Overview
Since its inception in the 1970s, the Program for All Inclusive-Care for the Elderly (PACE) has offered a promising model to deliver community-based person-centered care for older adults with complex health issues. While preliminary reports indicate that the program was adept at keeping its participants safe and well cared for during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is little prior empirical work investigating its overall efficacy. Altarum is currently conducting a first-of-its-kind evaluation of PACE to advance evidence-based health care solutions for individuals requiring both medical services and long-term services and supports (LTSS).
Our Approach
With funding from the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and endorsement from the National PACE Association (NPA), Altarum has systematically cataloged innovations and adaptations made at PACE sites across the country throughout 2020 and 2021 using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative surveys with in-depth interviewing. The next phase of the project will use claims data from PACE participants to build a closely matched cohort of fee-for-service beneficiaries to compare health outcomes across the two groups during pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-vaccine time periods.
Results
We have captured how the flexibility and autonomy afforded to PACE directors resulted in innovative solutions to keep their participants healthy and safe while avoiding some of the impacts of social isolation during the national health emergency in a series of perspectives:
- Exploring PACE's Pandemic Response Offers an Opportunity for Broader LTSS Insights
- PACE—Did This Geriatric Gem Sparkle for Older Adults During the Pandemic?
- How Six PACE Sites Are Meeting the Challenges of Delivering Complex Care During the Pandemic
- Is Virtual Service Delivery a Viable Option for Seniors?
- The Public Health Emergency and PACE, a Legacy of Flexibility
- The Health Care Workforce Crisis Arrives at the PACE Model
The second phase of the evaluation will validate whether the PACE model might be expanded to support a growing population of older Americans.
Contact Us
Krissy Azeem - MPH, PMP
Senior Director, Delivery System Transformation
Areas of Expertise- Medicaid
- Training and Technical Assistance
- Long-Term Services and Supports
A leader in innovating the care delivery system with health plan, state, and federal partners, Krissy is proficient in health policy implementation and analysis, with a focus on home and community-based waivers and long-term services and supports. She has an eye for identifying the unintended consequences of proposed policies and creating innovative, and realistic, recommendations for state partners. Krissy has deep experience in providing technical assistance, designing and implementing action-oriented and outcomes-based learning systems, and catalyzing behavior change through thoughtful and strategic training. Passionate about improving the care delivery system, she has supported states and communities in enhancing the infrastructure, training, and experiences for direct service workers, including those who self-direct. Krissy holds a Master of Public Health degree from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Sciences.
Morgan Perry - MPH
Analyst, Delivery Systems Transformation
Areas of Expertise- Person-Centered Care
- Mixed-Methods Research
- Program Evaluation
Morgan brings an equity lens to health services research and program evaluation. She aims to understand different barriers and facilitators of healthcare access, program development and implementation, and person-centered care for older adults and people living with disabilities. Teasing apart broader context to program and service success, like policies, resource availability, and sub-populations served, she aims to make better services and healthier lives more accessible for all. Morgan has Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan, Flint and is currently a PhD candidate in the Health Services Organization and Policy program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health