Doctor and senior woman wearing facemasks during coronavirus and flu outbreak. Virus protection. COVID-2019..

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced its newest round of grant recipients under its Health Care Innovation Awards. Department officials said they expect to cut healthcare spending by $254 million over three years through the execution of these programs.

The innovation awards are a part of an Affordable Care Act initiative to increased the coordination of care for dual eligibles — that is individuals who are qualified to receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Dual eligibles are among the sickest of nursing home residents. The projects encourage cooperation among hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technology innovators, community-based organizations, and patients’ advocacy groups and other providers.

One of the grant winners is Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, which received close to $5 million for its program on preventing avoidable re-hospitalizations. The grant will help coordinate and manage care-setting transitions for dual eligibles suffering from congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarctions and pneumonia.

The recipients were selected based on their “innovative solutions” and “focus on creating a well-trained healthcare workforce that is equipped to meet the need for new jobs in the 21st century health system,” HHS said in a statement.

Click here to read more about the rest of the recipients.