Innovation is in our DNA
Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) was founded on a vision to fundamentally change healthcare delivery. Our mission to improve the health and well-being of people with the most significant needs is made possible, in part, by our dedication to clinical and technological innovation.
Leveraging emerging trends and disruptive ideas, we pilot and evaluate technologies, devices, and services that address complex healthcare needs. By focusing on in-home care options that improve healthcare access, we remain true to our primary goal of helping our members and patients maintain independence.
Over the past decade, CCA has pioneered care delivery solutions and technologies that help our members and patients enjoy better health and quality of life, including:
Individuals with behavioral health or substance use disorders are often in critical need of a community-based alternative to inpatient admission. That is why CCA pioneered Marie’s Place Community Crisis Stabilization—the only facility of its kind in Massachusetts—which provides respite care to CCA members in a structured setting where we can maintain patient safety, improve recovery, and promote a safe return to the community.
- 80% of members had a behavioral health follow-up appointment scheduled after discharge
- 100% of admissions in 2022 come from the ED and avoided potential inpatient admissions
- 88% of members and patients rated their overall satisfaction as “good” or “excellent” in satisfaction surveys
It has been estimated that as many as two-thirds of all emergency department (ED) visits could be better managed—at lower cost—in another urgent care setting. This is the impetus behind instED, CCA’s innovative and comprehensive mobile integrated health solution designed to bring urgent care to the patient’s home.
- 85% of visits avoided an ED or inpatient admission within three days
- $13M estimated cost savings to CCA in 2022
- 96 Net Promoter (patient satisfaction) Score, based on respondents’ likelihood to recommend instED to family or friends
Maintaining care delivery during a public health crisis and beyond
As the possibility of a pandemic lockdown loomed in early 2020, CCA quickly developed a robust virtual care program to maintain continuity of care. Within the first few weeks, our clinicians completed thousands of video visits that kept our members and patients safe.
Visits included wellness checkups, urgent care visits, COVID-19 evaluations, behavioral health support, specialty consults, and palliative care.
The CCA Innovation team also leveraged the Member Voices program to better understand the member and patient experience with virtual care. Through these efforts, we learned that many lack the internet connectivity, devices, and/or technical support necessary to access virtual care. CCA continues to identify solutions to improve the reach of virtual care.
From March 2020 through the end of 2022, CCA conducted 149,723 virtual care visits with 38,082 unique members.
Program retention remains high: Nearly 78% of members receiving virtual care visits in 2022 were repeat users from 2021.