UPDATE - Grand Rounds Cited in Massachusetts Health Policy Commission Program to Drive Health Care Delivery Innovation in Massachusetts

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - March 22, 2016) - Grand Rounds, the leader in identifying high-quality health care providers and connecting patients with these physicians, today announced it has been acknowledged by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) as a solution driving innovation in health care delivery within its recently launched Health Care Innovation Investment (HCII) program. As part of the first round of this program, the HPC is making $5 million in investments available to encourage and fuel health care innovation across the Commonwealth.

The HCII program offers Massachusetts payers, providers, employers and their collaborators grant funding to initiate innovations that help the Commonwealth meet its goals of achieving health care cost savings while improving care quality and access. Applicants may request up to $750,000 for up to 24 months of work.

Within this program are eight categories that represent critical challenges in health care, with successful models implemented in organizations across the United States that have demonstrated substantial cost savings and other benefits in tackling those challenges. These categories include social determinants of health, behavioral health integration, value-informed choices for purchasers, serious advancing illness and care at the end-of-life, and others.

The HPC has published a supporting exhibit that describes each challenge and a number of example service models illustrating innovation in that domain. In the category focusing on value-informed choices for purchasers, the HPC cited "remote second opinion and referral services" as a service model that has been shown to lower costs and improve patient care. Grand Rounds is included as an illustration of that service model in action. The company is one of the few vendors specifically listed in the publication. 

"Massachusetts exists in the vanguard of health care; whether it be the cutting-edge research coming out of its health care institutions or the thoughtful policy work taking place at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission," said Jacob Best, head of medical networks, Grand Rounds. "We are excited for the opportunity to further our momentum in partnering with payers, providers and employers in Massachusetts." 

"This program serves as an opportunity to take innovations that have been proven elsewhere to solve big health care challenges and give Massachusetts employers, payers and providers an incentive to put them into effect," said Molly Coye, MD, MPH, and leader in digital health innovation who is an adviser to the HPC. "Catalyzing such innovations will ultimately help make health care a better, more accessible and more affordable experience for consumers across the Commonwealth."

For information on the HPC's Health Care Innovation Investment program and how to apply for funding, please visit the Innovation Investments page of the HPC website, www.mass.gov/hpc, or email HPC-Innovation@state.ma.us. 

About Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds' vision is to create a path to great health and health care, for everyone, everywhere. Founded in 2011, the company provides an employer-based platform that delivers improved outcomes for patients and their families. It does this through an end-to-end solution that connects patients with care informed by the latest and best practices -- preventing and correcting misdiagnoses and unnecessary or failed treatments. Recently named second among Glassdoor's Best Places to Work, Grand Rounds helps restore individual health and quality of life, and offers employers lower health care spend and higher employee productivity. For more information, please visit grandrounds.com or follow us on Twitter @GrandRoundsInc.