MSCG began supporting grant-funding agencies in 2001 and expanded its presence throughout several Operational Divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
- Agency on Aging
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Office of Minority Health
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
MSCG staff conducted an analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the AOA regional offices as part of an agency-wide restructuring plan. The agency was exploring centralizing functions to maximize the work of regional office staff within communities.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Electronic Partnership Outreach: CMS, Partner Relations Group
MSCG facilitates Electronic Partnership Outreach through virtual meetings, podcasts, webinars, and electronic communication, such as postcards and save-the-date announcements, to enhance forums and summits as well as develop and maintain necessary web sites i.e. Caregiver Broadcast Registration web site and Partner Web sites. We schedule, coordinate and facilitate several conference calls and webinars a month. As part of our technology-based solution, MSCG developed a DBMS as a partner profile management tool for organizing, maintaining, and utilizing multiple partner contact lists. This time-saving solution allows more efficient access to partner information and improved reporting functions. Center for Beneficiary Choices (CBC)
MSCG conducts conference calls for benefit plans offering either a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage plan. The user group conference calls facilitate participation of 800 to 1200 callers and provide ready access to CMS staff for the purpose of administrating both the Part C & D benefit programs. This contract requires responsive, flexible, and adaptable support, which MSCG consistently provides CMS.
Center for Program Integrity (CPI)In a joint venture partnership with HCD International, MSCG is working with the Center for Program Integrity to conduct analytical and technical support in the areas of legislative research, Medicare and Medicaid public policy analysis and development, economic impact analysis, rule and regulation writing, and assistance in managing the CMS-wide clearance system. We perform research using economic analytic methods to provide guidance and support for a variety of Medicare and Medicaid policies and programs. Additionally, MSCG performs cost-benefit analyses to determine the economic impact on CMS programs. Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs (OSORA)
The Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs (OSORA) provides regulatory development services and is responsible for the facilitation, coordination, development, and clearance of all of CMS' policy documents for Medicare and Medicaid. For this client, MSCG is working in a joint venture partnership with HCD International to develop legislative language from written specifications and coordinate with CMS staff regulations to ensure compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act, Federal Register Act, and Federal Executive Orders and regulations related to regulation preparation for publication in the Federal Register. MSCG provides policy analyses on the impact of legislative changes on the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Food and Drug Administration
MSCG provides expert diversity services in the examination of the structure, purpose, mission and goals of the Diversity Council. The contract includes the study of the role and utility of the affinity and special interest groups and the analysis of the relationship of the Diversity Council with key stakeholders, including FDA senior level officials, the affinity groups, and employees. Health Resources and Services Administration
Since 2003, MSCG successfully delivers excellent management services and technology-based solutions to its multiple clients within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). We provide a myriad of support services across HRSA's Bureaus and Offices: 1) a web-based Resource Repository with grant program requirements, training, resources, and policy documents; 2) a sophisticated web-based toolkit and training resource to aid grantees in understanding how to implement Quality Improvement (QI) programs and core performance standards into their practices; 3) onsite staffing for fulltime helpdesk support; 4) meeting planning, coordination, and logistics support for national conferences; 5) writing and editing reports, training curricula, presentations, manuscripts, and 6) development and delivery of long-term training on relevant topics, such as fiscal responsibility, accountability, and sustainability; operational capacity, and education and outreach. Highlights of our worthy work in HRSA's Bureaus and Offices are provided below:
- Bureau of Health Professions (BHPR)
- Electronic Hand Books (EHB)
- Technical Assistance Training System (TATS)
- Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
- HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
- Effective Communication Tools for Healthcare Professionals web course (ECTHP) LGBT
- Office of Healthcare and Information Technology Quality (OHITQ) (Office of Health IT and Quality)
- Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
MSCG provided contract management support and technical assistance to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) staff, providers and sites. Technical assistance delivered by MSCG guided the NHSC sites on effective operational management so as to improve the delivery of health care services to underserved and special needs populations. MSCG developed a technology-based solution to manage over 500 task assignments for onsite technical assistance and a tool to standardize the delivery of those assignments. MSCG's system for managing the life cycle of task assignments—starting with the request and approval cycles through the final task deliverable—resulted in higher efficiencies and accuracy of task assignment processing, cost and time savings for the client, and a performance-based tool for evaluating the outcomes of the task assignments. HRSA IDIQ - Electronic Hand Books (EHB)
MSCG is subcontractor to REI Systems on a their IDIQ contract awarded by HRSA. The single award contract issues Task Orders that will be used to provide support enterprise Electronic Handbook (EHB). Task orders are being assigned to provide support for a variety of development, maintenance and enhancement efforts that enable HRSA to better utilize EHBs by integrating new business processes into the systems or integrating EHBs with existing HHS systems. This IDIQ provides customer support, training, independent validation and verification, and business requirements documentation.
