community-based interdisciplinary,

community-based interdisciplinary,

schools that offer PA education programs to obtain faculty loan repayment under the workforce diversity program. Also makes other improvements to the NHSC program, such as a provision to increase the loan repayment amount, allowing half-time service and permitting teaching to count for as much as 20% of the service commitment to the NHSC. Pilot and Incentive Payment Program Provisions: In addition to policies aimed at increasing the number of nurses, policy makers also sought to more closely integrate nursing into new payment pilot programs that would offer incentives to primary and chronic care managements as well as provide alternatives to the current fee-forservice programs. Payment revisions are as follows: Section 2703 State option to provide health homes for enrollees with chronic conditions— Creates a state option under Medicaid to provide coordinated care through a “health home” for individuals afflicted with chronic conditions. States could receive 90 percent of the funding needed to support Medicaid enrollees who designate a provider or team of medical professionals as their health home through Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP). Section 3022 Medicare shared savings program—Establishes a shared savings program under which a group of providers and suppliers may form a legally structured Accountable Care Organization (ACO) to manage and coordinate care for Medicare fee for service beneficiaries. Section 3024 Independence at home demonstration program—Creates the Independence at Home demonstration program for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries in order to test a payment incentive and service delivery system that would utilize physician and nurse practitioner directed, home-based primary care teams with the aim of reducing expenditures and improving health outcomes. Section 3501 Health care delivery system research; Quality improvement technical assistance—Establishes a Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety within the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This center will support the identification of best practices for quality improvement in the delivery of health care services by identifying healthcare providers that employ best practices and finding ways to translate these practices rapidly and effectively into practice elsewhere. The Center will establish a Quality Improvement Network Research Program to support research on healthcare delivery system improvement. The Director of AHRQ, under this section, will also be directed to award technical assistance grants to struggling healthcare providers to aid in the implementation and adoption of best practices identified by the Center. Section 3502 Establishing community health teams to support the patient- centered medical home—Authorizes HHS to establish a grant program for states/state designated entities to establish community-based interdisciplinary, interprofessional teams to support primary care practices within a certain area