AtlantiCare Announces Launch of Accountable Care Organization

AtlantiCare, an integrated care delivery system in southeastern New Jersey and a 2009 recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, announced that it is launching AtlantiCare Health Solutions, an accountable care organization (ACO), which is expected to enroll groups of people in 2012.
David Tilton, the system’s president and chief executive officer, said AtlantiCare will operate its accountable care network through AtlantiCare Health Solutions, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit corporation. AtlantiCare’s range of health and wellness services, its distinctive chronic care management capabilities and both independent and employed physicians as well as payer partners will participate in the ACO. Tilton also noted that AtlantiCare Health Solutions will have a separate governing board with physicians accounting for the majority of its members.
“We believe that this strategy is consistent with our vision of building healthy communities,” said Tilton. “We have developed these capabilities in response to the local businesses that are looking for solutions to their concerns around the rising cost of healthcare. By organizing a network of providers and coordinating the care of people across an efficient care system, we believe we can bend the cost curve and still produce high quality outcomes. That’s a win-win for everyone—the businesses that are struggling in a tough economy and the people who live and work here who still want access to great care.”
AtlantiCare senior vice president Katherine Schneider, MD, M.Phil., defined accountable care as a group of providers that is willing and capable of accepting accountability for the total cost, quality, and outcomes of care for a defined population. AtlantiCare Health Solutions and its participating physicians will adopt new technologies and care processes such as electronic medical records, after-hours triage and care navigation, and the ability to report on quality and cost across all settings of care.
“We have experience with these new models of care. Our Special Care Center, which is a unique primary care approach—sometimes referred to as a medical home—has shown us that we can provide quality and value for patients with chronic conditions. We are confident that we can replicate this innovative model for groups of people through our network of medical homes and our focus on care integration and coordination. We are beginning this work with our own employees and their dependents because we believe we can positively impact their health and the sustainability of our organization,” said Schneider.
Last month, AtlantiCare announced its collaboration with Advocare and Continuum Health Alliance, of Marlton, New Jersey, as it builds care capability, access and partnerships to accept accountability and to support providers as they transition to the new models of care.
For more information call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 1-888-569-1000, visit www.atlanticare.org, or find AtlantiCare on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AtlantiCare.