ICYMI: Update from ANCOR’s Center for Business Acumen

As a courtesy to our members we are re-sharing the update on our Center for Business Acumen, originally published in our Friday Weekly Update publication.

As shared in Weekly Update by our Director for State Partnerships and Special Projects, Donna Martin:

For the upcoming installments in ANCOR’s Center for Business Acumen, I will be profiling the State Teams participating in the two Learning Collaboratives.  I’d like to begin with an overview of the work and accomplishments of the Missouri State Team led by Wendy Witcig, Deputy Director, Community Operations, Division of Developmental Disabilities.

The Missouri Team is a member of the Business Acumen Learning Collaborative which began its work in August 2017.  The team is comprised State Agency, Community-based Organizations, UCEDD and DD Council representatives.  This team members work together to develop and implement business-related strategies to state-specific challenges to integrating long term services and supports and healthcare services. Specifically, Missouri has been focused on a four distinct projects: 

• The creation of an ACO (accountable care organization) to integrate health care and long-term supports and services while reducing costs.
  • As the Missouri team has been working on the goal, one member The Business Development Learning Collaborative has provided a tremendous amount of information and support.  (This has been an unexpected bi-product of bringing the Learning Collaboratives together twice a year to share their work and lessons learned.)   This relationship has helped the team members formulate plans for creating an ACO and will likely continue beyond the life of this grant.  
• The development of a partnership between community-based organizations and Health Homes.
  • Currently, MO utilizes Heath Homes in the behavioral health community and is considering adopting the model for IDD services.  They see the possibility to shift case management and person-centered planning to the HH.  Also being considered is structuring the HH to provide medical and LTSS coordination.
• Improved resources and training on services for aging individuals with IDD experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s.
  • With the support of the Business Acumen grants and Learning Collaboratives, Missouri has developed partnerships between IDD organizations and Area Agencies on Aging. This partnership is providing much needed training support on age-related issues to the CBOs serving elders with IDD.
• The development of a IDD/behavioral health crisis response and intensive residential program.