Duke University, Mountain Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the Lincoln Community Health Center in conjunction with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council recently received the DHHS “Innovation Challenge Grant,” which will provide innovative health care to patients in underserved areas. According to DHHS, 26 projects granted throughout the United States will save $254 million over the next three years.

Local home care teams affiliated with Duke University will provide patient centered coordinated care to improve outcomes for patients with Type 2 diabetes. This initiative will lower costs by reducing the number of hospital and emergency room visits in these patients.

Mountain AHEC will provide primary care with the help of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to coordinate care, such as counseling, medication management, for approximately 2,000 patients. These efforts will lead to improved pain control, health and reduce the amount of outpatient visits.

Lincoln Community Health Center, along with other Community Health Centers across the country, will serve about 1,700 patients by conducting outreach and case coordination to direct homeless to receive care in health centers rather than at emergency departments.

More information about this initiative can be found here.