UC San Diego Health and West Health have launched a $40 million healthcare accelerator aimed at developing and scaling innovative models for coordinated, patient-centred care. The initiative is designed to support new approaches that improve care integration, access and outcomes while addressing inefficiencies across the healthcare delivery system. (health.ucsd.edu)

The six-year initiative will begin across UC San Diego Health’s three hospitals and growing network of clinics, with the aim of creating a scalable model that can eventually be shared with health systems across the United States. UC San Diego Health is a 1,011-bed academic health system, providing a large clinical environment for testing and implementing the coordinated care model. (westhealth.org)

A key focus of the accelerator will be ensuring that patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right setting, whether they are moving between specialists, recovering after a procedure or managing long-term health conditions. The programme will leverage advanced technologies, data integration, electronic health records, virtual care and wearable technologies to improve coordination across hospitals, outpatient clinics and, where possible, patients’ homes. (news-medical.net)

The initiative will build on UC San Diego Health’s Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation and expand its Mission Control programme, an around-the-clock care coordination hub that uses technology, analytics and electronic health record data to support timely patient care and improve system-wide coordination. (bioengineer.org)

The partnership also builds on more than a decade of collaboration between UC San Diego Health and West Health, including the development of specialised care models for older adults. Their earlier work contributed to the opening of California’s first accredited senior emergency care unit — the Gary and Mary West Emergency Department at Jacobs Medical Center — while San Diego County became the first region in the US where all hospitals achieved Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation. The model has since expanded nationally, with 654 accredited geriatric emergency department sites reported across the country. (patch.com, today.ucsd.edu)

The accelerator comes amid growing pressure on healthcare systems from an ageing population. By 2030, one in five Americans is projected to be aged 65 or older, increasing demand for accessible, personalised and coordinated healthcare services. (bioengineer.org)

By combining clinical expertise with digital health, data-driven coordination and technology-enabled care, the West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health aims to develop a new model for delivering more reliable and connected healthcare. The initiative is expected to generate practical solutions that could be adapted by health systems nationwide, particularly as hospitals manage rising patient volumes, growing complexity and increasing demand for care beyond traditional hospital settings. The Accelerator will be led by Theodore “Ted” Chan, MD, as inaugural executive director. (newswise.com)