The Obama administration has launched a $1 billion Health Care Innovation Challenge. Health care providers across the nation will be able to compete for funding for projects that “use health care dollars more wisely, help create jobs, and help professionals improve the work they do for patients.” The White House has asked health care workers to send their innovative ideas and solutions in the form of a written proposal by December 19th, 2011. They will look through the proposals and will award approximately $1 million to $30 million for a three-year period to those projects they feel will provide the greatest benefit to the health care system.
The White House said they plan to, “work with a wide variety of public and private organizations, including providers, payers, local governments, community and faith-based organizations, and other innovators whose compelling ideas can improve health care for patients. We are also looking for projects that help patients with the greatest health care needs, projects that can be up and running soon, and projects that rapidly hire, train, and deploy health care workers.”
Applications are open to those who work in nearly every area of the health care field. Winners will be selected in March of 2012 and once the money is awarded every project will be closely monitored and evaluated for their impact on the quality of care and savings generated.
"We've taken incredible steps to reduce health care costs and improve care, but we can't wait to do more," Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services told USAToday. "Both public and private community organizations around the country are finding innovative solutions to improve our health care system and the Health Care Innovation Challenge will help jump start these efforts."
To learn more about the Challenge and for complete details on how to submit a proposal, visit http://innovations.cms.gov/.