Regional Extension Centers

As Regional Extension Centers begin the process of assisting providers in achieving Meaningful Use of EHR, they will find that there is a lack of real incentive or motivation for providers to sign up; this poses a risk to meeting the first enrollment milestone and receiving additional funding. Meeting enrollment milestones will be difficult without a compelling value proposition to providers that trumps "status quo" inaction. Developing sustainable business models must clearly define ongoing value and services to providers in order to maintain and grow membership base. Additional concerns involve the success rate of current EHR implementations as more than half fail to meet desired results due to lack of proper planning and inconsistent execution methodology. Remediation of failed implementations to meet overall goals and maximize provider meaningful use incentives must be addressed. With a 2 year funding window of opportunity for government subsidy, time becomes a liability for success.

Achieving the REC Vision

While funding approval is a significant accomplishment, this is just the beginning of a key performance period for all RECs. To ensure success at this stage, RECs rely on Arcadia’s unique capabilities to do the following:

• Create a compelling long-term value proposition to providers, payers and other stakeholders by aligning with existing incentives (e.g., PQRI, P4P, payer initiatives etc.)
• Become the Center for long-term incentives and measurement for HIT-enabled quality results
• Create/acquire core assets necessary to fulfill the value proposition across several programs.
• Identify EHR vendors and service providers that support the REC’s vision

Partner with an experienced thought leader:
With shifting deadlines, proactive REC organizations recognize the significant effort required to achieve the goals of this program. Arcadia co-invests with our clients to ensure project success.

REC Short-term offerings

Short-term, Arcadia can rapidly drive the successful instantiation of the REC Operating Model and core services, such that they support the long-term strategic goals. Through Arcadia’s facilitated war room approach we will work with you to address the following:

Define Value Proposition and Drive Enrollment

• Define value proposition, REC outreach model and "marketing" strategy that supports milestones
• Drive successful enrollment campaign to achieve first ONC funding milestone
• Evaluate and drive awareness of existing and potential incentive programs (public and private)
• Design and project manage creation of REC processes and programs
• Create and implement key tools, templates and technologies needed for REC activities
• Define and implement key service deliverables
• Develop plan for key REC assets in support of the Value Proposition
• Develop EHR "common configurations" and structured data requirements to meet HIE and quality reporting data needs
• Establish operational metrics and key performance indicators for product and service vendors
• Drive EHR vendor evaluation process

REC Long-term offerings
Longer-term, Arcadia helps develop assets and capabilities that support the REC’s sustainability and ability to deliver on its commitment to its customers and stakeholders:

• Implement a turnkey reporting platform that supports the incentive programs and delivers the value proposition
• Assist REC in engaging outside stakeholders to create new incentives for cost and quality management
• Implement inbound and outbound call center to manage and improve customer service (insource/outsource)
• Implement and update an incentive attainment dashboard for REC and providers, including measurement against "meaningful use" standards
• Implement a turnkey "enrollment management" suite, including program management, status reporting and online forums
• Develop and manage "standard configurations" of multiple EHR platforms
• Remediate existing EHR implementations to support meaningful use, HIE and quality/cost incentive program data needs

Case Study

We have proved unique capabilities for grant-writing support and have developed a methodology that we believe is the key to a REC program’s success. We have worked with the country’s largest REC, CalREC - representing 7,800 providers throughout the state of California – adding value in a number of key areas. We efficiently utilized a shortened timeline for grant submission, providing the ONC with additional time for review and increasing the probability for funding success. Using Arcadia resources allows the REC applicant to reduce their organizational impact by leveraging time and resources. Lastly, we were able to build out a lean business model to ensure sustainability following the completion of funding disbursements.

Offerings

While funding approval is a significant accomplishment, it’s just the beginning of a key performance period for all RECs. Rapid build-out of the start-up entities are required in order to achieve success, and Arcadia has several offerings to assist with the high-level pain points in doing so. We have a strong understanding of how to significantly increase expected funding at each of the key milestones and exceed the core performance measures by addressing key areas within the client organization.

• Business Consulting — Establishing efficient managements structures to manage the business plan based on key funding milestones
• REC Organizational Setup — Establishing organizational structures needed to support the REC by identifying and defining key roles and responsibilities
• REC Operational Processes — Building out key processes for enrollment, contract management, group purchasing and TA services
• REC Management Tools — Implementing provider tracking, enrollment and support management tools
• REC Technical Assistance Services — Providing readiness assessments and audits, education and training, practice optimization, project oversight, practice-based research and best practices