American College of Physicians receives Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative award

Collaborative network will join federal government and other partners in supporting large-scale health care transformation among clinician practices

Philadelphia, September 30, 2015 -- The American College of Physicians (ACP) is one of 39 health care collaborative networks selected to participate in the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, announced today by Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. ACP will receive up to $3 million over four years to provide technical assistance support to help equip clinicians across the United States with tools, information, and network support needed to improve quality of care, increase patients' access to information, and spend health care dollars more wisely.

"Supporting doctors and other health care professionals change the way they work is critical to improving quality and spending our health care dollars more wisely," said Secretary Burwell. "These awards will give patients more of the information they need to make informed decisions about their care and give clinicians access to information and support to improve care coordination and quality outcomes."

As a Support and Alignment Network, ACP will support 30,000 physicians to expand their quality improvement capacity, learn from one another, and achieve common goals of improved care, better health, and reduced cost. The network will provide ACP Practice Advisor modules created specifically to help participating clinicians meet the initiative's phases of transformation and associated milestones, clinical and operational results.

These awards are part of a comprehensive strategy advanced by the Affordable Care Act that enables new levels of coordination, continuity, and integration of care, while transitioning volume-driven systems to value-based, patient-centered, health care services. It builds upon successful models and programs such as the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Organization Program, Partnership for Patients with Hospital Engagement Networks, and Accountable Care Organizations.

For more information on the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, please visit http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/Transforming-Clinical-Practices/.

About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 143,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

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Media Contact: Laura Baldwin, LBaldwin@acponline.org or 215-351-2668