Medical Services Initiative

The County of Orange Health Care Agency Medical Services Initiative program provides essential medical care for nearly 22,000 low-income, uninsured Orange County residents annually. With the financial support of the Health Funders Partnership of Orange County, the Health Care Agency of Orange County applied for a three-year federally funded grant. Effective September 2007, an additional $51 million began to flow into the county over a three-year period to support the Medical Services Initiative program. Services have been expanded and significantly enhanced. The results are impressive.

• Prior to this funding the scope of services was limited to those services that protected life or prevented significant and permanent impairment. Now both primary and preventative health services are covered.
• All enrollees will have a "medical home" and access to over 2,000 specialty physicians as well as major hospitals
• Emergency room visits have been reduced by 61%
• A chronic disease management program has been implemented and approximately 1,000 patients have been enrolled
• An expanded electronic health information system, MSIConnect, has successfully connected Hospital emergency departments, over 300 emergency physicians and 14 community clinics for improved and coordinated treatment
• Orange County has been recognized by both state staff and other counties as one of the top performers

To build upon this success, the Glen Price Group has recently been selected to develop and implement strategies that will increase grants funding for Orange County's health care safety net. Over the next year, GPG will utilize a systematic approach that will include ongoing grant and contract opportunity monitoring, development of comprehensive proposal plans and calendars, and development of partnerships to maximize the opportunities for successful grant funding in Orange County.