The following developments between payors, healthcare organizations and physicians occurred within the past week and are presented alphabetically.
1. Anthem Blue Cross, Santa Clara IPA to Form ACO in California
Another accountable care organization popped up in California, this time between Anthem Blue Cross and Individual Practice Association Medical Group of Santa Clara County. Anthem expects that tens of thousands PPO members with physicians in the SCCIPA network will benefit from the ACO. SCCIPA includes 284 primary care physicians, 550 specialists and 10 acute care facilities around Santa Clara County.
2. Blue Shield of California, St. Joseph Health System Form Accountable Care Initiatives
Blue Shield of California and St. Joseph Health System in Orange, Calif., announced the development of an accountable care initiative to help improve quality for approximately 30,000 Blue Shield HMO members in Orange County. The initiative launches Jan. 1, 2012 and will continue for at least one year. SJHS' St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach will participate, as will the system's three affiliated physician networks and three medical groups.
3. Care Coordination Pilot Program Saves $400K at Miami's Jackson Health
A coordinated care program for heart patients at Miami-based Jackson Health System saved the hospital an estimated $400,000 on readmission charges. The system's care coordination pilot program was an $81,000 investment. It covered 200 heart patients and hospital officials say it cut the 30-day readmission rate by a third.
4. CMS: 7 Out of 10 Practices in PGP Demonstration Met Benchmarks, 4 Achieved Shared Savings
CMS announced the results from the initial five-year Physician Group Practice Demonstration, deeming the care-coordination program's results "positive" and extending it by another two years from Jan. 2011. In the demonstration's fifth year, seven groups achieved benchmark performance on all 32 performance measures. These groups are: Billings (Mont.) Clinic; Everett (Wash.) Clinic; Forsyth Medical Group in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa.; Middlesex Health System in Middletown, Conn.; Park Nicollet Health Services in St. Louis Park, Minn.; and St. John’s Health System in Springfield, Missouri.
5. Collaboration Between Catholic Healthcare West, Blue Shield and Medical Group Saves $20M
A collaboration between Blue Shield of California, San Francisco-base Catholic Healthcare West and San Ramon, Calif.-based Hill Physicians Medical Group saved more than $20 million in costs in serving 41,500 HMO members last year. The model also resulted in quality of care improvements, such as shorter hospital stays, reduced readmissions and better coordination between physicians, nurses and patients.
6. Tennessee's Saint Thomas Health Joins YMCA, Tech Groups in Pilot for Accountable Care
Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health joined a handful of healthcare companies to form MissionPoint Health Partners, creating a unique mix of healthcare services for 15,000 people in central Tennessee. The collaboration includes Saint Thomas Health, Cisco Systems, Crimson Services (a physician management software company), YMCA of Middle Tennessee and Applied Health Analytics. The group plans to operate much like an accountable care organization.
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1. Anthem Blue Cross, Santa Clara IPA to Form ACO in California
Another accountable care organization popped up in California, this time between Anthem Blue Cross and Individual Practice Association Medical Group of Santa Clara County. Anthem expects that tens of thousands PPO members with physicians in the SCCIPA network will benefit from the ACO. SCCIPA includes 284 primary care physicians, 550 specialists and 10 acute care facilities around Santa Clara County.
2. Blue Shield of California, St. Joseph Health System Form Accountable Care Initiatives
Blue Shield of California and St. Joseph Health System in Orange, Calif., announced the development of an accountable care initiative to help improve quality for approximately 30,000 Blue Shield HMO members in Orange County. The initiative launches Jan. 1, 2012 and will continue for at least one year. SJHS' St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach will participate, as will the system's three affiliated physician networks and three medical groups.
3. Care Coordination Pilot Program Saves $400K at Miami's Jackson Health
A coordinated care program for heart patients at Miami-based Jackson Health System saved the hospital an estimated $400,000 on readmission charges. The system's care coordination pilot program was an $81,000 investment. It covered 200 heart patients and hospital officials say it cut the 30-day readmission rate by a third.
4. CMS: 7 Out of 10 Practices in PGP Demonstration Met Benchmarks, 4 Achieved Shared Savings
CMS announced the results from the initial five-year Physician Group Practice Demonstration, deeming the care-coordination program's results "positive" and extending it by another two years from Jan. 2011. In the demonstration's fifth year, seven groups achieved benchmark performance on all 32 performance measures. These groups are: Billings (Mont.) Clinic; Everett (Wash.) Clinic; Forsyth Medical Group in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa.; Middlesex Health System in Middletown, Conn.; Park Nicollet Health Services in St. Louis Park, Minn.; and St. John’s Health System in Springfield, Missouri.
5. Collaboration Between Catholic Healthcare West, Blue Shield and Medical Group Saves $20M
A collaboration between Blue Shield of California, San Francisco-base Catholic Healthcare West and San Ramon, Calif.-based Hill Physicians Medical Group saved more than $20 million in costs in serving 41,500 HMO members last year. The model also resulted in quality of care improvements, such as shorter hospital stays, reduced readmissions and better coordination between physicians, nurses and patients.
6. Tennessee's Saint Thomas Health Joins YMCA, Tech Groups in Pilot for Accountable Care
Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health joined a handful of healthcare companies to form MissionPoint Health Partners, creating a unique mix of healthcare services for 15,000 people in central Tennessee. The collaboration includes Saint Thomas Health, Cisco Systems, Crimson Services (a physician management software company), YMCA of Middle Tennessee and Applied Health Analytics. The group plans to operate much like an accountable care organization.
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