Certintell, JoinCareTeam, and Hancock County Health System (HCHS) Welcome CMS ACCESS Model to Advance Value-Based Care
Building on a successful 5-year federal grant collaboration, key healthcare innovators unite to accelerate patient
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Building on a successful 5-year federal grant collaboration, key healthcare innovators unite to accelerate patient outcomes through integrated virtual care.
DES MOINES, IA, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — DES MOINES, Iowa & BRITT, Iowa — Certintell, a management services organization (MSO), alongside clinical partners JoinCareTeam and Hancock County Health System (HCHS), today expressed enthusiastic support for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recent announcement of the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model and its expanded commitment to Value-Based Care (VBC) initiatives.
The newly announced CMS ACCESS Model marks a pivotal shift toward empowering safety-net and rural providers to transition into high-performing, value-based care delivery models. By prioritizing care coordination, early chronic disease intervention, and equitable technology deployment, CMS is setting the stage for significantly improved health outcomes and reduced total cost of care for vulnerable populations.
This national momentum aligns directly with the established, multi-year successes achieved by Drake University, Certintell, JoinCareTeam, and Hancock County Health System. For the past five years, the four organizations have actively collaborated under Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program (EB THNP) from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Through this grant initiative, the collaborative partnership successfully implemented robust frameworks, remote patient monitoring (RPM), and proactive care workflows across rural communities served by the likes of HCHS.
“Hancock County Health System is proud to partner with innovative organizations to deliver healthcare services to rural residents, supporting the effective management of chronic health conditions and enhancing overall quality of life.” — Michele Garman, RN, Quality Assurance Director at Hancock County Health System
By leveraging JoinCareTeam’s intuitive clinical management workflows and Certintell’s network and expertise, HCHS expanded clinical touchpoints outside traditional clinic walls with a goal of reducing emergency department utilization, improving patient engagement, and closing critical gaps in care. The remote patient monitoring program achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure after one year, highlighting the power of active remote management in improving cardiovascular health.
“CMS’s announcement of the ACCESS program is a vital validation of the model we have worked tirelessly to refine over the past five years with Hancock County Health System and JoinCareTeam. Value-based care is not just a financial model—it is a commitment to meeting patients where they are and delivering proactive, continuous care. Having laid a strong foundation through our HRSA-funded grant work, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate patient outcomes and ensure no patient in need is left behind.” — Benjamin Lefever, Founder and CEO of Certintell
With CMS placing renewed emphasis on value-based infrastructure through the ACCESS program, Certintell, JoinCareTeam, and Hancock County Health System are poised to deepen their long-standing partnership. Together, the partners plan to leverage their established digital health ecosystem to implement advanced risk stratification, streamlined care team workflows, and continuous clinical support tailored to rural and underserved patient populations.
By blending technological innovation with compassionate, community-focused clinical care, the partnership continues to prove that rural health systems can lead the nation in value-based performance, clinical quality, and patient satisfaction.
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Grant Acknowledgement: The project described [“Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program (EB THNP)”] was supported by grant number G01RH42535‐01‐00 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS.
About the ACCESS Partner Organizations:
About Certintell — Certintell is a leading digital health company dedicated to helping safety-net organizations, independent community pharmacies, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and rural health clinics adopt and scale virtual care solutions. Certintell provides integrated telehealth software, clinical support services, and value-based care guidance to improve healthcare access and health equity nationwide. Learn more at www.certintell.com.
About JoinCareTeam — JoinCareTeam is an innovative care management and digital health platform designed to connect multidisciplinary healthcare teams, streamline patient workflows, and empower continuous remote monitoring. JoinCareTeam enables providers to deliver personalized, value-based care that keeps patients engaged and healthy between visits. Learn more at www.joincareteam.com.
About Hancock County Health System (HCHS) — Hancock County Health System, an affiliate of MercyOne, is a comprehensive rural healthcare provider committed to offering high-quality, compassionate care to the residents of Hancock County, Iowa, and surrounding communities. HCHS offers a full spectrum of health services.
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