The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is announcing an $840 million grant program to help doctors and hospitals improve the quality of care delivered to patients.

Patrick Conway, Medicare’s chief medical officer, said Thursday the goal is to identify ways of delivering care that improves results for patients, and then rapidly foster the spread of those ideas throughout the system. The administration also hopes at least some approaches will save money.

Doctors practicing together as a group, hospital systems, and professional associations can apply for the grant money, which is being provided under President Barack Obama’s health care law.

The four-year program focuses on coordinating care to keep patients healthier, eliminating unneeded tests, preventing hospitalizations, and using electronic medical records to share information among clinicians.

It’s called the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative.

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