Comagine Health Press Releases

New Work Aimed at Reducing the Spread of the Coronavirus

SEATTLE — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, is partnering with Mathematica and Allegis to support the Washington State Department of Health to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Washington COVID-19 Contact Tracing Partnership will supplement a comprehensive contact tracing program by bolstering community-based response and enabling rapid and effective analysis of data collected through the effort.

“The coronavirus pandemic has illuminated the need for a comprehensive strategy to reduce its spread,” Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer, said. “Contract tracing is a key part of this strategy and we’re proud to be able to offer our long-standing community relationships to support our partners in the effort to contain the virus.”

As a part of this effort, Comagine…

New Work Expands Infection Prevention Portfolio for the Company

Salt Lake City, Utah — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, received multiple new infection prevention contracts related to the coronavirus. The new work focuses on training, education and clinical consultation and is aimed at helping health care staff create an evidence-based approach to infection prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for comprehensive infection prevention across the health care spectrum,” Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer said. “By working together to protect our patients and providers from the spread of infectious disease, we can create safe care environments and enable our communities to safely reopen.”

The new contracts include:

Utah Department of Health
Comagine Health is designing and delivering a training…

Contract focuses on improving the quality of life for Oregonians with mental health conditions

The Oregon Health Authority named Comagine Health as the new Independent and Qualified Agent (IQA) for the behavioral health support program contract. This three-year contract ensures that Oregonians with severe and persistent mental illness are actively involved in directing their treatment through person-centered care planning. Additionally, the work includes connecting individuals with necessary resources and developing a coordinated care approach to improving their overall health. Comagine Health is currently beginning implementation preparation, and will begin direct work with these individuals by July 1, 2020.

“We’re excited to engage in such vital work in our community. The Oregon Behavioral Health Support Program provides services to one of the most vulnerable populations in our society: people with…

New initiative is poised to transform the health care system

Comagine Health recently launched the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care and is inviting health care organizations in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington to join this initiative. This 5-year program is focused on working with long-term and post-acute care providers, health systems, hospitals, primary care and specialty providers, community organizations, and patients and their families to improve care for people with Medicare and transform the health care system.

“We’re excited to launch the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care. This kind of partnership aligns perfectly with our vision of locally-led transformation,” said Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer. “I want to extend an invitation to join us in this effort and work together to improve health and create a better health care system.”

The initiative seeks to achieve five…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a five-year contract to Comagine Health to serve as a Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) under the recently launched 12th Statement of Work.

QIN-QIOs serving under the 12th Statement of Work will provide targeted assistance to nursing homes and communities in small and rural practices, those serving the most vulnerable populations and those in need of customized quality improvement. Through this body of work, CMS is focusing on results, protecting taxpayer dollars and, most importantly, ensuring the safety and quality of care delivered to every beneficiary.

“We are committed to working with our partners to improve health and create a better health care system so that people and communities will flourish,” said Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer. “CMS is a long-standing partner and we’re excited to continue our relationship with them…

New study shows how supplemental support bolsters results

SEATTLE — A new study, “A Randomized Trial of External Practice Support to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Primary Care.” shares evidence that with supplemental support, primary care clinics can improve blood pressure care and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Comagine Health participated in Healthy Hearts Northwest, an EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health initiative, which aimed to help smaller primary care practices effectively integrate evidence-based approaches to improving cardiovascular care outcomes.

The study team tested various combinations of strategies and support to discover which might improve performance on targeted clinical quality measures in 200 primary care clinics across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Approaches included use of…

CDC-funded study to pilot new overdose prevention strategy within state prison system

PORTLAND, Ore. — More than 75 percent of incarcerated women in Oregon’s state prison system require treatment for a substance use disorder. Further, according to Elizabeth Needham Waddell, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, opioid overdose is a leading cause of death following prison release.

“We know from experiences in other states, that women are at a significantly higher risk of opioid overdose compared to their male counterparts,” she says. “Especially in the first few weeks following their release.”

While sex-related differences specific to overdose risk in incarcerated adults are not yet fully understood, there are multiple individual and social factors to consider, Waddell explains. For example, compared with incarcerated men, women have…

Local partners author report on health equity across Portland Metro Region. The Healthy Columbia Willamette Collaborative (HCWC) and Comagine Health announce the findings of a 2016-2019 community health needs assessment (CHNA). The Collaborative's CHNA seeks to highlight the community's health needs across the quad-county region, including Clark County, Washington, and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore. & VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Healthy Columbia Willamette Collaborative (HCWC) and Comagine Health announce the findings of a 2016-2019 community health needs assessment (CHNA). The Collaborative's CHNA seeks to highlight the community's health needs across the quad-county region, including Clark County, Washington, and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties of Oregon. More than 200 people participated in the listening sessions, and additional voices were heard in town hall meetings with community partners.

The CHNA…

New leadership team poised to position industry leader for future success

SALT LAKE CITY — Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, named three new senior vice presidents to its senior executive team. Following the recent merger between Qualis Health and HealthInsight, Marc Bennett, Comagine Health’s president and chief executive officer, recognized that a broader range of diverse expertise is needed at the executive level to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. This move supports Comagine Health’s commitment to enhance its service line offerings and deliver a heightened level of expertise to its clients.

“Comagine Health is committed to reimagining health care, together,” Bennett said. “In order to do this, we need the proficiency of visionary leaders. Our new senior vice presidents offer valuable perspectives, strategic leadership and many years of experience that will amplify our success. This combined with…

The Idaho Academy of Family Physicians Names Kelly McGrath 2019 Family Physician of the Year

BOISE, Idaho — Comagine Health’s medical director Kelly McGrath, M.D., was named as the 2019 Idaho Family Physician of the Year by the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians. A tribute to honor him took place at the organization’s 71st Annual Conference. Dr. McGrath was commended for his generous contributions to his profession, his ongoing dedication to his patients and his commitment to his community.

As Comagine Health’s medical director in Idaho, Dr. McGrath provides strategic leadership and clinical oversight for patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. His role as a senior clinical leader drives population health improvement projects across the care continuum in Idaho. Dr. McGrath’s career spans more than three decades at Clearwater Valley Hospital. He also serves as the chief medical officer of the multi-state accountable care organization Clearwater…