Earlier this week, the Council joined the Marwood Group in New York City to co-host a panel discussion on trends surrounding Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The event, held at the New York Yacht Club, drew a crowd of more than 100 people to hear a panel of experts from both the private and public sectors. Ted Kennedy, Jr., co-founder and president of the Marwood Group, moderated the conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing providers and payers in the ACO environment.
The panel included Keith Pitts, vice chairman, Tenet Healthcare; William P. Santulli, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Advocate Health Care; David J. Shulkin, M.D., president, Morristown Medical Center, and administrator, Atlantic Accountable Care Organization; Brian Griffin, president, Empire BlueCross BlueShield; Sarah Corley, M.D., chief medical officer, NextGen Healthcare; Barry M. Straube, M.D., director, The Marwood Group, and former chief medical officer, CMS.
Key takeaways from the program were:
- ACOs are here to stay, although the right construct is still evolving.
- Timely data analytics and limited financial incentive models are current obstacles to ACO adoption and implementation.
- The use of quality metrics and technology will be critical to the success of ACOs.
- Post-acute services should be included in the ACO.
Overall, the group agreed on the need to transform and become a population management focused society, improve end-of-life care to contain rising costs, and address the current obstacles ACOs face.
Special thanks to Council member organizations Alvarez & Marsal and United Community Bank – Healthcare Banking for helping make this event possible.