HRSA EHB BPA - Technical Assistance Training System (TATS)
MSCG teamed with REI Systems to collaborate on integrating our Task Assignment Management System developed for the Bureau of Primary Healthcare (BPHC) with REI’s Electronic Handbook. MSCG assigned our senior web application developer onsite at REI to work with their development team on the software engineering of the BPHC system for efficient integration with EHB.
Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
HRSA IDIQ Task Order: Site Visits for the Bureau of Primary Health Care
The mission of the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is to improve the health of the Nation’s underserved communities and vulnerable populations by ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. BPHC serves as a national leader in efforts to assure the delivery of community-based primary health care services to residents of medically underserved areas and special populations. BPHC also assists States in providing health care to underserved populations through primary and preventive care programs. These programs are vital to strengthening the “safety net” upon which the underinsured, uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries rely for essential primary health care services. Through competitive project grants, BPHC provides funding to help State, local, public and private entities meet the health care needs of underserved communities and vulnerable populations such as homeless individuals, residents of public housing projects, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, school children, pregnant women and infants, border residents, and the elderly. Today BPHC funds over 1,200 health center grantees with more than 9,000 primary health care delivery sites that serve over 21 million medically underserved patients. BPHC also funds National Cooperative Agreements, State and regionally-based Primary Care Associations (PCAs) to support the delivery of comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services in the Nation’s underserved communities. In addition, BPHC provides operational support to more than 100 Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike organizations and organizations that are applying for Look-Alike designation. To effectively support these primary health care programs and the underserved communities/populations served by these programs, a variety of developmental and operational technical assistance (TA) and consultative services is required. BPHC Grantee site visits are intended to monitor and enhance overall program management and improve the effectiveness of primary health care activities supported by BPHC.
The purpose of this contract is to ensure grantees are in compliance with the key Health Center Program requirements and to provide a range of training and TA (T/TA) support to health centers. MSCG provides consultants with various expertise to assist grantee with issues such as: governance and strategic planning, changes in patient demographics, operational issues/environment, struggling to meet key program or grants requirements, their financial, managerial, clinical, and quality operations performance; and grantees with significant financial or operational viability concerns.
HRSA IDIQ Task Order: Special Projects for the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
The mission of the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is to improve the health of the Nation’s underserved communities and vulnerable populations by ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. BPHC serves as a national leader in efforts to assure the delivery of community-based primary health care services to residents of medically underserved areas and special populations. BPHC also assists States in providing health care to underserved populations through primary and preventive care programs. These programs are vital to strengthening the “safety net” upon which the underinsured, uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries rely for essential primary health care services.
To effectively support these primary health care programs and the underserved communities/populations served by these programs, a variety of developmental and operational technical assistance (TA) and consultative services is required. As a result, MSCG provides BPHC with consultants of various professional backgrounds to augment the BPHC staff and expertise available to support BPHC grantees throughout the country. Services include, but are not limited to: financial reviews and consultations, clinical consultations, Helpline Support, review and update policy documents and guides, document translation for non-English speaking Health Center Program participants, legal consultation and documentation services and Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) services. HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
HRSA IDIQ Task Order: Technical Assistance for Site Visits for the HIV/AIDS Bureau
MSCG provides support to the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) in conducting comprehensive site visits to grantees. Comprehensive site visits are conducted to review a program’s ability to meet the legislative and programmatic requirements of the Ryan White Program and is performed if a recipient is newly awarded or is established and has not had a site visit within the last 5 years. Each comprehensive visit requires up to three (3) contractor staff/consultant/subcontractor experienced in the areas of HIV clinical care, administrative management, management information systems, fiscal management, health care compliance, support services, Ryan White Program legislative requirements and the HAB programmatic requirements.
MSCG maintains a data base experienced consultants who are deployed to evaluate grantee organizations and provide finds to the HIV/AIDS Bureau in a formal report that outlines the technical assistance, findings and recommendations as a final product to the HIV/AIDS Bureau.
