Community Health Assessments (CHAs) are vital for pinpointing community health needs. Enhancing CHAs with greater collaboration, stakeholder engagement and innovation significantly boosts their effectiveness and impact. The biennial CHA process utilizes primary and secondary data to identify priority issues, which assists in developing the Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP).   1. Engage diverse stakeholders  Inclusive partnerships are essential for addressing health needs effectively by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers and policymakers. By involving diverse groups, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of health needs and ensure strong support for health initiatives.   The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) emphasizes that engaging a variety of stakeholders is crucial for gathering diverse insights and securing backing for these initiatives.   Building strong partnersh

Include integral data in your Community Health Needs Assessment examples  Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) examples tend to focus on case studies. However, using integral data for your CHNA can provide overall guidance, making it easier to start and complete your final report. In this Q&A, DataGen’s Melissa Bauer, principal healthcare informatics analyst, explains why using data in the CHNA is key and what types of data you should collect.   Q1: What is CHNA data?   A CHNA requires two types of data: primary and secondary. Using these two data streams, organizations can better characterize the community's health. This helps the organization conducting the CHNA best understand their community needs. It also informs them on the best ways to respond to them, providing guidance on where to start and how to evaluate impact and outcomes. Here’s a further explanation of the data found in a CHNA:  Primary data includes community surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and c

In recent years, healthcare market disrupters have increased their activity and deepened their presence. While not all disrupters are negative, healthcare market analysis significantly changes healthcare operations. Understanding disrupters' prime targets, service strengths, technology integration and local market dynamics is crucial. Leveraging healthcare market data and hospital market share analysis is essential for identifying competitive threats and opportunities and allows healthcare organizations to adapt and thrive amidst these disruptions. Actionable Data for Targeted Results With access to healthcare market analysis and advanced forecasting capabilities, healthcare organizations can make better-informed decisions with previous trends and outcomes. Here’s how data-driven insights can be leveraged to improve efficiency, enhance patient care and optimize resource allocation. Identify Growth Opportunities: Spot potential merger opportunities and understand outmigration to su

Key CMMI updates to the EOM  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released exciting updates to the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) along with a new opportunity for a second cohort of participants.   The EOM aims to enhance the quality of care for cancer patients while reducing costs under the Medicare fee-for-service program. The updates come on the heels of lower-than-expected model participation .   This blog will discuss key EOM updates, application details, eligibility requirements and important deadlines.  New cohort opportunity  Request for applications: CMS issued an RFA to recruit a second cohort of participants and payers for the EOM.  Timeline:  Second cohort start date: July 1, 2025  Second cohort end date: June 30, 2030  Initial performance period start date: July 1, 2023  Model test end date for all participants: June 30, 2030 (extended from June 30, 2028)  Notable changes to the EOM model  Model extension: The model's duration is extended by two yea

The healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, presenting primary care practices with various challenges. In fact, CMS’ Making Care Primary (MCP) model is launching on July 1, 2024, requiring practices to thoroughly understand its patient population, financial drivers and care outcomes.  The Making Care Primary model , lasting 10+ years, aims to:  improve care management and care coordination; equip primary care clinicians with tools to form partnerships with health care specialists; and leverage community-based connections to address patients’ health needs and their health-related social needs (HRSNs), such as housing and nutrition.  CMS is working with State Medicaid Agencies in eight states to engage in full care transformation across payers, with plans to engage private payers in the coming months.  The CMS MCP Model will provide a pathway for primary care clinicians with varying levels of experience in value-based care to gradually adopt prospective, population-based payments whil

Health equity isn’t a one-size approach  The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the crucial connection between Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and patient outcomes. Addressing medical and behavioral health needs requires a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s social context.   Effective interventions and care plans must meet patients "where they are," and one-size-fits-all approaches fail to address diverse vulnerabilities and needs.  For healthcare organizations looking to begin or enhance their equity initiatives, the National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA's) Health Equity Accreditation (HEA) is an excellent starting point. HEA is a comprehensive framework that aligns with many other recognized programs, such as those from the Joint Commission and CMS, providing a holistic approach to advancing health equity. It aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience within the United States.  3 Reasons why NCQA HEA is the perfect starting point 

Key IPPS updates you need to know about  On April 10, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the federal fiscal year (FFY)   2025 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule . This rule proposes significant changes and updates to Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payments and policies.  Understanding these changes is crucial for healthcare professionals, state hospital associations and multi-state health systems. This blog aims to break down the key points and implications of this proposed rule to help you stay informed and prepared.  Overview of the proposed rule  The proposed rule includes regular updates to wage indexes and the market basket. Below are some policies being proposed.  1. Data utilization for standard calculations  CMS plans to use FFY 2023 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) claims data and FFY 2022 Hospital Cost Reporting Information System (HCRIS) data for standard calculations. Using MedPAR and HCRIS data ensures that th