The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 18 : Health

Chapter 013 : Chronic Care Infrastructure and Prevention Measures

Subchapter 001 : Blueprint for Health

• § 705. Community health teams

  (a) Consistent with federal law to ensure federal financial participation, the community health team shall consist of health care professionals from multiple disciplines, including obstetrics and gynecology, pharmacy, nutrition and diet, social work, behavioral and mental health, chiropractic, other complementary and alternative medical practice licensed by the State, home health care, public health, and long-term care.

  (b) The Director shall assist communities to identify the service areas in which the teams work, which may include a hospital service area or other geographic area.

  (c) Health care professionals participating in a community health team shall:

  (1) Collaborate with other health care professionals and with existing State agencies and community-based organizations in order to coordinate disease prevention, manage chronic disease, coordinate social services if appropriate, and provide an appropriate transition of patients between health care professionals or providers. Priority may be given to patients willing to participate in prevention activities or patients with chronic diseases or conditions identified by the Director of the Blueprint.

  (2) Support a health care professional or practice that operates as a medical home, including by:

  (A) assisting in the development and implementation of a comprehensive care plan for a patient that integrates clinical services with prevention and health promotion services available in the community and with relevant services provided by the Agency of Human Services. Priority may be given to patients willing to participate in prevention activities or patients with chronic diseases or conditions identified by the Director of the Blueprint;

  (B) providing a method for health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and authorized representatives to assist in the design and oversight of the comprehensive care plan for the patient;

  (C) coordinating access to high-quality, cost-effective, culturally appropriate, and patient- and family-centered health care and social services, including preventive services, activities that promote health, appropriate specialty care, inpatient services, medication management services provided by a pharmacist, and appropriate complementary and alternative (CAM) services;

  (D) providing support for treatment planning, monitoring the patient’s health outcomes and resource use, sharing information, assisting patients in making treatment decisions, avoiding duplication of services, and engaging in other approaches intended to improve the quality and value of health services;

  (E) assisting in the collection and reporting of data in order to evaluate the Blueprint model on patient outcomes, including collection of data on patient experience of care, and identification of areas for improvement; and

  (F) providing a coordinated system of early identification and referral for children at risk for developmental or behavioral problems, such as through the use of health information technology or other means as determined by the Director of the Blueprint.

  (3) Provide care management and support when a patient moves to a new setting for care, including by:

  (A) providing on-site visits from a member of the community health team, assisting with the development of discharge plans and medication reconciliation upon admission to and discharge from the hospital, nursing home, or other institution setting;

  (B) generally assisting health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and authorized representatives in discharge planning, including by assuring that postdischarge care plans include medication management as appropriate;

  (C) referring patients as appropriate for mental and behavioral health services;

  (D) ensuring that when a patient becomes an adult, his or her health care needs are provided for; and

  (E) serving as a liaison to community prevention and treatment programs. (Added 2009, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.)