Table 1.
Overview of the Beacon Communities
| Beacon Community | Location | Lead Grantee | Population Size (Approx.) | Urban/Rural | Data Sharing Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor | Bangor, Maine, and 43 surrounding cities and towns in eastern-central Maine | Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems | 164,000 | Largely rural | Health systems, hospitals, physician practices, FQHC, behavioral health providers, home health, long-term care facilities, HealthInfoNet (statewide HIE) |
| Crescent City | New Orleans, Louisiana, and 2 surrounding parishes (Jefferson and Orleans) | Louisiana Public Health Institute | 800,000 | Urban | Hospitals, FQHCs, health systems, medical centers, community organizations, hospital association, Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals, health plan, Louisiana Healthcare Quality Forum (NGO, runs state HIE) |
| Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Western Indiana | HealthBridge | 2.2 million | Urban/rural mix | Ohio Hospital Ass’n; 26 area hospitals; 40 practice groups; Cincinnati Health Council; Health Improvement Collaborative |
| Keystone | 5 counties in Central Pennsylvania | Geisinger Health Systems | 2.5 million | Largely rural | Hospitals, health systems, physician practices, community clinics, home health services, nursing homes, hospice |
| Southeast Michigan | Detroit, Michigan, and surrounding cities of Highland Park, Hamtramck, Dearborn, and Dearborn Heights in Wayne County | Southeast Michigan Health Association | 1.8million (Wayne County) | Urban | Hospitals, health systems, FQHCs, physician organizations, physician practices, labs, payers, State of Michigan Medicaid, Medicare data through Michigan’s QIO |
| Western New York | Buffalo, New York, and 8 surrounding counties | HEALTHeLINK | 1.6 million | Mixed urban/rural | Health systems, hospitals, health plans, physician organizations, physician practices, laboratories, radiology providers, home care, long term care, FQHCs, pharmacy, Veterans Administration |
FQHC = federally-qualified health center; HIE = health information exchange; NGO = non-governmental organization; QIO = quality improvement organization