Innovations

What are innovations?
In this section, the Fund highlights practical tools, case studies, and innovative state strategies that can help you put sound policy into practice.

Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils

August 28, 2009 - The Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils is a practical handbook for family members interested in setting up a new family council as well as a comprehensive resource for more experienced leaders facing new issues or wanting to reinvigorate an existing council.

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A Guide to Developing State Child Health 'Improvement Partnerships'

February 24, 2009 - A new online guide from the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program provides state leaders in child health with step-by-step instructions to developing sustainable collaborations of public and private partners that are dedicated to improving the quality of children's health care.

Resident-Centered Regulation: Achieving Resident-Centered Nursing Home Care Through the Regulatory Process

August 28, 2009 - With support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and partial funding from The Commonwealth Fund, the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted a project called the Individualized Care Pilot.

How to Retain Nursing Home Staff and Improve Organizational Performance

August 28, 2009 - Based on the experiences of more than 400 nursing homes, the Staff Stability Toolkit is designed to serve as an evidence-based resource for nursing homes that are working to reduce staff turnover.

Investing in Nursing Home Transformation: A Toolkit for States

April 21, 2009 - The State Investment in Culture Change Toolkit, created by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, the research arm of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, aims to help states play an active role in getting nursing homes to initiate or expand "culture change" efforts.

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Community Care of North Carolina: Building Community Systems of Care Through State and Local Partnerships

June 22, 2009 - Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) is a public–private partnership between the state and 14 nonprofit community care networks. The networks comprise essential local providers that deliver key components of a "medical home" for low-income adults and children enrolled in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Parkwest Medical Center: Focusing on Patient and Staff Satisfaction

May 26, 2009 - Eighty-seven percent of patients recently discharged from Parkwest Medical Center said they would recommend the hospital to a family member or friend—a patient satisfaction level 19 percentage points higher than the national average.

The Valley Hospital: Leaders Set the tone for Patient Service and Satisfaction

May 22, 2009 - At The Valley Hospital, hospital leaders exemplify on a daily basis the hospital's dedication to patient service. Each morning, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer visit patients.

Case Study: State of Maine Ranks Providers Based on Quality

April 15, 2009 - A state employee health plan designated hospitals, and later primary care physician practices, that met certain performance criteria as "preferred" providers, and then gave employees incentives to use them. While this initiative appears to have improved the quality of care, its impact on costs has not yet been evaluated.

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Idaho's Plans to Improve Access in Troubled Times

April 21, 2009 - Idaho Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter (R) discussed difficult choices during our "troubled times" in his January 12 "State of the State" address. He proposed a 7.5 percent budget cut for the state's Department of Health and Welfare, along with even greater cuts in other state agencies.

Governors Discuss Health Policy in "State of the State" Addresses, With Interactive Summary Table

April 21, 2009 - Since early January, state governors have been discussing health care in their annual "State of the State" addresses, despite not knowing exactly what the federal stimulus package or CHIP reauthorization would look like. Among the 40 speeches made through mid-February, the health policy messages varied in content and tone. The health-related provisions are summarized in an interactive feature.

New York's Plan to Expand Coverage and Combat Obesity

April 21, 2009 - New York Governor David Paterson (D) outlined four key health reform initiatives in his State of the State address on January 7: public coverage expansion, enrollment reforms, private insurance expansion for dependents, and multiple efforts to combat obesity.

Arizona Narrowly Rejects Ban on Coverage Mandates and Choice Restrictions

January 23, 2009 - Arizona voters narrowly rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have banned laws restricting choice of health plans or mandating that people obtain coverage. The amendment would have been at odds with certain elements of President-elect Obama's health care proposal. Of 1.8 million votes, 50.2 percent voted against, and 49.8 percent voted for, the amendment.