A Partnership of MaineHealth and the Maine Physician Hospital Organization

Program Goal:
The goal of the MaineHealth Learning Community (MHLC) is to support primary care practices in making improvements in care and outcomes for the patients and families they serve.

Program Description:

• MHLC provides primary care practices and other healthcare professionals with training and education focused on evidence-based, patient and family-centered care.
• The Care Model (Wagner, et al) provides the foundation for the curricula, which focuses on: Delivery System Design, Decision Support, Clinical Information Systems, Patient Self-Management, Community and Health Systems as a whole.
• Participating practices can access tools, education and support from MaineHealth and the Maine PHO staff to improve care and outcomes in areas such as: Asthma, Behavioral Health, Cardiovascular Disease, COPD, Diabetes, Geriatrics, Oncology, Obesity, Preventive Care, and Tobacco Treatment.

Learning Community Offerings:

• New Initiative MHLC & QuantiaMD
  You now have opportunities to participate in MHLC-sponsored interactive educational outreach sessions from the comfort of your home or practice.
• Practice Improvement Series Meetings: (PRISM)
  These are day-long sessions for practice teams to learn about the Care Model and quality improvement methodologies in addition to disease specific content.
• Educational Outreach Sessions
  Educational Outreach Sessions are held on-site and provide educational opportunities for physicians and practice teams to build effective chronic care skills within their communities. They can also facilitate collaborative learning with peers from other local practices.
• Practice Networking
  Practice Networking provides the practice teams of the Maine Physician Hospital Organization a networking opportunity to share improvements they have achieved and to learn from others. Registered participants are able to select specific topics to learn more about, or topics to share what they have learned and has proven successful for them.
• E-Newsletter
  The E-newsletter is a quarterly MHLC communication initiative. Articles for the newsletter are provided by Clinical Integration program managers and other staff and are related to improving chronic illness care.
• Tools and Resources
  Regular updates on MaineHealth and PHO educational tools and offerings related to improving care.

How will my practice benefit?

• Customized support for practice improvement that can help you better prepare for quality reporting and pay-for-performance programs
• Opportunities to share experiences and lessons learned from your PCP and specialist colleagues
• Support from MaineHealth for coaching and improvement to achieve professional goals
• Category I CME credits for participation in learning events

What kind of commitment does it take?
There is no charge and no obligation to participate, though certain activities (e.g. Regional Improvement meetings, Practice Networking) may require specific commitments for participation.

Who can join? Any Primary Care Practice that is committed to improving chronic illness care can join.

How do I sign up? Primary Care Practices in the Maine PHO are enrolled in the Learning Community as a benefit of membership.

Contact us for more information.