The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday said it will spend $20 million on training and education for doctors with individual practices or in small clinics, part of the Obama administration’s focus on quality of patient care.
HHS will spend $20 million every year for the next five years to help small practices, defined as those with 15 or fewer staffers, particularly those in rural and other areas with few resources.
The funding is being spent under a bipartisan law that changes how Medicare pays providers. Under the 2015 law, providers such as doctors and hospitals are rewarded for providing higher quality care instead of by quantity of care.
“These funds will help provide hands-on training tailored to small practices, especially those that practice in historically under-resourced areas including rural areas, health professional shortage areas, and medically underserved areas,” the department said.
To qualify for the funding, organizations must prove they can provide customized training, and they will be responsible for helping small practices think through what they need to be successful.
That includes determining what quality measures and electronic health record equipment are appropriate, what improvements the practice can make and what payment options best suit the practice.
“Providing these tools to help physicians and other clinicians in small practices navigate new programs is key to making sure they are able to focus on what is most important: the needs of their patients,” said Principal Deputy National Coordinator B. Vindell Washington.
Awardees will be announced by November.
