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Orange County’s community health centers will receive $50 million in funding over the next five years, after the CalOptima Board of Directors approved a Population Health and Value-Based Care Transformation grant, the single largest grant in the agency’s history. The funding was awarded to the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers (Coalition) to enhance access to care, improve quality outcomes and strengthen infrastructure of the health care safety net system. The Coalition is a membership organization that includes 26 of the 29 community health centers in Orange County.
“As the backbone of the county’s safety net, community health centers provide essential care to underserved populations that often have the most complex needs and least resources,” said Michael Hunn, CalOptima Chief Executive Officer. “This critical funding will support the goal of providing value-based care for more than a quarter-million CalOptima members and others who are among the most vulnerable.”
The grant allows the Coalition to design a health center-specific implementation plan for measurable improvements in patient experience and health outcomes that will support:
Establishing medical homes for select populations, such as individuals experiencing homelessness
Improving timely access to and coordination of care, including care that will support:
- Individuals returning to the workforce
- Reducing avoidable hospitalizations and hospital readmissions
- Participating in a health information exchange and data interoperability
- Improving the quality of the centers’ systems, processes and overall performance
“At CalOptima, we’re transforming the way Medi-Cal patients receive care — setting the standard for health care across the country,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, Chair of the CalOptima Board of Directors. “Under CalOptima’s new five-year strategic vision, this $50 million investment toward local community health centers will help us address health care disparities and social determinants of health among our most vulnerable members. In Orange County, these health centers reflect the communities they serve and provide care for more than 250,000 CalOptima members.”
Grant funds will be distributed annually in $10 million increments, beginning immediately with the execution of the grant and continuing in subsequent years after meeting performance targets.
