Long-term care scores big in Texas

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) released its final round of Healthcare Innovation award winners on June 15. Texas fared exceptionally well in this challenge.

The University of North Texas Health Science Center, partnering with Brookdale Senior Living, received $7 million to test the Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) assessment tool for assisted living residents and residents in dementia care facilities. INTERACT is an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality program.

Aiming to lower hospital readmits by 20 percent, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana, received $1 million to train nurses to identify early symptoms of sepsis and congestive heart failure in nursing home patients.

In its quest to improve delirium-related care, lower readmissions and improve care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital Research System received $11 million.

CMS has awarded 107 innovation grants with funding for three years.