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OPO Validated Measures Development Public Comment Opportunity

OPO Validated Measures Development Public Comment Opportunity

by | May 27, 2025 | Press Release

BETHESDA, MD., May 27, 2025 – Econometrica, Inc., a management and analytics consulting organization, today announced a public comment period to gather information for developing performance measures for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO). By identifying independently validated measures, the project aims to strengthen accountability, trust, and alignment within the U.S. donation system and ensure it remains lifesaving and world leading for years to come.

To this end, we are seeking information and comments from all interested organizations and members of the public on the following:

  • How the performance of OPOs can best be measured.
  • Criteria that should be used for the development of measures.
  • The pros and cons of the existing measures and measurement framework.
  • Recommendations for new or updated measures.

OPO performance is currently measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) according to 42 C.F.R. § 486.318 under a rule established in 2020. The project aims to build upon and enhance the existing framework established by CMS.

Stakeholder engagement will be a core part of the project’s development process, incorporating feedback from donor families, transplant patients, hospitals, transplant centers, community partners, and oversight bodies.

Comments or information may be submitted electronically here until July 1, 2025. Comments sent by U.S. mail will not be accepted. For assistance with your submission, please contact OPOMeasurements@EconometricaInc.com.

 Econometrica has been contracted by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) in collaboration with 54 OPOs nationwide to carry out this project.

About Econometrica, Inc.

Econometrica is a small management and technical consulting organization with more than 25 years of experience supporting state, federal, and private clients with projects related to econometrics, data analytics, policy, payment, and measurement. AOPO has selected Econometrica to provide measure development support.

About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)

AOPO is the not-for-profit trade association leading the nation’s organ donation community to save and improve lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing successful practices with its member OPOs. AOPO envisions a future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved. For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.

Work With Us, Work for Us

Econometrica, Inc., is a small business research and management consulting organization based in the greater Washington, DC, metropolitan area. We are committed to improving the human condition by providing high-quality, cost-effective analytics and support that enable our clients to solve the challenges of today’s world. We collaborate with Federal agencies, State and local governments, philanthropic and nonprofit clients, and private-sector partners in the public health, healthcare, data analytics, housing, and finance sectors.

To work with us on your next project, visit us online or email us at Info@EconometricaInc.com. To explore the benefits of working for us, visit our careers page. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Econometrica Selected by AHRQ to Support PBRN Initiative

Econometrica Selected by AHRQ to Support PBRN Initiative

by | Dec 19, 2023 | Press Release

Econometrica Selected by AHRQ to Support PBRM Initiative

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded Econometrica a $1.2 million contract to support Primary Care Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs), an initiative led by AHRQ’s National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR). The Econometrica team, which includes Mathematica, will support AHRQ to develop and hold technical expert panel meetings to identify areas of need for PBRNs, update and automate the PBRN registry, develop and deliver webinars, and write a report and manuscript to summarize PBRN research and resources.

About PBRN and AHRQ

PBRNs draw upon the experience and insight of practicing clinicians to identity and frame research questions whose answers can improve the practice of primary care, producing research findings that are immediately relevant to the clinicians and, in theory, more easily assimilated into everyday practice. This contract supports AHRQ’s PBRN initiative that was initially developed in 2010 to improve the health of all Americans and encourage clinicians’ engagement in quality improvement activities.

For more information: https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/communities/pbrn/index.html

Work With Us, Work for Us

Econometrica specializes in research and management across numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. We are always looking to hire the best and brightest in data science, health, grants management, energy, homeland security, housing and community development, capital markets and finance, and transportation. We work as the lead service provider and also as a capable outsource partner to other consultancies. To work with us on your next project, visit us online and email a member of our executive staff in your preferred specialty. To explore the benefits of working for us, visit our careers page.

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Congratulations to Doug Schuweiler for receiving the Award for Excellence from the SBA-OIG!

Congratulations to Doug Schuweiler for receiving the Award for Excellence from the SBA-OIG!

by | Feb 1, 2023 | Econometrica Blog

Congratulations, Award for Excellence

We are ecstatic to announce Econometrica’s own Doug Schuweiler has won an Award for Excellence from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).

The Award for Excellence is an annual award recognizing exceptional performance among OIG’s diverse, high-performing, and outcome-driven workforce.

