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Our Journey
We are currently transforming our system into a high-performing,
high-value Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This new model
will allow us to provide better care to our patients and achieve
our vision of becoming the premier academic public health
care system in the nation.
Since CHA was created in 1996, the system has continually
adapted to meet patient needs. This has led to our growth
from a single site, municipally-owned hospital to a large
healthcare system with three community hospital campuses (Cambridge,
Somerville, and Whidden) and over 20 primary care and outpatient
specialty centers.
Why Change?
As today's healthcare environment undergoes rapid change,
CHA must adapt as well. Our new Accountable Care Organization
structure is allowing us to prepare for healthcare payment
reform. This will also allow us to be sustainable and to meet
the needs of our patients and communities in the years ahead.
Our New Clinical Model
We have now developed Patient-Centered Medical Homes at several
of our sites and are spreading this model across our system.
This work is enhanced by our systemwide electronic health
record, resulting in more integrated patient care, better
communication among caregivers, and stronger teams at the
bedside, clinic, and across the organization. Patients can
now get care when they are sick and extra support to keep
them well.
This effort is capitalizing on and leveraging the system's
key strengths and competencies. Click on the links to the
right to learn about CHA's commitment to innovation, the electronic
medical record, and how CHA has made strides in other areas,
including:
With expertise in primary care, secondary hospital care,
and behavioral health services, we are seeing patients
during more than 650,000 annual visits. We are also one
of the state's largest acute mental health providers,
and have award-winning planned care programs which improve
outcomes for patients with asthma, depression, and diabetes.
We have more than 300 employed physicians, representing
30 specialty areas. They provide the majority of care
to our patients.
Patient and Community Focus
Strong community linkages allow us to maintain access
to care, manage patient care, motivate healthy behaviors,
and enrich patients' lives.
We also have a unique public model that includes
operation of the Public Health Department for the
City of Cambridge. This lets us lead efforts to address
complex community health issues like senior health,
substance abuse, childhood obesity, asthma, and domestic
violence.
We remain the only healthcare organization that
is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School,
Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School
of Dental Medicine, and the Tufts University School
of Medicine. This allows us to attract world-class
students, residents, and physician-teachers, who
work together to improve the care of patients.
The Future of Cambridge Health Alliance
As state and federal healthcare reform continue to fuel industry
changes, CHA will continue to ensure its financial stability
and preserve access for its vulnerable, diverse patients.
At the core of this transformation is CHA's ability to integrate
its healthcare delivery system, academic programs, and public
health functions to improve the health of its patients and
the populations it serves. This effort - already in progress
- will continue to leverage CHA's strengths in primary care,
including spreading the patient-centered medical home model
and comprehensive planned care and chronic disease management
programs. This will allowing it to embrace new financial models
that utilize global payment methods.
We expect that these changes will have a long-lasting and
beneficial impact on our patients and our system - reducing
costs while maintaining a focus our our vulnerable patients.
Our ultimate goals are to continue providing access to culturally-competent
and comprehensive care while furthering our critical community
health mission.
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