FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Innovation Advisors Program?

The Innovation Advisors Program is a new initiative launched by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) designed to engage individuals in the health care system to refine, apply, and sustain managerial and technical skills necessary to drive delivery system reform. This program seeks to engage these individuals to test and support new models of payment and care delivery that will meet the three-part aim of better health, better care, and lower costs through improvement.

What is the purpose of the Innovation Center?

The Innovation Center seeks to introduce transformative models of care delivery across the nation that will meet the aims of better health, better care, and reduced costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries. The Center will both test innovative payment and service delivery models and, after evaluation, seek to spread successful models to all beneficiaries who might benefit. Innovation Advisors will help test and refine these new models. The Innovation Center seeks to deepen the capacity for transformation of the healthcare system by creating a network of experts in improving the delivery system reform.

What are the goals of the Innovation Advisors Program?

The Innovation Advisors Program will drive skilled individuals in the health care system to deepen several key skill sets including: healthcare finance; population health; systems analysis; and operations research (including the ability to test new models and analyze system performance through statistics). Ultimately these individuals should: support the Innovation Center in testing new models of care delivery; utilize their knowledge and skills in their home organization or area in pursuit of the three-part aim of improving health, improving care, and lowering costs through continuous improvement; work with other local organizations or groups in driving delivery system reform; harvest new ideas or innovations for possible testing or diffusion by the Innovation Center; and build durable skill in system improvement throughout their area or region.

What are the details of the Innovation Advisors Program?

The IAP curriculum consists of face-to-face national and regional meetings, virtual training sessions, collaborative seminars with fellow program participants, presentations by subject matter experts, and individual coaching to support the development and implementation of a hands-on systems improvement project that candidates will propose when they apply for the program.

What is expected of IAP participants after the organized curriculum ends?

After completing the program, Innovation Advisors will support the Innovation Center in testing new models of care delivery; support their home organization or area in becoming a beacon of improvement through intensive pursuit of the three-part aim outcomes to benefit the populations targeted by the Innovation Center; support other local organizations or groups seeking to achieve the three-part aim; harvest new ideas or innovations for possible testing or diffusion by the Innovation Center; and build durable skill in system improvement throughout their area or region.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any professional employed by a public health or health care facility, institution, or department can apply to be an Innovation Advisor. Candidates include, but are not limited to, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, instructors, and non-clinicians (i.e. health care executives, practice managers) with relevant experience in the healthcare industry and a desire to participate in a valuable hands-on learning experience.

My organization is not directly involved in care delivery. Am I eligible to apply?

The program will prioritize applications from people active in organizations that deliver care and public health interventions. The goal is to deepen key skills and establish change where the introduction of new models of care must occur. Applicants from other organizations, not involved in care delivery or intervention may apply so long as the application 1) reflects the ability to influence local change in a sustainable way and 2) includes the endorsement of the applicant’s local leadership and/or local providers.

What are the selection criteria?

The following criteria will be taken into account in selecting Improvement Advisors:

The individual’s ability to make an impact on a local, regional, or national level
The individual’s background and interest in transforming the healthcare delivery system for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries
The quality of their proposed innovation in their home organization
The organization’s explicit commitment to the appointee’s participation in the IAP
Management or leadership experience

Diversity of location and the relevance of the individual’s current position to the goals of the program will also be considered.

How many Innovation Advisors will the Innovation Center select?

The program may select and develop as many as 200 Innovation Advisors.

What commitment is required of an Innovation Advisor?

Innovation Advisors are expected to commit up to 10 hours per week during the initial six month period, with part of that time devoted to the organized curriculum and part devoted to implementing the systems improvement project proposed in the application.

Selected individuals will receive guidance and training related to the required activities of the program in various on-site and in-person meetings as well as ongoing meetings that will occur primarily through remote, virtual sessions. Advisors will also meet together at the regional level each quarter and at CMS in Baltimore, MD, once each year to exchange insights, report on breakthrough successes, and solve joint challenges.

Concurrently, Innovation Advisors will devote effort to their individual systems improvement project.

Are Innovation Advisors employees of the government?

No. Advisors will not become employees of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, any other government office or agency, or any other organization connected to the IAP.

What is the fellowship award?

A fellowship award of $20,000 will be provided to support the activities, including travel, of individuals selected to participate in the IAP.

What is the total program cost?

The total program cost is $5.9 million. $4.0 million will go to the stipends of the Innovation Advisors, while $1.9 million will operate the program.

What is the application deadline and when will Advisors be selected?

Dates for the next application cycle have not been established.