Find the official homepage of the Partnership for Patients initiative at partnershipforpatients.cms.gov.
The Partnership for Patients initiative is a public-private partnership working to improve the quality, safety and affordability of health care for all Americans. Physicians, nurses, hospitals, employers, patients and their advocates, and the federal and State governments have joined together to form the Partnership for Patients.
Initiative Details
The Partnership for Patients and its over 3,700 participating hospitals are focused on making hospital care safer, more reliable, and less costly through the achievement of two goals:
- Making Care Safer. By the end of 2013, preventable hospital-acquired conditions would decrease by 40% compared to 2010.
- Improving Care Transitions. By the end of 2013, preventable complications during transition from one care setting to another would be decreased so that all hospital readmissions would be reduced by 20% compared to 2010.
Key Elements of the Partnership
The Hospital Engagement Networks. Hospitals across the country are critical partners in this work. Through the Partnership for Patients, 26 State, regional, national and hospital system organizations serve as Hospital Engagement Networks. These organizations help identify solutions already working to reduce hospital-acquired conditions, and work to spread them to other hospitals and health care providers. Learn more about the 26 Hospital Engagement Networks.
The Community-Based Care Transitions Program. Another major Partnership for Patients network includes the 47 sites awarded to participate in the Community-Based Care Transitions Program. These sites each constitute a collaborative community effort including community-based organizations such as social service providers or Area Agencies on Aging, multiple hospital partners, nursing homes, home health agencies, pharmacies, primary care practices, and other types of health and social service providers serving patients in that community. Through the program, these sites are testing models for improving care transitions from the hospital to other settings and for reducing readmissions for high-risk Medicare beneficiaries. Learn more about the CCTP.
Patient and Family Engagement. The relationship between health care professionals and their patients and families is critically important to the Partnership. It is a key part of keeping patients from getting injured or sicker in the hospital and helping patients heal without complication through improved transitions across health care settings and reduced readmissions. Learn more about the importance of patient engagement to the Partnership.
Additional Information
Additional information about the Partnership for Patients can be found at partnershipforpatients.cms.gov.
