The UPHCS UPlift Collaborative Care project represents the third three-year project period that the organization has been awarded as a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant (SHCPQI) program.

In 2016, the grant funded a 3 year project to implement an evidence-based quality improvement model that tested the efficacy of systemic changes on a specific set of quality metrics, using health information technology to track and report on quality and cost. The goal was to promote the development of an evidence-based culture and encourage the delivery of care that benefits from coordination among medical team members and provider entities in the primary care setting. Specific objectives centered on enhanced chronic disease management, with a focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

2016-2019 Project Objectives included:

• Improve diabetes and cardiovascular disease chronic care management practices by promoting the development of an evidence-based culture and delivery of coordinated care in the primary care setting
• Support utilization of Certified Electronic Health Technology (CEHRT) for real-time chronic disease population identification: detailed reporting; clinical decision support; patient outreach; patient portal education and utilization, and tracking and reporting of population specific data
• Support clinic participation in quality initiatives such as Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), CMS Quality Payment Program, and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Sets (HEDIS)

The project served 40+ participating clinic sites throughout the Upper Peninsula.