Received word this morning that Hale Makua has been been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for funding to develop a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elder (often knows as PACE). The grant of $500,000 is unusual in that it only is released after an application is submitted to the State of Hawaii for a PACE program, the state approves and forwards the application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMs) and CMS approves the proposal.
So a lot of work is needed to craft a business plan that is feasibible to assume the risk that PACE lays over a PACE provider. For more information on PACE see: http://www.npaonline.org/website/article.asp?id=12
Hale Makua's third vision in its strategic plan is to: Create high quality, cost effective services and programs that serve the physical, spiritual, emotional and informational needs of our community. It also fits in with the strategic goals of the Maui Long Term Care Partnership which in part calls for: developing facilities, programs and services that meet the frail and disabled needs and preferences in our community. (see - www.mauilongtermcare.org for more information on the Maui Long Term Care Partnership) < Developing a PACE program is a way to achieve that goal. But it will require developing contractual and other partnership arrangements with local home and community based service providers and physicians to make it work.
This grant is a way to bring those organizations to the table to attempt to create a model the meets the needs and preferences of frail elders and the disabled who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid services in our community.
