Provider Notice Issued 03/08/2021

Date:   March 8, 2021

To:       All Medical Assistance Program Providers

Re:      Healthcare Transformation CollaborativesProgram Application for Funding Awards

HFSis announcing the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program. As outlinedin PublicAct 101-650 and SB1510 passed in January 2021, the program is designedto improve healthcare outcomes, reduce healthcare disparities, and realignresources in distressed communities throughout Illinois. In particular, theprogram seeks to increase access to community-based services, preventive care,obstetric care, chronic disease management, and specialty care in thesecommunities.

This program makes available as much as $150 million perfiscal year beginning in State Fiscal Year 2021. This funding is availableto collaborations between care providers, including preventative care, primarycare specialty care, hospital services, mental health and substance abuseservices, and community-based entities that address the social determinants ofhealth. Priority will be given to collaborations that include safety nethospitals or critical access hospitals,as well as culturally-competent, minority-owned or -controlled partners.Applications from all types of provider collaborations and from communitiesacross the state will be considered over the coming months and years.

Proposals from collaborations seeking funding in the first roundof awards for transformation funds are due no later than April 9, 2021. Thiswill be followed with a second round of applications due September 1, 2021.There will be opportunities to apply for funding in subsequent years as well.For the September deadline and future funding cycles, HFS will be offeringconsulting services to assist collaborations with applications. Please continueto watch our Healthcare Transformation webpage for further information. 

The application for those wishing to apply for funding April 9 isavailable on the Department’s HealthcareTransformation webpage. The Department encouragesonly those collaborations with well-developed plans to apply for the firstround of funding. The application for those seeking consulting services toprepare an application for the second round of funding will also soon be postedon the HealthcareTransformation webpage .

HFS is seeking to fund collaborations between care providers andcommunity-based entities that will:

• improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare disparities
• improve the integration, efficiency, and coordination of care across provider types and levels of care
• increase access to preventive, primary or specialty care in the community
• address specific social determinants of health that impact access to care and impact health outcomes

Applicants must:

• demonstrate that the proposed project addresses community needs and desires established via direct community input
• propose quality metrics to track impact of the proposed intervention and for which the project will be accountable
• incorporate racial equity into the proposed project / collaboration
• benchmark current job levels in the community and track the continued maintenance and improvement of these levels (proposals that include retraining, innovative ideas or other workforce development are of particular interest to HFS)
• demonstrate how initial project funded by HFS through this program will move to a place of financial sustainability in the future without subsidization by transformation funds
• describe the governance structure of your collaboration, showing how decisions are made and how the collaborators intend to monitor and enforce adherence to the policies and practices put in place

The bulleted lists above outline the criteria by whichapplications will be evaluated for funding.

The Department intends to host a webinaron Friday, March 12, 2021 for those interested in learning more aboutHealthcare Transformation Collaboratives. You may register for the webinar here.

Kelly Cunningham, Administrator

Division of Medical Programs

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