RIQI Receives Praise, Kicks Off Beacon Community Program

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius heaped praised on Arcadia Solutions’ client, the Rhode Island Quality Institute, this week as it kicked off its Beacon Community program.

Sebelius was at a health center in Woonsocket, RI on Friday to celebrate the launching of RIQI’s Beacon project, which is receiving $16 million from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Last year, grants for the National Beacon Community Program were given to nonprofit organizations in 17 communities across the country to help create a national benchmark for the way electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges (HIEs) are used to improve the delivery of healthcare.

With Arcadia’s strategic direction, RIQI decided to apply the funds to practices with EHRs that are working to transform themselves into “Patient-Centered Medical Homes.” In the Medical Home model, care is coordinated by a team of healthcare providers who work collaboratively with patients to manage chronic illnesses and track the results.

Arcadia has helped RIQI define its strategy and select 28 practices to participate in the program, which include 50 sites and 225 providers. The practices will receive strategic support and technical assistance from RIQI to scale up their EHR implementations. Additionally, the Beacon program will create a statewide database that tracks the improvements the Medical Home effort is making to health outcomes in Rhode Island.

Arcadia is incredibly proud of its client and the well-deserved accolades RIQI has received for its leading efforts in turning Beacon Grant funds into real advancements in healthcare delivery.