New Case Study Series Examines the Development of New ACOs
<p>Hoping to foster the formation of accountable care organizations (ACOs) capable of delivering higher-quality care at lower cost, researchers at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice launched an ACO pilot program in 2009 to help health care providers form ACOs in partnership with private payers. The pilot sites, chosen for their previous experience in managing financial risk, investment in integrated health information technology, and commitment to improvements in clinical care quality, are the subject of a <a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/four-health-care-organizations-efforts-improve-patient-care-and">new series of case studies</a> from The Commonwealth Fund. </p><p>The sites include: </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/healthcare-partners-building-foundation-global-risk-management">HealthCare Partners</a>, a medical group and independent practice association (IPA) in Los Angeles that will provide care coordination for 50,000 Anthem preferred provider organization (PPO) members. </li>
<li><a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/monarch-healthcare-leveraging-experience-population-health">Monarch HealthCare</a>, a large IPA in Orange County, Calif., that plans to provide care coordination and care navigation support for 25,000 Anthem PPO members. </li>
<li><a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/norton-healthcare-strong-payer-provider-partnership-journey">Norton Healthcare</a>, an integrated delivery system in the Louisville, Ky., area that is partnering with Humana to design an ACO serving about 7,000 Norton and Humana self-insured employees. </li>
<li><a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/tucson-medical-center-community-hospital-aligning-stakeholders">Tucson Medical Center</a>, a locally governed, nonprofit, community-based acute care hospital system in Tucson, Ariz., that will work with its seven affiliated physician groups and United Healthcare to establish a virtually integrated ACO. </li>
</ul>
<p>Each case study explores the organizational characteristics that facilitate development of an ACO, the stages of ACO evolution, milestones achieved, and lessons for overcoming challenges. A <a href="/publications/case-study/2012/jan/four-health-care-organizations-efforts-improve-patient-care-and">synthesis report</a>, meanwhile, presents cross-cutting findings from the sites. </p>
<p>Join a free 90-minute Commonwealth Fund <a href="https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=ylicu5v819h" target="_blank">webinar</a> on January 19, at 2 p.m., on transitioning to an ACO. Representatives from two of the case study sites, Tuscon Medical Center and Norton Healthcare, will comment on the role of executive and physician leadership in the transition to new models of care. </p>
<p>Other speakers include case study authors Elliott Fisher, M.D., Director, Population Health and Policy, and Bridget Larson, M.S., Director, Health Policy Implementation, for The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Anne-Marie J. Audet, M.D., vice president for Health Care Quality and Efficiency at The Commonwealth Fund, will moderate.</p>