ACOs Receive Leaders in Quality Excellence Awards at Spring Conference
April 27, 2022 – The National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) recognized three members for their outstanding work to improve patient care in their communities. St. Joseph’s Health ACO, UNC Health Alliance, and Summit Health won the 2022 Leaders in Quality Excellence Award and received awards at the Spring 2022 NAACOS conference.
The award recognizes CCOs who work to improve the quality and safety of patient care and advance population health goals. In the area of ACOs submitting projects, the NAACOS Quality Committee, chaired by Megan Reyna of Attorney Aurora Health, selected the top three to showcase the quality improvement efforts undertaken by members of the NAACOS and disseminate best practices. The three winners exemplify how CCOs across the country are improving care by addressing qualified nurse readmissions, improving preventative wellness visits, and reducing health disparities in their communities. Winners will share highlights of their work in a breakout session on April 28and from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
More information about their work is available in line.
Health Saint-Joseph ACO – This ACO was able to reduce Skilled Nursing (SNF) facility readmissions from 24% in 2019 to 15.9% in 2021 through a quality improvement program. Mission Health Coordinated Care ACO at St. Joseph’s Health System has established a post-acute care nurse navigator position to monitor patients in NCS and work collaboratively with nursing homes on discharge dates, patient progress and to help with the transition to home.
Health Summit – This project focused on improving Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) through education, engagement and support of primary care providers, care teams, administrators, leadership teams , among others. To support the program, they also developed a value-based care boot camp with AWVs representing one of seven one-hour training sessions for new providers. By closing gaps in care, Summit Health improved the performance of preventive quality measures. For example, falls risk screenings increased from 77.7% in 2017 to 97.9% in 2020, and flu vaccination rates increased from 78.5% in 2017 to 91.1 % in 2020.
UNC Health Alliance – This project focused on reducing disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates in the community. They have been successful in improving vaccination rates of socially vulnerable people by using tools to target vulnerable populations with different forms of outreach, including robocalls/texts, direct programming, and mobile vaccination units. For example, the UNC Health Alliance has identified transportation needs and access to care close to home as critical to its success.
ACOs are a market-based solution to fragmented and costly care that allows doctors, hospitals and other local providers to work together and take responsibility for improving quality, improving patient experience and reducing cost. waste. By taking financial responsibility for patient costs, CCOs have an incentive to improve the health of beneficiaries, including taking action as Quality Excellence Award winners have done.
ACOs have saved Medicare $13.3 billion in gross savings and $4.7 billion in net savings since 2012. Importantly, data shows that MSSP ACOs provide high quality care. quality to Medicare beneficiaries, achieving an average quality score of 97.8 out of 100 in the year 2020. In 2020 alone, 83% of MSSP ACOs saved Medicare money, generating $4.145 billion savings against their benchmarks, recording the program’s best year to date. The MSSP is Medicare’s largest total cost of care model, currently serving nearly one-third of traditional Medicare beneficiaries.
About NAACOS. The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) represents more than 12 million beneficiary lives through hundreds of organizations participating in population health-focused payment and delivery models in Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance . Models include the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), Global and Occupational Direct Contracts, ACO REACH, and alternative payment models supported by a myriad of commercial health plans and Medicare Advantage. NAACOS is a member-directed and owned not-for-profit organization that strives to improve the quality of care, outcomes and cost-effectiveness of healthcare.
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