Because MSCG is committed to deploying consultants who are of the highest caliber, the MSCG team provides trainings and skill assessments so that consultants are always gaining experience in the most relevant program and legislative requirements for grantees.
HRSA IDIQ Task Order: Technical Assistance to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Grantees for the HIV/AIDS Bureau
MSCG assist the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) staff in providing direct technical assistance and conducting comprehensive site visits, in order to improve the performance of grantee programs. Specifically through various forms of technical assistance is to assist those entities in complying with the requirements of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program; to improve the capacity, outcome and cost effectiveness of health care and support services funded under these programs; to improve access to HIV-related care for historically underserved populations; and to enhance their coordination and linkage with other local, State, and federally supported HIV-related services.
MSCG performs various types of TA including technical assistance site visits for grantees, research reports, policy and data analysis, special projects and educational resources. MSCG ensures that as an output of the TA a timely report is generated to the HIV/AIDS Bureau outlining the technical assistance, findings and recommendations as a final product of all technical assistance provided. HRSA/MCHB - Effective Communication Tools for Healthcare Professionals web course (ECTHP) LGBT
Formerly called the Unified Health Communication Web Course, the new Effective Communication Tools for Healthcare Professionals web course (ECTHP) addresses the importance of health literacy, cultural and linguistic competency. HRSA developed the ECTHP in 2007; it is free, interactive, five-module web-based training course. The purpose of the course is to improve patient-provider communication skills by increasing participants’ awareness and knowledge of the three main factors contributing to effective and integrated health communication: Health Literacy, Cultural Competency, and Working with Individuals with Limited English Proficiency. This unified approach is vital because of the diversity of the ethnic, racial, language and LGBT populations served by HRSA.
This provides Tier 1 Help Desk support for users of the Effective Communication Tools for Health Professionals (ECTHP) as well as the technical maintenance support for the web-based modules. In addition, core team members led the recent upgrade of the five modules to address the needs of the LGBT Community as well as the modernization of the course. This recent upgrade was a very delicate process that required an understanding of the target populations, the ability manage diverse and complex stakeholders and manage the life cycle of the software development needs of the process.
HRSA Office of Health Information Technology and Quality (OHITQ)
Supplemental TA for CCM & Quality Improvement
MSCG researched, planned, designed and developed a web-based toolkit providing educational resources and proven tools in support of quality improvement (QI) programs.
The HRSA Quality Toolkit is intended as a resource with a wide range of practical, convenient, and useful technical assistance tools that can be accessed and integrated into QI programs. Many HRSA grantees have used the tools and resources in the toolkit; such as: the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB); Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB); Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP); Healthcare Systems Bureau, and Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC). The toolkit’s tools and resources are designed to efficiently deliver effective results.
MSCG conducted an environmental scan of published QI Models and best-practices for performance improvement followed by a gap analysis of the available resources compared to HRSA program requirements. MSCG engaged a panel of Clinical Quality Experts to review available resources and develop detailed training modules within their realm of expertise. MSCG compiled the training modules to create the HRSA Quality Toolkit. HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy
TA & Health IT support
MSCG supported multiple contracts within the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP). We provided technical and consultative assistance to the Black Lung Clinics Program to enhance overall program management and effectiveness supported by ORHP. We assisted the ORHP in meeting the mandates of its functional responsibilities and to achieve the goal of maintaining and strengthening the capacity of grantee organizations. Additionally, MSCG supported a technical assistance program for numerous Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement grantees and assisting them with quality improvement activities. The MSCG project team utilized evidenced based quality improvement (QI) models such as the Model for Improvement and the Chronic Care Model. We also provided support implementing an electronic patient registry system with rural grantees. Our training solutions for the grantees involve peer-learning workshops, quality improvement training and mentoring opportunities. MSCG's expert technical assistance and training were imperative for the success of these grantees implementing and sustaining a quality improvement program beyond the grant program. Upon successful completion of the program grantee organizations were better prepared for the various pay-for-quality national, state, and local initiatives. Office of Minority Health
MSCG staff conducted an analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the OMH regional offices as part of an office-wide restructuring plan. OMH was exploring centralizing functions to maximize the work of regional office staff within communities. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
MSCG is a subcontractor on two teams for the SAMHSA IDIQ contract awarded in 2012. We are responsible for providing qualified resources for training and technical assistance task orders.
