Fellowship Program Supported State Policy-Makers to Reform Long-Term Care - from 1997 to 2005
Developing state policy fellows in long-term care
From 1997 to 2005, the University of Minnesota provided fellowships in long-term care to 36 mid- and senior-level officials from Medicaid and other health and aging services agencies from 28 states.
The fellowships aimed to create a forum for learning, networking and peer support to encourage and enable the fellows to undertake policy change in their states around long-term care.
Project staff also provided technical assistance or consultation to agencies in 10 states to help them better balance their investments in long-term care between institutional and home- and community-based care.
Key Results
The fellows undertook various efforts in their home states including:
- Developing five pilot programs in assisted living through the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
- Designing and launching expanded home- and community-based care options through the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
- Developing a new personal care benefit within the Medicaid state plan in New Mexico, including an option for consumers to choose their own attendants, through the New Mexico Human Services Department-Medical Assistance Division.
- Submitting a number of competitive grants to public and private funders that resulted in millions of dollars in grant monies to help state agencies reform their long-term care systems.