MCR Health wins $1.31M to expand value-based care in DeSoto County

MCR Health received $1,310,893.34 in Year One funding through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program to expand value-based care for Medicaid patients in DeSoto County. The money will support screening, chronic disease management, care coordination and technology upgrades aimed at improving rural access and outcomes.

Why it matters: - The $1.31 million award is designed to improve rural healthcare access and outcomes for Medicaid patients in DeSoto County. - The funding also helps MCR Health build a more sustainable value-based care model that could support future arrangements across its wider service area. - The initiative targets breast cancer, diabetes and hypertension, three major drivers of preventable illness and healthcare use in the county.

What happened: - MCR Health received $1,310,893.34 in Year One funding through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program. - The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration selected MCR Health as a Southwest Region recipient under Initiative 11: Value Based Care – Innovative Care and Payment Transformation. - The award is designated for work in DeSoto County, where MCR Health will focus on Medicaid populations. - MCR Health serves communities across Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties, but this grant funds only the DeSoto County initiative.

The details: - The program is built to expand value-based care arrangements with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations. - The initiative will use a coordinated population health approach. - MCR Health plans to increase breast cancer screening and early detection through community engagement and mobile mammography services. - The organization plans to strengthen diabetes management through its Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program, care coordination and ongoing patient monitoring. - MCR Health plans to improve hypertension management with clinical pharmacy support, telehealth, remote patient monitoring and coordinated follow-up. - The initiative will also expand population health tools to identify care gaps and monitor utilization. - Care coordination will connect clinical, behavioral health, pharmacy and community resources. - Technology and health information exchange capabilities will support more connected, proactive and patient-centered care. - The project aligns with Rural Health Transformation Program priorities around rural outcomes, sustainable access, workforce strength, innovative care models and technology use. - The award will not fund operations in Manatee, Sarasota or other counties. - Experience, systems and value-based care capabilities developed through the project are expected to strengthen MCR Health’s infrastructure for future opportunities. - The initiative may also create indirect benefits for other insured and uninsured patients in DeSoto County. - MCR Health will move into year one of a planned five-year award cycle.

Between the lines: - The grant does more than pay for services. It helps MCR Health test a rural care model that ties payment to outcomes and coordination. - The emphasis on prevention, chronic disease management and data sharing suggests the organization is trying to reduce avoidable visits and improve continuity of care. - The DeSoto County focus shows the funding is meant to be targeted, while the broader organizational gain comes from systems and processes built during the pilot.

What's next: - MCR Health will begin implementing year one activities under the five-year program. - The organization will work to expand Medicaid value-based care relationships and build out screening, disease management and care coordination capacity. - MCR Health expects the project to position the organization for future value-based care opportunities beyond DeSoto County.

The bottom line: - Florida is funding MCR Health to use DeSoto County as a rural test case for more coordinated, outcomes-driven Medicaid care.