The SCAN Foundation Announces New Grants Aimed at Refocusing the Debate About Healthcare for Seniors

"More and more seniors are dissatisfied with the present model of care," said Dr. Bruce Chernof, chief executive officer of The SCAN Foundation. "They want a sustainable continuum of quality care that aims to avoid long hospital or seemingly inevitable nursing home stays, care that responds to their lifestyles and is centered on keeping them independent in the settings they prefer. The challenges are developing new medical practice models to deliver this care and reforming the way we pay for it. We are pleased to join with these organizations in developing answers to these challenges."

A $450,000 two-year grant to UCSF will support the organization and writing of a special patient and caregiver-focused section on aging and independence to be submitted for peer review and possible publication in JAMA. For this special section, Dr. Seth Landefeld and colleagues at the UCSF will organize the section, interview patients, and work with experts in the field who will author articles on issues in aging important to maintaining independence and reducing morbidity. The grant will fund these editorial activities at UCSF.

"JAMA is pleased to work with The SCAN Foundation and the University of California, San Francisco. America's demographic changes are presenting a challenge to the medical profession to develop and disseminate new techniques and protocols that respond to the growing demand for long-term healthcare," said Dr. Catherine DeAngelis, editor-in-chief of JAMA.

Two grants totaling $947,389 will be given to Health Affairs: $197,389 to fund a half-day policy briefing inWashington, DC, in mid-2009, aimed at making the case for why long-term care must be on the nation's broader health reform agenda; and $750,000 to support a special issue of Health Affairs journal on such themes as lessons learned from successful programs aimed at maintaining people independent in their own homes for as long as possible, effective models from other countries, and issues surrounding financing long-term care and long-term care insurance.

Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, said, "Along with changes in how medical care is provided, we must raise the awareness of policymakers and the public about long-term senior care and the prominent role it must have in any discussion about the nation's health priorities."

About The SCAN Foundation

The SCAN Foundation is an independent nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing the development of a sustainable continuum of quality care for seniors that integrates medical treatment and human services in the settings most appropriate to their needs and with the greatest likelihood of a healthy, independent life. The SCAN Foundation supports programs that stimulate public engagement, develop realistic public policy and financing options, and disseminate promising care models and technologies. The SCAN Foundation was created through a contribution by SCAN Health Plan, a nonprofit Medicare Advantage organization based inCalifornia.

http://www.thescanfoundation.org

SOURCE The SCAN Foundation

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