 24/7 Emergency Care, Oncology, Radiology and Laboratory, Diabetes Center and Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. It is designated as a Critical Access Hospital and Primary Stroke Center, licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and accredited by the Joint Commission.

About Heywood Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Heywood Hospital is a 134-bed acute care hospital in Gardner, MA, which provides a broad range of high quality medical, surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral health services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The hospital’s Centers of Excellence include the Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care; the LaChance Maternity Center; the Diabetes Center; and the Heywood Heart and Vascular Center, an affiliate of the Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence at UMass Memorial Health Care.

About Heywood Healthcare
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It is comprised of Heywood Hospital, a non-profit, 134-bed acute-care hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region. The organization includes five satellite facilities in MA; Heywood Rehabilitation Center in Gardner;  West River Health Center in Orange;  Winchendon Health Center and Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon; Heywood Charitable Foundation;  the North Quabbin Community Coalition, an affiliate organization;  and upcoming in 2016, The Quabbin Retreat in Petersham.

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Source:Heywood Healthcare
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Tags:Chart, Heywood Healthcare, Health Policy Commission
Industry:Health
Location:Gardner - Massachusetts - United States
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