The Washington State Health Care Authority announced the award of Community Health Care Collaborative grants totaling $450,000 to six non-profit, community-based health care organizations. The competitive grants, authorized by the 2009 Legislature, range from $50,000 to $100,000 for a two-year cycle that runs through June 30, 2011. Successful recipients are required to leverage state dollars by spending $2.00 in matching funds for every grant dollar received.

The CHCC program was established to support and enhance efforts of community coalitions to increase access to appropriate, affordable health care for Washington residents, particularly employed low-income persons and children in school, who are uninsured or underinsured. The funding will help to maintain programs that enhance access to medical treatment, the efficient use of health care resources, and quality of care with a focus on continuity of care and establishing medical homes.

The following is a list of grant recipients, the total amount of their two-year grant, and a description of how the money will be used:

• Choice Regional Health Network: $100,000 to the Collaborative Care Network efforts, starting in Thurston County, to coordinate patient care through culturally competent outreach, navigation, provider recruitment, electronic shared care plans, case management and connect to medical homes with focus on medical, dental, and mental health capacity and non-emergent emergency department use.
• Community Health Association of Spokane: $50,000 to the Spokane Emergency Department Diversion Program to decrease inappropriate use of emergency department services and promote medical home access. The program coordinates care and establishes continuity of care between the emergency department and primary care treatment.
• Community Health Partners: $100,000 to Cowlitz Free Medical Clinic to serve uninsured adults needing short-term, chronic care and care management services for diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, or hypertension. The clinic will serve patients until a primary care provider and a medical home is established. Key elements include patient outreach, provider coordination, physician recruitment, and a media campaign.
• Neighborcare Health: $50,000 to Lake City Community Health Collaborative to link patients to a health care home through partnerships with a health center, free clinic, volunteer providers, and other social services. A full range of services including primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, and other supportive services are offered by the diverse array of partners.
• Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe: $75,000 to the Community Health Care Collaborative Chronic Care Management Project to design and implement evidence-based (EB) medical home model for intensive care coordination of chronic disease. The project includes development of responsibilities for care team members, disease specific EB guidelines, standardized protective care visits, patient self-management support, intensive coordination of multi-specialty care, and assistance in accessing care and obtaining insurance. The project also includes development of software functionality to support work process, efficiency and reporting, and a system of performance to assess clinical process and efficiency outcomes.
• Yakima Neighborhood Health Services: $75,000 to the Yakima County Kids Connect to collaborate between a community health center, hospital emergency departments, educational services districts, and county government to reduce uninsured children in Yakima City. Match kids with health care homes and reduce avoidable emergency room visits. Services include Apple Health outreach and application assistance, application renewal assistance, and establishment of primary care providers.