In two years, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will complete an evaluation of Maryland Model performance. That’s a key step in securing the federal government’s decision to extend the Model well into the future.

A focus of the evaluation is hospital-led care delivery transformation with community partners. CMMI’s contractor will measure hospital field performance against goals set forth in the Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy (SIHIS). Indeed, to impress the evaluators we should quantify hospital achievements beyond those in the SIHIS.

Every MHA member hospital and health system has a role to play in delivering proof. We need to tell a powerful story, highlighting advancements Maryland hospitals are making in care delivery compared to other states.

We are working closely with the Health Services Cost Review Commission to ensure the regulator and the hospital field are in lock step on how to best showcase the changes Maryland hospitals are making in care delivery. Early learnings are promising but we must go deeper and wider. So, we will reach out to each member to probe further on what really is being done to improve health across communities.

We’re seeking not just examples but a comprehensive information set. Not just the highly visible initiatives but also the more subtle changes to the way people deliver care. Not just improvements but specific innovations that have taken hold in Maryland thanks to the unique incentives of the Model.  

With everyone pitching in, we will demonstrate our move from hospital-based care to integration across the delivery system and on to community-wide interventions and population health improvement.

Thank you in advance for engaging in this effort.

Bob Atlas
President & CEO