Taconic IPA tapped to provide support services to CPC practices

As part of the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative, CMS Learning and Diffusion contractor American Institutes for Research has named TIPA its regional partner

FISHKILL, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Taconic IPA will be playing a pivotal role in the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative.

The Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services' Learning and Diffusion contractor, American Institutes for Research (AIR), has named TIPA its CPC regional partner for the Capital District-Hudson Valley region.

In the region, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected 75 primary care practice sites--286 providers--that will reach approximately 40,500 beneficiaries. Through AIR, CMS is constructing both a set of national web-based activities for all CPC practices and a network of regional partners well-placed to support practices in each market. Participation in these learning activities, all of which are offered at no charge, is a core requirement for CPC practices in all markets.

The CPC initiative is a multi-payer effort from the CMS Innovation Center designed to foster collaboration among public and private health plans to strengthen primary care. Building on the patient-centered medical home concept, the initiative aligns payment reform with practice transformation; payment is tied to both the quality of care and helping keep patients well. Participating payers--public and private--will reimburse primary-care practices for comprehensive primary care.

In its capacity as regional partner to AIR, TIPA will help practices plan their work by building a strong learning community of practices oriented to the CPC goals. Among the ways TIPA will support CPC practices in the Capital District-Hudson Valley:

• Host bi-weekly web-based meetings and calls as needed.
• Provide assistance to practices consistent with the national curriculum-and-change package.
• Assess practices' needs and progress towards CPC objectives and milestones.
• Collaboratively develop and implement action plans and provide support as needed.
• Engage practices in learning activities and information sharing through the CMS Innovation Center collaboration website, local and national calls, webinars and other formats.

"Supporting these CPC practices provides an excellent opportunity to continue our mission to support advanced primary care throughout the region. Working closely with AIR and CMS, we look forward to helping guide these practices through the CPC milestones and move along the pathway to better health, better health care and lower cost," said Annette C. Watson, RN-BC, CCM, MBA, senior vice president of Community Transformation for Taconic IPA and immediate past chair of the Commission for Case Manager Certification.

In addition to the free services provided in its role as an AIR contractor, TIPA also provides fee-based services to practices. Its Advanced Primary Care Transformation Service and its Embedded Care Manager Program are available to all practices, not just CPC participants, at modest cost. For more information, contact Watson at (845) 896-9301, ext. x 3133, or at [email protected].

About Taconic IPA
The Taconic IPA is a 5,000-member physician group at the forefront of transforming health care delivery through meaningful use of technology and pay-for-performance incentives to increase the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care. Taconic IPA's mission is to optimize the value of medical services through patient-centered care while maximizing physician satisfaction. For more information, visit www.taconicipa.com.

SOURCE Taconic IPA