PACE@CHCs is a unique collaborative program offering trainings, resources, and assistance to help health centers develop a better understanding of the PACE model. The FQHC tradition of understanding the communities they serve, innovating service delivery, and collaborating with community partners provides a strong foundation for adding PACE programs to serve the growing 55+ population.
What is PACE?
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a national program that provides a comprehensive package of services to help enable elders to successfully remain in their homes. The program provides services to accommodate all aspects of the patient’s health including medical transportation, implementation of safety measures, and provision of food through meal services. PACE coordinates and provides high-quality preventive, primary, acute, and long-term care and social services for frail, community-dwelling elderly individuals, most of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
PACE interdisciplinary care teams provide care for enrollees, coordinating with the team and families to solve problems as the conditions and needs of each individual change—all with the objective of allowing the patient to live independently in the community for as long as possible. The financing model combines capitated payments from Medicare and Medicaid (and sometimes private insurance) to deliver all services participants need rather than limit them to those reimbursable under fee-for-service plans. Currently, there are approximately 124 PACE programs across the country. Eight are run by FQHCs in three states: California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. The FQHC tradition of understanding the communities they serve, innovating service delivery, and collaborating with community partners provides a strong foundation for adding PACE programs to serve the growing 55+ population, which has increased 80% since 2010.
Benefits of PACE
- Patients are empowered through comprehensive support of the care team in coordination with family caregivers.
- Careful management of chronic disease improves health status and lengthens life.
- Patients experience higher quality of life.
- Enables safe community living for as long as possible.
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- PACE is aligned to the mission of community health centers providing high quality care to patients regardless of income.
- PACE serves a fast growing patient segment – the population of health center patients 60 and over is growing twice as fast as patients under 60.
- PACE provides an opportunity to build capacity to coordinate care and manage risk through providing intensive services to a targeted population.
- PACE programs are an opportunity to diversify services and increase market share by meeting the needs of existing and new frail, low-income elders.
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What is PACE@CHCs
PACE@CHCs is a a unique collaborative program offering trainings, resources, and assistance to help health centers develop a better understanding of the PACE model. PACE@CHCs is a partnership between Capital Link, The Galway Group, the National PACE Association, and the National Association of Community Health Centers. Funding for webinar and in-person trainings is provided by The Retirement Research Foundation.
Trainings and Resources
Via training sessions offered by webinar and at industry conferences, PACE@CHCs partners provide information on topics including the mission and design of PACE initiatives, options for financing PACE programs at FQHCs, payment and long-term sustainability, and best practices for collaborating with community partners.
Resource - Self-Assessment Guidance for CHCs
Guidance in Completing the Organizational and Market Self-Assessment for CHCs Considering PACE Sponsorship
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Resource - Self-Assessment Tool
Organizational and market self-assessment for health centers considering PACE
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Advice and Assistance
FQHC experts with PACE experience from The Galway Group and Capital Link offer advice and technical assistance relating to:
Making the Decision
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Market assessment for PACE programs
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PACE feasibility analysis
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Preliminary capital planning
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Preparing for Operations
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Capital Project
Planning & Budgeting
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Business plan development
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Capital and operating budgets
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Financing assistance, including structuring and leveraging advantageous capital sources for facilities and working capital
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Contact Us
For more information on implementing PACE at health centers, please contact Becky Regan, CEO, Capital Link, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Jack Cradock, Principal, The Galway Group, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 617-719-8900.
