- The Spring and Fall Workshops of the Medicaid Medical Directors Network (MMDN) provide an opportunity for members to connect in-person to develop strong networks and create lasting trusted connections. The in-person meetings act to facilitate interactions between Network members, but also to connect the membership with federal policymakers, funders, and other subject matter experts or key partners, as appropriate. While the exact agenda will be determined in concert with the Steering Committee, we aim to design each meeting to balance informative presentations, peer-to-peer interaction and problem-solving, and structured and unstructured networking. We anticipate holding the in-person workshops in the spring and fall of each year (2016-2018). The Medicaid Medical Directors Network (MMDN) is a vibrant learning community of senior clinical leaders of state Medicaid programs, who are dedicated to advancing the health of Medicaid beneficiaries. It?s original iteration, the Medicaid Medical Directors Learning Network, was established in 2005 under AcademyHealth?s previous Knowledge Transfer and Implementation contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality?s Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer. The MMDN provides a forum for these clinical leaders to discuss their most pressing needs and share best practices, focusing on the development and use of evidence-based medicine, measurement and improvement of health care quality, and the redesign of health care delivery systems. AcademyHealth facilitates the MMDN to assist clinical leaders in identifying and applying the latest research findings to address high priority policy and program issues, especially related to quality assurance, quality improvement, and coverage decisions. AcademyHealth develops knowledge transfer activities to foster the exchange of information between researchers and the Medicaid Medical Directors; supports the MMDN steering committee; and leverages the collective expertise within the MMDN to identify evidence gaps and inform research priorities. MMDN workshops are one of many mechanisms to support shared learning, and its objectives are consistent with AHRQ?s mission to ?make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable?and to make sure that the evidence is understood and used.? Conference sessions present research that can improve policy and practice, patient safety and quality, patient-centered care, and payment and organization. Because of the Network?s focus on Medicaid, the workshops also center on AHRQ?s priority populations?low income groups, minority groups, women, children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities and end-of-life care.
AcademyHealth seeks a Small Conference Grant to foster peer-learning and engagement for the Medicaid Medical Directors Network to discuss their most pressing needs and share best practices, focusing on the development and use of evidence-based medicine, measurement and improvement of health care quality, and the redesign of health care delivery systems. With this conference, AHRQ has an opportunity to help fill existing research gaps and address issues of substantial interest to Medicaid agencies by tackling important questions about how to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions in the Medicaid population, as well as assess the comparative effectiveness of competing approaches to delivery system improvement. By providing support for the MMDN Fall Workshop, AHRQ gains an important resource to both inform and implement AHRQ priorities and programs.
