CommonSpirit Health Secures $500,000 PCORI Grant

June 14, 2024  – CommonSpirit Health has been awarded a $500,000 grant by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to boost its infrastructure and capacity for implementing evidence-based practices across its vast healthcare network. This award, part of PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), underscores CommonSpirit’s commitment to advancing healthcare through data-driven and patient-centered approaches.

The project, officially titled the "HSII Capacity Building Project," aims to address the complex implementation challenges faced by large health systems like CommonSpirit. With a presence in 21 states, CommonSpirit Health is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States, encompassing hundreds of care facilities and millions of patients.

Project Objectives and Impact

Spearheaded by Dr. Thomas McGinn, Executive Vice President of the Physician Enterprise, the HSII Capacity Building Project will focus on four key areas:

1. Data Infrastructure: Enhancing data collection, storage, and analysis capabilities to improve reporting and sharing of insights. This will include hiring staff with specialized skills to support these functions.

2. Analytic Infrastructure: Upgrading software and tools to better analyze data, integrate external data sources, and support rigorous evaluation and publication of results.

3. Project Management Infrastructure: Strengthening project management processes and resources to streamline the creation, submission, and management of proposals and projects under the HSII framework.

4. Implementation Readiness: Establishing the Synergistic Implementation Readiness Group (SIRG) to ensure that best practices from PCORI-funded research can be effectively adopted and scaled within CommonSpirit Health. This group will foster cross-departmental support and enhance the organization’s ability to manage large-scale implementation projects.

Building on Strengths and Addressing Gaps

CommonSpirit Health's Research Institute (CSHRI) and the Physician Enterprise, along with the Research Analytics Center of Excellence, will lead these initiatives. The project aims to leverage CommonSpirit's existing strengths while addressing critical gaps in its infrastructure. By enhancing its data and analytic capabilities, project management processes, and readiness for implementation, CommonSpirit aims to drive the adoption of PCORI-funded research and best practices throughout its network.

About the Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII)

PCORI’s HSII is a groundbreaking multiyear initiative designed to promote the integration of comparative clinical effectiveness research into real-world healthcare settings. Through the HSII, healthcare organizations like CommonSpirit can advance the adoption of innovative practices and improve patient outcomes. The initiative is backed by a substantial commitment of $50 million from the PCORI Board of Governors, reflecting its significance in the healthcare landscape.

Future Prospects

With the project slated to conclude in December 2024, CommonSpirit Health is poised to set a new standard in how large healthcare systems implement and scale evidence-based practices. The enhancements made through this grant will not only benefit CommonSpirit's patients but could also serve as a model for other healthcare organizations aiming to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare delivery.

About CommonSpirit Health

CommonSpirit Health is a leading nonprofit health system in the United States, committed to improving the health of the communities it serves. With a network that spans 21 states and includes hundreds of hospitals and care facilities, CommonSpirit is dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality care to millions of patients each year.