How Do I Become A BOOST Site? There are several levels of involvement. Project BOOST- Free Informational Webinar May 24th, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. EDT Presenter: Mark V. Williams, MD, FACP, FHM Principal Investigator, Project BOOST Click here to register

Steps to apply: Complete & Submit  the online application Submit a Letter of Support from an Executive Sponsor to Lauren Valentino at lvalentino@hospitalmedicine.org.

Any site can access the BOOST toolkit via the resource room free of charge at www.hospitalmedicine.org/BOOST. Over 1600 sites have downloaded the complete Implementation Guide which serves as a portable version of the resource room and will walk you through the steps improve the discharge process.

Network only member: For a modest fee sites can participate in the BOOST National Collaborative that provides use of the BOOST data center, access to the national listserv and educational webinars. For information contact lvalentino@hospitalmedicine.org (267-702-2672)

Mentor site: Any site can apply to become a BOOST site. We are now accepting applications for two BOOST cohorts To ensure a quality experience participation in each cohort is limited.

1. Fall 2011 Cohort (open to all sites)- Tuition is $28,000/hospital
   
2. California Cohort (only CA Sites) Tuition is discounted to $14,500/hospital due to a subsidized grant from the California Healthcare Foundation.Click here to learn more about the BOOST CA program. www.hospitalmedicine.org/boostca

Steps to apply to either program:

1. Complete & Submit  the online application
2. Submit a Letter of Support from an Executive Sponsor at your institution to Lauren Valentino at lvalentino@hospitalmedicine.org or fax: 267-702-2672.

Applications are not considered completed unless both steps are submitted.
Once these steps are completed, applications will be reviewed and sites will be notified of acceptance.

Application Deadlines:
Fall 2011 Cohort: August 1st, 2011
California Cohort: August 1st, 2011

The Project BOOST Mentoring Program: What Does It Offer?

Via the Project BOOST Mentoring Program, selected sites will receive:

• The BOOST Toolkit provides clinical interventions,practical step-wise project management tools, and resources to train multidisciplinary teams about quality improvement and best practices in discharge planning and effective communication strategies.
• 1 year of mentoring by national physician experts in care transitions with demonstrated accomplishment in care transitions at their own institutions.  Mentors meet with site leaders via teleconference to help teams tailor the Project BOOST toolkit to the needs of their institutions, implement it, and evaluate its impact.
• Two day training session for QI teams to learn about the intervention, exchange ideas with other BOOST sites and work with their mentor to establish an action plan
• Participation in the web-based BOOST National collaborative where participants share ideas, documents and other resources via an active listserv, document sharing and other web-based tools
• Teach-Back training, video and curriculum for local use to train clinicians to improve communication with patients. Sites receive permission to host DVD on internal intranet for 2 years.
• Data collection and analysis tools to improve and benchmark performance against comparison groups at your institution and other BOOST facilities. Using the BOOST Data center sites can easily print and share improvement reports.

Who is an ideal BOOST Mentor Site?

Any site can apply to become a BOOST site.  However, to ensure a quality experience participation in each cohort is limited.  Attributes of an ideal candidate site include:

1. Eagerness to improve their discharge processes and reduce unnecessary readmissions and avoidable adverse events in the post-discharge period.
2. A multidisciplinary team in place capable of working collaboratively to redesign existing care processes
3. A dedicated leader to manage the process of tailoring the BOOST intervention to site needs and implementing BOOST
4. Support of at least one executive sponsor that can meet with the team monthly
5. Access to data support personnel needed to collect baseline and post-implementation data

Who are the current BOOST sites?

Hundreds of sites are implementing the BOOST toolkit in part across the US and Canada. Currently there are 47 BOOST mentor sites in 24 states and one in Canada. An additional 35 sites will begin in the fall 2010. Additional regional cohorts are in the planning stages.

View full BOOST Site Listing

Timeline

• Sept 2008: SHM selects and implements 6 Project BOOST pilot sites.
• March 2009: The second cohort begins, consisting of 24 nationwide sites. Total BOOST sites: 30
• Jan 2010: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Michigan partners with SHM to implement BOOST at 15 Michigan hospitals and expand evaluations to include impact on ED visits. Total BOOST sites: 45
• May 2010: SHM training session for MI sites, and 2 new tuition based sites. Total BOOST sites: 47
• May 2010: SHM partners with the California Healthcare Foundation to support adding 20 California hospitals to the BOOST collaborative. Total BOOST sites: 65

How is Project BOOST Funded?

Project BOOST was developed through a $1.4M grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation. The collaborative continues through funding from the following programs:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Michigan and its 15 sites contribute roughly $225,000 to the program.
• The California Health Foundation granted $280,000 to partially support tuition for 20 sites.
• Tuition based sites pay $28,000 per site.

Why is tuition discounted for CA sites?

Up to 20 sites in CA will be subsidized through a grant by the California Healthcare Foundation. Sites are selected by an advisory board in CA and pay $14,500 to participate in mentoring. The grant also seeks to train trainers in the state to help implement BOOST throughout the state of CA beyond the life of the grant.

More About BOOST

• BOOST In The Media
• BOOST Case Studies:
• Read about Piedmont Hospital, "BOOSTing a Team Approach to Patient Care
• Read about SSM St. Mary’s Medical Center, "Reducing Readmissions and So Much More"
• Read what the advisory board has to say about Project BOOST

Download the Project BOOST Fact Sheet

Apply Online