Two accountable care organizations — Essentia Health in Duluth, Minn., and HealthPartners in Bloomington, Minn. — have become the first to receive level 3 ACO Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the highest ACO designation from NCQA.
Receiving ACO accreditation from NCQA shows the organizations are committed to efficiency and integration, according to the news release. The accreditation program is the first to assess organizations' ability to coordinate and deliver care. The NCQA program evaluates if ACOs:
• Ensure care access and availability
• Protect patient rights and privacy
• Have a foundation of patient-centered care
• Improve quality by using performance data
• Use decision support tools to identify the best care
• Have the necessary structure, contracting and payment arrangements
"ACO accreditation at the highest level by NCQA assures our patients, communities and insurers that Essentia holds itself to the highest standards of healthcare service, quality and affordability," John Smylie, COO of Essentia Health, said in the release.
"Coordinated, accountable care is more affordable, provides a better experience to the patient and ultimately improves patient health and well-being. That is what matters to the people we care for, and therefore is our mission every single day," Beth Waterman, chief improvement officer at HealthPartners, said in the release.
Both Essentia Health and HealthPartners were among six early adopters of the accreditation program when it launched in 2012.
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