July 2, 2012--The Oregon Health Authority has issued PacificSource Community Solutions, Inc. full certification to contract as a Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), allowing it to begin operating and serving members starting Aug. 1.
PacificSource Community Solutions is among the first wave of CCOs to be certified in the state, “a historic achievement,” Dr. Bruce Goldberg, director of the Oregon Health Authority, wrote in a letter to the organization. “(PacificSource Community Solutions) is helping to lead the state and the nation in creating a patient-centered system for better health and better care at a more sustainable cost.”
The Central Oregon Health Council (COHC) will be the governance entity over the CCO through a Joint Management Agreement, finalized by the COHC on June 25. This agreement is a necessary part of the contract, assuring full community support and involvement in the CCO. The organization’s Notice to Proceed is also contingent on the approval of its contract by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Oregon's version of health care reform, CCOs lay the foundation for the way in which care will be coordinated between hospitals, physicians and other providers for the more than 600,000 Oregon Health Plan patients.
The COHC has already begun the transformation work in Central Oregon through its demonstration projects over the last two years. In partnership with the CCO, the COHC will have the flexibility to support new models of care that are patient-centered and team-focused, and reduce health disparities. It will also be able to better coordinate services and focus on prevention, chronic illness management and person-centered care, and have the flexibility within its budget to provide services alongside today's OHP medical benefits with the goal of meeting the Triple Aim of better health, better care and lower costs for the population it serves.
For more information, visit the Central Oregon Health Council's website, http://www.cohealthcouncil.org.
