New Coordinated Care Organizations in Hood River, Wasco, Yamhill Counties

Oregon Health Authority News Release

August 29, 2012

Contact: Patty Wentz, 503-932-6243

New Coordinated Care Organizations moving forward in Hood River, Wasco and Yamhill counties

Majority of Oregon Health Plan clients will have access to more coordinated, patient-focused care 

Two new coordinated care organizations have been provisionally certified to serve Oregon Health Plan clients, officials announced today.

Pending final approval later this month, the new CCOs will begin operation on November 1, 2012. PacificSource Community Solutions Coordinated Care Organization – Columbia Gorge Region will serve OHP clients in Hood River and Wasco counties. Yamhill County Care Organization will serve local clients there.

In total, 13 CCOs have received final approval to serve OHP clients and three have been provisionally certified. The majority of OHP clients in the state will be served through a local coordinated care organization.

“Oregon has truly come together with a renewed commitment to patient-centered care and lower costs,” said Governor John Kitzhaber. “I want to commend everyone who has worked so hard this year to launch coordinated care organizations. Your efforts will benefit your patients, your community and our state.”

Under the CCO model, for the first time care for OHP clients is jointly managed for physical and mental health to be better able to coordinate care and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. The model also emphasizes using community-based health workers to help patients with chronic illnesses stay healthier and reduce costs.

OHP clients who are going to be enrolled in a new CCO in their communitywill receive personal notification with the name of the new coordinated care organization.

As the new coordinated care organizations prepare to begin serving clients, a committee of Oregonians is working to identify objective quality measures for all CCOs on outcomes such as ambulatory care, inpatient care, chemical dependency and mental health treatment, and all other health services provided by coordinated care organizations.

“The best path to lowering health care costs is through improved health,” said Bruce Goldberg, M.D., director of the Oregon Health Authority. “With the final CCOs approved this year the pieces are in place for a system that works for all of us in bringing better health, better care and lower costs.”

More information about CCOs can be found at health.oregon.gov.

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Tri-County Medicaid Collaborative Names Board of Directors

The Tri-County Medicaid Collaborative has named their board of directors.

Board members include:
Community-At-Large 
Mel Rader – Co-Executive Director, Upstream Public Health
Ramsey Weit – Executive Director, Community Housing Fund
Chair of Community Advisory Council
Stephen Weiss – Chair of the Elders in Action Commission of Multnomah County, Current Board President of Independent Living Resources, the Community Alliance of Tenants, and the Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens
Dentist 
Michael Biermann, DMD – Pediatric Dentist, Owner, Co-Chair, Oregon Head Start Dental Home Project
Mental Health Provider 
Mary Monnat – President and CEO, LifeWorks NW
Addictions Provider 
Jacqueline Mercer – CEO, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc.
RN/NP 
Jean-Claude Provost – Lead Clinician/Family Nurse Practitioner, Housecall Providers, Inc., Chair-Elect, Nurse Practitioners of Oregon
Primary Care Physician 
Jill Ginsberg, MD – Retired, Northwest Permanente, Founding Board Member, North by Northeast Community Health Center
Specialty Care Physician
Walter Hoffman – Member, Past President, Practicing OB/GYN, Women’s HealthCare Associates, LLC
In addition, the founding members include:
George J. Brown, MD, FACP, Chair, Legacy Health
Cindy Becker, Clackamas County Health , Housing & Human Services
Ed Blackburn, Central City Concern
Rod Branyan, Washington County Dept. of Health & Human Services
David E. Ford, CareOregon
Andrew R. McCulloch, Kaiser Permanente
Joseph E. Robertson, Jr., MD, OHSU
Thomas Russell, Adventist Medical Center
Lillian Shirley, Multnomah County Health Department
Dick Stenson, Tuality Healthcare
Greg Van Pelt, Providence Health & Systems


For more information on the Board of Directors, visit the Tri-County Medicaid Collaborative website.

New Coordinated Care Organizations approved for Oregon Health Plan

Contact: Patty Wentz, 503-932-6243

CORRECTED RELEASE: This release has been updated to correct the number of clients served by CCOs beginning Sept.1 and the Eastern Oregon Community Care Organization service area.

July 31, 2012

New Coordinated Care Organizations approved for Oregon Health Plan

Five new Coordinated Care Organizations will begin serving Oregon Health Plan members in September, the Oregon Health Authority announced today.

The new CCOs will provide services for OHP members in 22 counties. In total, there are 13 Coordinated Care Organizations serving 33 counties in the state. By   Sept. 1 nearly 500,000 adults and children – the majority of Oregon Health Plan members – will have access to a CCO.

“In Oregon we are showing that it is possible to build a health care system around patients and their providers for better health and reduced costs,” said Governor John Kitzhaber. “These new Coordinated Care Organizations will be leading the way for everyone in our state.”

Oregon Coordinated Care Organizations to start September 1

To see full list of Coordinated Care Organizations, go to www.health.oregon.gov.

Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, LLC – All of Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. Parts of Coos and Douglas counties.

Eastern Oregon Community Care Organization – Baker, Malheur, Sherman, Union, Wallowa starting Sept. 1. (Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Lake, Morrow, Umatilla and Wheeler counties starting at a later date.) 

Jackson County Coordinated Care Organization, LLC – Jackson County.

PrimaryHealth of Josephine County, LLC – Josephine County and parts of Douglas and Jackson counties.

Tri-County Medicaid Collaborative – Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.

Under Coordinated Care Organizations, benefits for Oregon Health Plan clients will not change. The vision of CCOs is to allow providers better ways to address health care problems.

Through a waiver from the federal government, Oregon has flexibility to provide more preventive care and disease management than has been possible under traditional Medicaid guidelines. Research shows that 80 percent of health care costs are driven by 20 percent of patients, many with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and serious mental illness. CCOs will have the ability to hire community-based health workers to help people manage their conditions, ensure they are taking appropriate medications, and avoid unnecessary acute or emergency care. By focusing on improved health, Oregon has agreed to reduce Medicaid inflation by 2 percentage points within two years by focusing on improving the health of clients to reduce waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary expenditures.

OHP members will receive personal notification of their new Coordinated Care Organization, and they do not need to take any action. More information for members and providers can be found at health.oregon.gov.  

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