Doug received the award for his work helping to increase the rate of hotline complaint closure by over 400% and climbing. He built a machine learning topic model to filter complaints based on subject. His model helped to address the massive increase in pandemic-related hotline complaints by cutting complaint processing time in half, increasing automation in the hotline review process, and helping the hotline team focus on the most pressing complaints needing immediate attention.

Please join us in congratulating Doug Schuweiler for receiving this great award and commending him on his innovative solution and technical excellence.

Work With Us, Work for Us

Econometrica specializes in research and management across numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. We are always looking to hire the best and brightest in data science, health, grants management, energy, homeland security, housing and community development, capital markets and finance, and transportation. We work as the lead service provider, and also as a capable outsource partner to other consultancies. To work with us on your next project, visit us online and email a member of our executive staff in your preferred specialty. To explore the benefits of working for us, visit our careers page.

ECONOMETRICA BLOG
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Efforts to End Hunger and Reduce Diet-Related Disease in U.S.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Efforts to End Hunger and Reduce Diet-Related Disease in U.S.

by | Oct 24, 2022 | Press Release

In September, the Biden-Harris Administration released an $8 billion plan to confront the food insecurity and diet-related diseases afflicting many Americans—particularly among underserved communities like the elderly, the LGBTQ+ community, military families and veterans, communities of color, and rural areas.

Announced during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the Administration’s strategy to combat these health issues includes both private- and public-sector efforts organized around five guiding pillars:

  • Pillar 1: Ensuring that everyone—including urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal communities and territories—has access to and can afford food. The administration will tackle hunger and food availability through various laws, credits, and strategies to end hunger by improving jobs recovery, lowering child poverty rates, reducing healthcare costs, and more.
  • Pillar 2: Integrating nutrition and health. The administration plans to include nutrition and food security when measuring overall health, including disease prevention and management, and to ensure that the needs of all people are addressed through the healthcare system.
  • Pillar 3: Creating an environment where all people can make informed, healthy food choices; have access to healthy food; and are encouraged in their schools or workplace to lead healthier lives. Educational campaigns will be developed to resonate with specific communities in a culturally appropriate way.
  • Pillar 4: Making physical activity easily accessible to all by increasing awareness of the benefits of physical activity and making safe places so that everyone can be physically active.
  • Pillar 5: Improving the research associated with nutrition and food security, with a focus on improving nutrition metrics, data collection, and research to help shape nutrition and food security policy, particularly around issues of equity, access, and disparities.

The Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to ending hunger, improving nutrition, and promoting physical activity in the United States. You can read more about the Administration’s efforts in an online fact sheet:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/28/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-announces-more-than-8-billion-in-new-commitments-as-part-of-call-to-action-for-white-house-conference-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health/.

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Efforts to End Hunger and Reduce Diet-Related Disease in U.S.

Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model

by | Oct 20, 2022 | Press Release

Launched on October 1, 2018, the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model tests whether the linking of payment for a clinical episode may improve care quality while reducing Medicare price.

This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 2-year extension of the program, including a new opportunity for applications. Early in 2023, CMS plans to announce a request for application (RFA) to those eligible to participate in the extended years (2024–2025). For those participating in Model Year 6 and those who previously participated but are no longer active, there will be opportunity to apply for Model Year 7 (2024).

Other changes will be made to improve pricing methodology and encourage engagement among providers and suppliers, including:

  • The CMS discount for medical clinical episodes will be reduced from 3% to 2%.
  • The Peer Group Trend Factor Adjustment cap for all clinical episodes will be reduced from 10% to 5%.
  • Major joint replacement of the upper extremity (MJRUE) will be made a multi-setting clinical episode similar to the major joint replacement for the lower extremity (MJRLE) clinical episode.
  • Clinical episodes where beneficiaries are diagnosed with COVID-19 will no longer be excluded from the model.

As CMS continues to strive for better integration of primary and specialty care and cater to an increasingly complex population of beneficiaries, Econometrica is excited to continue our work supporting BPCI Advanced participants in understanding the model’s quality measure submission requirements and their performance in the model. To achieve equitable outcomes, integrated and coordinated care for beneficiaries is essential, and having a health system that is accountable, high-quality, affordable, and person-centered can help achieve that goal.

Please visit the following sites for detailed information on this topic:

Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Summit on Nov. 9 and 10
Detailed Review for Model Extension and Changes for Model Year 6
Complete Fact Sheet for BPCI Advanced Model
More Detailed Information on BPCI Advanced

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