The Alliance for Integrated Medication Management (AIMM) held a live, full day event combining ASHP’s A3 and E3 collaboratives. The E3 collaborative is a grant funded initiative that has been going on for approximately 18 months to improve patient outcomes using the principles of Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Excellence. The A3 collaborative works with organizations to create strategic planning for innovative projects focusing on Comprehensive Medication Management. There are currently 2 cohorts of the A3 collaborative, one cohort started in April 2017 and the other in November 2017. Our organization, Penobscot Community Health Care, has been participating in the A3 collaborative since April 2017 with 2 ongoing pharmacist led initiatives. I will be sharing my experience of the live event combing the 2 A3 collaborative cohorts, the E3 collaborative teams, and provide some helpful takeaways.
Penobscot Community Health Care has been involved with the A3 collaborative for our initiatives for Primary Care Pharmacists in Transitions of Care and Hepatitis C. The Transitions of Care initiative is comprised of an interprofessional team of a pharmacist and a nurse performing home visits to patients within 72 hours of discharge from the hospital. The Transitions of Care team was successfully able to reduce 30, 60, and 90 day readmission rates over a 1 year time frame. The Hepatitis C initiative is led by a pharmacist in the primary care setting alongside providers to screen, monitor, and dispense Hepatitis C medication to patients. Previously Penobscot Community Health Care would refer patients out to specialty clinics but now patients with Hepatitis C can receive complete care without leaving the practice.
Throughout the year, we have been participating in monthly calls regarding the implementation and expansion of our pharmacy initiatives with coaching along the way leading to the AIMM live event at ASHP Midyear. Each organization has a specific coach that acts as a guide to reach specific goals such as planning the initiative, strategies for data collection, and using results to leverage expansion. Our organization’s 2 initiatives began as pharmacy resident projects and were able to expand to 2 FTE pharmacist positions currently looking at expanding. The Transitions of Care program will be working with local skilled nursing facilities to schedule home visits with high risk patients after discharge. The Hepatitis C program is forming partnerships with organizations within our ACO to expand access to care for patients. Each program was coached through making a performance story which highlights accomplishments and sets realistic goals based on organizational needs. We were able to construct a powerful performance story to use when requesting new positions, applying to grants, or requesting funding from stakeholders.
The AIMM live pacing event held at ASHP midyear was an excellent way to connect all organizations from all over the country in different stages from planning, implementing, generating results, all the way up to scaling up. It provided similar organizations and programs to share ideas and strategies with each other. However, I believe the biggest takeaway from the event was the power a story or narrative can have when building a business case. The day consisted of 3 parts; The Power of Story Telling, Building a Value Proposition/business Case, and Forming Partnerships to Drive Progress. A Chief Financial Officer was presenting to the teams on effective ways to pitch a successful proposal and tell your story. He expressed the importance of building strong relationships with other departments and using reliable data to build trust between the presenter and finance. A program with evidence of quality, interdepartmental support, reliable data, and patient anecdotes are all components of a powerful story to be communicated with executive leadership, finance, or stakeholders. Overall the AIMM live event provided everyone in the room connections and tools to improve pharmacist-led initiatives around the country. I look forward to seeing what the newer A3 collaborative programs can do!