Published on New Jersey Business Magazine

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT corporation that applies the intellectual and technological resources of the state’s science and technology university to challenges identified by industry partners and the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, have entered into a partnership to help doctors and other providers prepare for far-reaching changes in health care delivery and payment.

The Quality Institute and NJII will work to provide New Jersey doctors and other providers with the tools and strategies they need as Medicare moves away from fee-for-service payments and toward value-based care.

“The transformation to value-based payments is complex and clinicians will need support and new strategies,” said Tomas Gregorio, Senior Executive Director of Healthcare Systems Innovation at NJII.

The Quality Institute will support NJII’s work as one of the nation’s 29 Practice Transformation Networks, which are part of Medicare’s Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative — one of the largest federal investments to support doctors and other providers in all 50 states through collaborative and peer-based learning networks. The initiative aims to improve health care quality while reducing costs.

NJII last year received a nearly $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to educate and support 11,500 doctors and other providers over the next four years.

“The significant changes in how Medicare will pay for health care means clinicians in our state will need to transform how they practice medicine,” said Linda Schwimmer, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. “Doctors and other providers will need education and support. The Quality Institute will be a critical partner with NJII in this important work.”

Under recent health care reforms, providers will need to better manage the health of their patients beyond the walls of the doctors’ office. For instance, providers may need to become involved with community-based health teams to support patients dealing with chronic disease. They may need access to electronic health care records to know to reach out to patients who do not pick up their prescriptions.

The collaboration between the Quality Institute and NJII to support providers in New Jersey takes shape in several ways.

NJII has joined the Leadership Council of the Quality Institute, the highest level of membership. Just one member is allowed from each segment of the health care industry. Members meet to discuss issues affecting New Jersey’s health care system and provide valuable input.

The Quality Institute will leverage the experience of its QI Collaborative and draw upon the resources of its membership in the Network for Regional Health Care Improvement to support practice transformation in New Jersey. The Quality Institute also will engage its Medicaid ACOs, insurance plan members, and other Quality Institute members and partners to support the practice transformation.

Linda Schwimmer will chair the NJII External Advisory Board, made up of health care industry leaders, to advise NJII on the work of the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative. Dr. Andrew Pecora, COTA Founder and Executive Chairman, will be vice chair. Tomas Gregorio, Senior Executive Director of Healthcare Systems Innovation at NJII, will act as the liaison to NJII. Other health leaders on the board are:

• Rashmi Aggarwal, General Manager, VITAS Healthcare

• Darren Brodeur, Senior Director, AllScripts

• Edna Cadmus, Assistant Dean, Rutgers University, School of Nursing

• Robert Irwin, Chief Technology Officer, RWJ Barnabas Health

• Dr. Allen Kaufman, Chief Medical Officer, DialyzeDirect

• Warren Moore, President & Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Specialized Hospital

• Kevin O’Brien, Founder and CEO, Strategic Business Alternatives, LLC

• Minalkumar Patel, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield NJ

• Timothy Pletcher, Executive Director, Michigan Health Information Network

• John Tedeschi, Chairman and CEO, Advocare, LLC and Continuum Health Alliance