The Opportunity

The U.S. healthcare workforce is trained for excellence, and dedicated to patient care.  Millions of healthcare providers – physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians – work hard every day to provide the best care possible to patients. Their hard work is complemented by the knowledge produced by an advanced and productive scientific community. America’s entrepreneurial drive produces innovation in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. All of this has rapidly advanced medical care and improved patient outcomes. 

Innovation takes place in communities throughout the U.S., where local healthcare systems are providing high-quality care at reduced costs. There is a great opportunity to learn from these pockets of innovation and to build upon these successes to deliver better care to CMS beneficiaries at a reduced cost.   

The Innovation Center has the opportunity to test innovative payment and service delivery models and promote what is right and what is proven to work. The transition from a fragmented system to an integrated, patient and family-centered delivery system will not be an easy one. Many different approaches will be needed to match the enormous diversity of settings and communities across the nation.