In April 2008, The Commonwealth Fund launched a five-year initiative to transform 68 safety-net clinics in Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Pennsylvania into patient-centered medical homes. A team at the University of Chicago has begun to monitor the clinics' transformation and will soon be evaluating the effectiveness of this ambitious initiative by comparing the new medical homes' performance on clinical quality, patient experience, clinician experience, cost savings, and efficiency with that of other health centers. In the evaluation's first year, the researchers administered and analyzed the baseline survey of clinic directors, initiated analysis of Medicaid claims data to assess baseline quality and efficiency, and worked closely with the Fund and the initiative's leadership to ensure that the evaluation is feasible and coordinated with program implementation. To ensure timely dissemination of findings, the evaluation team, beginning as early as 2010, will begin publishing baseline results. Over the course of the study, the team also will prepare case studies of successful clinic strategies, policy briefs, and journal articles aimed at policymakers and health center leaders.