Saint Francis Healthcare partners with the Medical Society of Delaware
to launch a statewide accountable care organization.
WILMINGTON, Del. –
Saint Francis Healthcare is partnering with the Medical Society of Delaware’s (MSD) subsidiary,
MedNet, to form the accountable care organization (ACO), Delaware Care
Collaboration™. Launching on January 1, 2016, this ACO brings two
of Delaware’s leaders in health care together to improve the way
care is provided for Medicare patients across the state. This collaboration
between a trusted and respected health system well-known for personal,
comprehensive care and the state’s largest and most prominent physician
organization, and MedNet, will improve the patient experience while providing
access to high-value medical care through a coordinated, patient-centered
approach. To date, 22 physicians have enrolled in the ACO.
“The way health care is provided and paid for is changing across
the nation. Through this partnership with a proven and experienced team
in the Medical Society of Delaware, our health system will help to shape
the future here in Delaware,” says Brian E. Dietz, FACHE, president
and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare. Saint Francis Healthcare is a part
of Trinity Health, which is a national leader with 27 ACOs in 20 markets
across the nation.
Established by the Affordable Care Act in 2012, ACOs are groups of doctors,
hospitals and other health care providers who come together voluntarily
to provide coordinated care to Medicare patients. More than 7 million
Medicare beneficiaries currently receive care from doctors enrolled in
ACOs across the country.
Delaware Care Collaboration, a physician-driven ACO, will become the second
physician-led statewide ACO in Delaware with the first being MedNet’s
existing Highmark Quality Blue ACO commercial program. The new ACO will
be formed under Medicare’s Shared Savings Program (MSSP), which
rewards ACOs that reduce health care costs while meeting quality performance
standards. Primary care physicians who are either employed or in private
practice in Delaware can join Delaware Care Collaboration.
“The goal is for patients, especially those who are chronically ill,
to get the right care at the right time, while avoiding duplicated services
and preventing medical errors,” says Michael Bradley, DO, family
medicine physician in Dover, Delaware and president, MedNet of Delaware.
“This partnership will improve outcomes and the overall patient
experience.”
Unlike many ACOs, Delaware Care Collaboration will not require any financial
investment by participating physicians. Delaware Care Collaborative will
provide practices with the infrastructure to support the ACO. This includes
providing physicians with transition assistance, navigation and care coordination
services, sophisticated and meaningful analytics, and hands-on educational
support. It will not mandate changes to physicians’ existing referral
patterns. If quality benchmarks are met, participating physicians can
also share in up to 50 percent of any cost savings earned with the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Participation agreements will be accepted from physicians statewide until
July 31, 2015. Delaware Care Collaboration will complete all required
steps on the practices’ behalf for approval of the ACO by CMS. For
more information, physicians can contact Lori Ann Rhoads, Director of
Physician Relations and Health System Innovation, MSD, at 302-224-5196 or
LoriAnn.Rhoads@medsocdel.org.
About Saint Francis Healthcare
Saint Francis Healthcare, a part of Trinity Health, operates Delaware’s
only Catholic hospital serving Wilmington and Northern New Castle County
since 1924. Services provided include Partners in CardioVascular Health
and Cardiovascular Services , 24-hour Emergency Services, Ambulance Service,
Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, the da Vinci™ Surgical System,
Gastroenterology Services, Hematology-Oncology Services, Minimally Invasive
Surgery Center, Advanced Wound Center, Imaging Services, Sleep/Neurodiagnostics
Center, Home Care, Outpatient Physical Therapy, Comprehensive Women’s
Health Services and three community outreach programs. Saint Francis Healthcare
is affiliated with the Saint Francis Foundation and Saint Francis LIFE
(Living Independently for Elders), a PACE (Program for All-inclusive Care
for the Elderly) model.
About Medical Society of Delaware
The Medical Society of Delaware is one of the oldest institutions of its
kind in the United States and rich in history. Founded in 1776 and incorporated
on February 3, 1789, The Medical Society of Delaware continues its support
of physicians in their vigor and spirit to advance the profession, which
was the basis for its creation. Our Mission is “To guide, serve
and support Delaware Physicians, promoting the practice and profession
of medicine to enhance the health of our communities.”
About MedNet
MedNet was developed in 1995 when the Medical Society recognized a need
to evaluate managed care and its potential impact in Delaware. Today,
MedNet provides administrative services, such as contract management,
and practice support to approximately 800 physicians that are part of
one of the four physician organizations in Delaware. MedNet is also positioned
to assist physicians in taking advantage of opportunities presented by
the changing health care delivery landscape. As a result, MedNet played
a significant role in the first state-wide Patient Centered Medical Home
(PCMH) initiative and serves as the management services organization that
supports integrated delivery systems, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).