In partnership with the Center for Care Innovations (CCI) and Blue Shield of California Foundation, CHCF launched the Population Heath Learning Network in March 2018. The PHLN aims to improve the health and well-being of more than 1.2 million Californians by bringing together safety-net primary care organizations to strengthen and advance their population health management strategies.

There is ample evidence supporting the implementation of population health management approaches in primary care. A strong focus on population health management allows organizations to:

• Target the right resources to the patients who need it most
• Provide better access to care through alternative encounters, such as phone visits
• Improve the patient’s experience of care
• Achieve better health outcomes by closing gaps in care
• Boost workplace satisfaction by optimizing team-based care and ensuring all staff can work to the top of their skill and license
• Reduce emergency department use and hospital readmissions through coordinated care
• Stabilize or reduce health care costs

Twenty-five safety-net organizations were selected to participate in this two-year network focused on learning, sharing best practices, and taking action to advance population health. Learn more about the PHLN and its timeline and participants, as well as helpful population health insights and resources emerging from the network, on the CCI website.

Starting in Year 2, with additional funds from Dignity Health, the PHLN will offer grants of up to $30,000 to support specific project ideas that focus on deeper implementation in one or more strategies to strengthen each participant’s population management approach. These projects focus on areas such as social needs, behavioral health integration, data and reporting to close gaps in care, and more. See a list of PHLN participants’ Year 2 projects.

For more information on the PHLN, contact Kathryn Phillips, senior program officer for Improving Access at CHCF.