ANCOR News - 02.07.17

ANCOR Works with National Partners on Business Acumen Resource Center & Learning Collaborative

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As part of its strategic focus to “shape, innovate and transition to the emerging environment of long-term services and supports including health care integration,” ANCOR is partnering with the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) and nine other national organizations on a federal grant from the Administration on Community Living (ACL) to develop the Business Acumen for Disability Organizations Resource Center

The new resource center will promote the development of business relationships between health plans and other integrated health services and community-based disability organizations. This 3-year grant will support training, technical assistance and a learning collaborative for disability organizations that want to cement their role in a changing Long Term Services and Supports delivery system. Specifically, the grant aims to accomplish the following outcomes:

  • Develop baseline knowledge about current disability CBO involvement and ongoing needs to engage in development and implementation of integrated care systems;
  • Provide training and technical assistance for the disability networks to build their capacity for operating effectively in integrated care systems;
  • Convene and provide targeted technical assistance to 10-15 state teams using a learning collaborative model (the application process for this opportunity will be shared in the coming months); and
  • Engage with integrated care organizations, managed care plans, and other health care entities about the needs of consumers and the role of CBOs.

As a primary sub-contractor, ANCOR will be responsible for leading the development and support of the Learning Collaborative. ANCOR will also lend its expertise in community services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in developing training and resource material for distribution through the Resource Center and related activities. In this role, ANCOR is well-positioned to build on our record of providing members with the most up to date information about managed and integrated care trends. Further, this initiative provides a deeper opportunity to develop the business knowledge members need to not only survive but to prosper in a changing environment.

ANCOR’s project team for this important effort includes ANCOR’s ACL Business Acumen Project Manager, Kim Opsahl; State Association Executives Forum Liaison Diane McComb, and Senior Director of Government Relations, Esmé Grant Grewal. Kim will lead the work of the grant and draw on both her policy and association management expertise to serve as ANCOR’s project manager for this effort. She will serve as the primary point of contact and provide critical coordination with partner organizations and with the development and implementation of the Learning Collaborative. Diane will contribute her extensive knowledge in understanding the connection between managed care and community agencies providing supports to individuals with disabilities. She will play a critical role in shaping the substantive work produced through the Resource Center and Learning Collaborative. Esmé will provide overall leadership and guidance for the project and will assist in fostering and developing relationships with grant partners.

Initial work on grant-related activities began in December. The ANCOR Team will provide regular updates through LINKS and the ANCOR Connected Community. In addition, an information session on the grant will be included during ANCOR’s Annual Conference in May.

 

For more information or questions, please feel free to contact Kim Opsahl at [email protected]