Strengthen and Sustain Efforts to Improve Health Care for Children

Strengthen and Sustain Efforts to Improve Health Care for Children

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is offering a unique opportunity to learn from States based on their experiences during the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant program. Applications are being accepted through March 11, 2016.

This opportunity is open to all States that may be either: (1) planning or conducting an initiative to improve children’s health care, or (2) have a quality initiative that is primarily focused on adults that they wish to expand to include children. Any state Medicaid or CHIP agency is encouraged to apply and can include as partners other state agencies, county or other governmental agencies, non-profit organizations that carry out governmental programs for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, and provider groups.

This program will provide each State with customized assistance on its initiative from a team of subject matter experts, including Demonstration state staff who have real-world experience transforming child health quality. The team will create additional opportunities for peer-to-peer learning with the Demonstration States. For example, participants could get assistance with:

• Identifying and implementing payment strategies proven to support quality improvement.
• Designing innovative delivery models to meet the needs of children and families.
• Matching potential systems innovations to specific populations of children in need.
• Improving coordination across providers and systems to maximize continuity of care.
• Enhancing use of data and data analytics to demonstrate impact.
• Applying best practices in quality measurement and reporting.

Interested applicants must complete the Expression of Interest form, available on our Web site. If the applicant is not the State Medicaid or CHIP agency, we ask the applicant to obtain a written letter of support from the state Medicaid director or CHIP director. Please send completed forms and the letter of support to CHIPRADemoEval@ahrq.hhs.govno later than 4:00 PM EST on March 11, 2016. States will be notified of the decision by the end of March.  You may also use this address to request a copy of the slides from our February 11 webinar, “Amplify Your Impact on Child Health Quality: Learning from the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant Program.”

For more information on AHRQ’s role in CHIPRA, visit http://www.ahrq.gov/policymakers/chipra/index.html.

For more information on the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant projects and the national evaluation, visit:http://www.ahrq.gov/policymakers/chipra/demoeval/index.html.