42 U.S.C. § 299b–34: Quality improvement…

Summary

The Director, using the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, must award two kinds of grants or contracts: one to groups that give technical help so hospitals and other health care providers can learn and use care-improvement models from the Center’s research, and one to providers or provider groups that will put those models into practice. To get a technical-help award, an organization must prove it helps providers improve care (examples include hospitals, academic centers, quality improvement groups, Indian health programs, professional societies, and others the Secretary names). To get an implementation award, a hospital or provider group must show it can carry out a model and has improvement experience. Applications for technical help must include a plan for a sustainable business model that may charge fees but can reduce fees for providers serving low-income patients. Implementation applications must include cost, staffing, timeline, and before-and-after quality data. Awardees must provide $1 in non-Federal funds for every $5 in Federal funds. The Director will evaluate awardees on adoption of the models, the assisted providers’ views of the help, and, when possible, better patient outcomes and lower costs, and will use those results to decide on renewals. Awardees must also coordinate with health IT regional extension centers and the primary care extension program.

Title 42, §299b–34

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Director, through the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (referred to in this section as the “Center”), shall award—

(1)technical assistance grants or contracts to eligible entities to provide technical support to institutions that deliver health care and health care providers (including rural and urban providers of services and suppliers with limited infrastructure and financial resources to implement and support quality improvement activities, providers of services and suppliers with poor performance scores, and providers of services and suppliers for which there are disparities in care among subgroups of patients) so that such institutions and providers understand, adapt, and implement the models and practices identified in the research conducted by the Center, including the Quality Improvement Networks Research Program; and

(2)implementation grants or contracts to eligible entities to implement the models and practices described under paragraph (1).

(b)Eligible entities

(1)Technical assistance award

To be eligible to receive a technical assistance grant or contract under subsection (a)(1), an entity—

(A)may be a health care provider, health care provider association, professional society, health care worker organization, Indian health organization, quality improvement organization, patient safety organization, local quality improvement collaborative, the Joint Commission, academic health center, university, physician-based research network, primary care extension program established under section 280g–12 of this title, a Federal Indian Health Service program or a health program operated by an Indian tribe (as defined in section 1603 of title 25), or any other entity identified by the Secretary; and

(B)shall have demonstrated expertise in providing information and technical support and assistance to health care providers regarding quality improvement.

(2)Implementation award

To be eligible to receive an implementation grant or contract under subsection (a)(2), an entity—

(A)may be a hospital or other health care provider or consortium or providers, as determined by the Secretary; and

(B)shall have demonstrated expertise in providing information and technical support and assistance to health care providers regarding quality improvement.

(c)Application

(1)Technical assistance award

To receive a technical assistance grant or contract under subsection (a)(1), an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing—

(A)a plan for a sustainable business model that may include a system of—

(i)charging fees to institutions and providers that receive technical support from the entity; and

(ii)reducing or eliminating such fees for such institutions and providers that serve low-income populations; and

(B)such other information as the Director may require.

(2)Implementation award

To receive a grant or contract under subsection (a)(2), an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing—

(A)a plan for implementation of a model or practice identified in the research conducted by the Center including—

(i)financial cost, staffing requirements, and timeline for implementation; and

(ii)pre- and projected post-implementation quality measure performance data in targeted improvement areas identified by the Secretary; and

(B)such other information as the Director may require.

(d)Matching funds

The Director may not award a grant or contract under this section to an entity unless the entity agrees that it will make available (directly or through contributions from other public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward the activities to be carried out under the grant or contract in an amount equal to $1 for each $5 of Federal funds provided under the grant or contract. Such non-Federal matching funds may be provided directly or through donations from public or private entities and may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services.

(e)Evaluation

(1)In general

The Director shall evaluate the performance of each entity that receives a grant or contract under this section. The evaluation of an entity shall include a study of— (A)

(B)the perception of the health care institutions and providers assisted by such entity regarding the value of the entity; and

(C)where practicable, better patient health outcomes and lower cost resulting from the assistance provided by such entity.

(2)Effect of evaluation

Based on the outcome of the evaluation of the entity under paragraph (1), the Director shall determine whether to renew a grant or contract with such entity under this section.

(f)Coordination

The entities that receive a grant or contract under this section shall coordinate with health information technology regional extension centers under section 300jj–32(c) of this title and the primary care extension program established under section 280g–12 of this title regarding the dissemination of quality improvement, system delivery reform, and best practices information.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 934 of act July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 944 and is classified to section 299c–3 of this title.

Amendments

2010—Subsecs. (b)(1)(A), (f). Pub. L. 111–148, § 10501(f)(3), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 280g–12 of this title.

§299b–34 Quality Improvement Technical Assistance and Implementation