WellSpan Health ACO earns high performance, savings under Medicare Shared Savings Program
YORK, Pa. (Sept., 18, 2022) – WellSpan Health’s
Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a leader in value-based care
and is the largest ACO in South Central Pennsylvania. As a participant in the
Medicare Shared Savings Program, WellSpan and our independent practice partners
improved quality, experience and affordability to its more than 51,000 beneficiaries
across South Central Pennsylvania, according
to recently released data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS).
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are value-based models
which are predicated on the triple aim: to improve quality, experience and
affordability and serve to improve the health of communities. Health systems,
independent physician groups and others oversee improvements in access to
quality care, enhance care coordination and manage chronic conditions.
Coordinated care ensures patients receive the right care at the right time and
with a goal of avoiding unnecessary variation in care. As part of creating a
better care delivery system, Medicare rewards ACOs who provide higher quality
care at a more affordable cost by sharing in the savings it achieves for the
Medicare Program.
“At WellSpan’s Medicare ACO, we are committed to serve as a
leader in value-based care for South Central Pennsylvania and across the
nation,” said P. Geoff Nicholson, Jr., M.D., senior vice president and chief
clinical officer, WellSpan Population Health. “We consistently support our
providers and care teams and their patients with the resources and technology
to support a best-in-class model for compassionate, quality healthcare. By
empowering our patients to maximize their health and well-being, and through
the collective work of our physicians, other providers and WellSpan Health, it
allows us to remain focused on the highest level of coordinated care resulting
in healthy communities.”
WellSpan’s Medicare ACO success demonstrates years of
clinical quality improvements with prioritized evidence-based care pathways, a
focus on preventative screening and wellness, as well as improved access for
patients. All primary care sites as part of the ACO maintain certified patient
centered medical home status, with 95% of these practices working from an
integrated electronic health record.
