Why Take a Network Model Approach to Integrating Care?

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are increasingly embracing a network approach to aligning health and community care because it offers numerous benefits to both health care providers and the communities they serve. Community care, also called social care, refers to the array of home and community-based services provided to older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers to promote health and wellness, and assist with their functional and other support needs.

Community care networks, often led by community care hubs, provide a streamlined approach to access to a variety of home and community-based services aimed at addressing community care needs and improving health and well-being for individuals with complex care needs and their caregivers. A network approach also creates pathways and opportunities for smaller CBOs offering services locally to engage in larger scale contractual relationships with health care entities in their regions.

Data collected through the 2023 CBO–Health Care Contracting Survey conducted by USAging’s Aging and Disability Business Institute (Business Institute) in partnership with Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University, indicated that a growing proportion of CBOs are contracting with health care through networks. Thirty-six percent of contracting CBOs indicated they entered at least one of their contracts as part of a network. That is nearly double the 20 percent that reported contracting as part of a network in the 2017 survey.

Funded by The SCAN Foundation, the Business Institute, in partnership with Collaborative Consulting, convened business acumen learning collaboratives with three emerging California community care networks[i]. These collaboratives aimed to enhance organizations’ capabilities for contracting with health care entities in alignment with CalAIM (California’s Medicaid transformation), the California Master Plan for Aging and other health care opportunities.

One of the key lessons learned from the three learning collaborative series is the critical need to be able to articulate the value of the network to multiple audiences—potential health care contracting organizations as well as potential network members. Both require a well-informed and compelling business case that demonstrates the positive impact that can result from coordinated health and community care. Each collaborative emphasized the importance of partnership development activities, effectively targeting audiences with informed value statements and clearly describing the value of delivering services through integrated networks. This blog post summarizes key considerations for developing, joining or partnering with a community care network reflective of core concepts discussed in the learning series.

The Value of Community Care Networks for Individuals and Communities

Community care networks play a pivotal role in addressing individuals’ community care needs by providing essential services and supports at the local community level. Community care networks:

• Provide comprehensive community care services. These networks are adept at delivering a wide range of services, from housing assistance to nutrition support, taking a whole-person approach to addressing individual’s health and community care needs.
• Offer funding flexibility. By braiding and blending multiple programmatic funding sources, community care networks maximize their financial resources to serve different populations effectively.
• Emphasize person-centered care. Networks excel in co-designing care plans that prioritize individuals’ needs and preferences, involving the individual in their own care planning. They are uniquely equipped to serve complex care populations, ensuring access to a variety of quality services and supports.
• Address barriers. Networks can address clinical and community care needs through cross-sector partnerships, improving outcomes for the individuals and communities they serve.
• Improve efficiency. By integrating care delivery, networks ensure that services are not duplicated and that the gaps in care are reduced.

The Value of Community Care Networks to Health Care Providers and Payers

A network model can bridge the gap between health and community care delivery systems, offering a unified approach to coordinated care and unique advantages for health care contracting partners.

• Single point of entry and ease of contracting. A network model provides health care partners with a streamlined process for contracting and collaborating with multiple CBOs. This single-contract approach reduces the administrative burden, creating a more seamless experience for providers and payers alike.
• Broader geographic reach. By uniting multiple organizations under a network, community care providers can offer services to a wider geographic area, ensuring more individuals have access to quality care.
• Broader array of services. Network models can also bring together providers offering different types of services, such as assessments, care coordination, nutrition, transportation, housing assistance, social connection and more, to help meet the whole-person health needs of the individuals being served.
• Expertise in serving different funders. Community care networks leverage existing long-standing community care service infrastructure to meet the unique requirements of funders, ensuring fidelity to programming and mission-driven quality care.
• Enhanced referral management. Closed-loop referral systems within networks help improve care coordination and ensure follow-up with the individuals receiving services and supports.
• Efficient data sharing. Networks can facilitate data sharing between clinical and community care providers, enhancing decision-making and quality.

The Value of Community Care Networks for CBOs

For CBOs, joining a network offers numerous advantages, including:

• Optimizing resources. Leveraging shared infrastructure and expertise allows CBOs to maximize their impact while minimizing costs.
• Peer-to-peer learning. Networks provide opportunities for training, knowledge sharing and collaboration among peers.
• Relationship building. Partnering within a network fosters the development of strategic relationships that can enhance service delivery and sustainability.
• Revenue diversification. Networks open doors to new funding opportunities and revenue streams, reducing reliance on grant funds.
• Economies of scale. Shared costs and infrastructure within a network can lead to significant economies of scale. This efficiency not only reduces expenses but also allows for investments in technology, infrastructure and resources that can be leveraged by network members.
• Increased visibility. Being part of a robust network enhances the visibility and credibility of participating organizations, fostering trust among individuals served in communities and partners (e.g., health care entities).

CONCLUSION

As the health care landscape continues to evolve, the alignment of community-based services through community care networks presents a vital opportunity to bridge gaps in care, improve health outcomes and strengthen the overall support system for individuals with complex care needs. By leveraging shared services, infrastructure, peer learning and expanding the geographic reach of services, CBOs can position themselves through these larger networks as essential partners in the broader health care ecosystem, ensuring stronger care coordination to drive meaningful changes in population health and well-being.

Supported by a grant from The SCAN Foundation—The SCAN Foundation (TSF) envisions a society where all of us can age well with purpose. We pursue this vision by igniting bold and equitable changes in how older adults age in both home and community. Our grants and impact investments prioritize communities that have been historically marginalized with an emphasis on older people of color, older adults with lower incomes and older residents in rural communities. We believe that if we improve the aging experience for these priority populations and their networks of support, it will improve for everyone. Learn more at https://www.thescanfoundation.org/

[i] California Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Meals on Wheels California; Ventura County Community Information Exchange