July 16, 2012 -- On June 28, 2012, the Oregon Health Authority provisionally approved the second-round applications for Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) certification, including the application for Jackson County Coordinated Care Organization. Beginning September 1st, Jackson County CCO will serve Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan (OHP) recipients in Jackson County.
The state is creating Coordinated Care Organizations to reinvent health care in Oregon. The objective is to bring the full range of health care providers, including medical health, behavioral health, addiction treatment and eventually oral health under a single, community-based organization. The CCOs are charged to put patients at the center of a health team in a way that meets the individual’s needs.
The Jackson County CCO is a partnership with CareOregon and providers and organizations in the county, including: Addictions Recovery Center, Asante Rogue Valley Medical Center, Community Health Center, Jackson County Health and Human Services, Jefferson Behavioral Health, Jefferson Regional Health Alliance, La Clinica, OnTrack, PrimeCare and Providence Medical Center and Medical Group.
“You should be able to enter the health system at any point, and then receive the help you need to navigate all your health needs,” says David E. Ford, CareOregon’s CEO.
Part of the new CCO will be health navigators, who will help individuals with multiple health issues manage their care. The CCO support system will help patients overcome the barriers to health of homelessness, hunger or behavioral issues.
Additionally, the system of health care system will change from a model based on outdated payment methods to a system that meets the patient’s convenience, comfort and health needs.
For example, under the CCO umbrella, patients could request an e-visit or phone call with their provider if doing so would be better for their health issue than going into the office. In the past, state-mandated payment structures required that patients visit the clinic in order for the doctor to be paid.
The objective is to create a blanket support system that meets the individual needs of the total person, rather than dividing mind from the body, or primary health care needs from specialty care.
Governance of the CCO will include members and local representatives. The CCO leadership will be supported by a robust Community Advisory Council. Working together, they’ll create a member-centered plan with the encompassing goal of improve health outcomes and the patients’ experience with care, as well as using health funding wisely to provide the right care at the right time.
