(a) There is established within the corporation for administrative purposes only a public-private partnership in a county that encompasses at least three islands inhabited by permanent residents, to research, develop, and implement a model of health care delivery that addresses the coordination of care across the spectrum of care from acute, to skilled nursing facility, to home, in a manner that is seamless, efficient, appropriate, and cost-effective.
Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
(b) The public-private partnership shall:
(1) Work to resolve the challenges in the post-acute care environment;(2) Expand inpatient capacity;(3) Improve access to and quality of health care; and(4) Enhance the operational and financial viability of public and private health care providers at all levels of care.(c) The public-private partnership shall be mutually beneficial to stakeholders and consumers and shall be based upon the following:
(1) Short-term goals:
(A) Provide a mechanism to move waitlisted patients to an appropriate long-term care setting;(B) Provide appropriate financial support to allow for the movement of patients along the continuum of care, regardless of the ability to pay;(C) Maintain the financial viability of skilled nursing facilities by providing adequate funding from all sources; and(D) Maintain the financial viability of full-service acute care facilities by reducing the number of waitlisted patients.(2) Long-term goals:
(A) Improve the continuity of care and efficiency between providers;(B) Enhance the quality of patient care;(C) Create a patient-centered health care infrastructure;(D) Maximize capacity and increase operational and financial viability among network organizations;(E) Optimize existing resources to maximize return;(F) Facilitate the transition of care between different levels of care;(G) Reduce unnecessary transfers of patients and attract medically appropriate transfers from neighboring islands;(H) Create reimbursement mechanisms that support integrated efforts;(I) Reduce unnecessary health care use and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions; and(J) Expand access to specialty services to counties that encompass at least three islands inhabited by permanent residents.
