IMPORTANT Update from the SIM Team

The SIM team is delaying the application for cohort 2 to allow practices time to prepare, identify the federal initiatives that are right for them and move forward accordingly. Instead of releasing the application Aug. 31 we will release it in the fall to provide time to incorporate lessons learned from the first cohort.

CPC+
We encourage practices that applied for CPC+ to download a PDF of their applications. When the SIM application is released this fall, your practice will have the opportunity to submit this PDF as part of the SIM application. Your practice can then access an abbreviated set of SIM questions to avoid re-entering information asked on the CPC+ application into the SIM application. We believe that SIM and CPC+ are complementary, which is why we have encouraged practices to apply for both initiatives that are funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Now that we are six months into implementing practice transformation activities with cohort 1 practices, we have identified areas that can be fine-tuned to ensure long-term success, which is one reason for delaying the application for cohort 2. We want to be responsive to the feedback we have received from practices, practice coaches and payers so we can ensure that the SIM initiative helps primary care practices move along the continuum toward value-based payment that rewards a person-centric approach to healthcare delivery.

Next steps

1. We realize that some practices have signed up for webinars focused on the SIM application and will ensure that those individuals receive new dates for the webinars once the SIM application is posted this fall.
2. The SIM team, which includes a small group of professionals who work with the Governor’s office and trusted partners at the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine, is dedicated to helping practices integrate behavioral health and primary care with infrastructure supports to ensure sustained success. 
3. We realize the hard work this entails. We have identified several success stories in the first six months of implementation and a few ways to improve the program for providers as well as payers. The request for application for cohort 2 will include details that will help prepare practices for the program and create an environment for success.
4. Please stay tuned for the release of the SIM application for cohort 2, follow the SIM team on social media channels (and sign up for the SIM newsletter (https://goo.gl/9CZT2q) to hear more about the successes we are seeing with cohort 2 practices, the benefits of joining this transformation community and the ways in which the SIM initiative prepares practices for success in a value-based world.

[Source: Colorado SIM]