6 Wisconsin Healthcare Systems Announce Move Towards ACO
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
The partnership was developed to build upon and advance the clinical quality, efficiency and customer experience attributes that are well-documented and shared among the six organizations.
Six of the most prominent healthcare systems in Wisconsin have “announced a pioneering statewide network to reduce costs and improve patient care, forming strategic alliances to share information, while remaining independent.”
The six systems are Aspirus in Wausau; Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee; Bellin Health in Green Bay; Gundersen Health System in La Crosse; ThedaCare in Appleton; and UW Health in Madison. Together, they comprise 44 hospitals and more than 5,600 physicians, and they provide care to about 90 percent of the Badger State's population, according to a press release announcing the partnership.
The release describes the new venture, stating, “Framing their strategic partnership as a new pathway for patients to access the highest quality health care across the state and region, the organizations expect the network to serve as a new model for the nation.”
"Our vision is to use our collective resources wisely by being good stewards of the clinical, administrative, IT, research, patient experience, care management and other shared expertise within our six systems," said Greg Devine, president and CEO of the partnership. "We want to provide better value in health care."
The ultimate goal of the non-equity partnership is to migrate toward an ACO. The six health systems already have started offering a commercial health plan with Anthem Blue Cross, available through the federal and private-insurance exchanges. If and when the collaborative becomes an ACO, it will aim for inclusion in more health plans as a low-cost, high-quality provider network.
"Employers and government purchasers now have access to the economic and clinical benefits of a more efficient, high-quality network of care for their employees and families across the state," said Devine. "Our aim is that the partnership will be featured in insurance plans that serve the needs of individual purchasers, as well as national employers that have a statewide presence or that are headquartered in areas we serve."
According to Jeff Thompson, MD, chair of the partnership's board of directors and CEO of La Crosse-based Gundersen Health System, "Our promise to our patients and the communities we serve is to deliver high-quality, lower-cost health, and to improve the health of the populations we serve. This is a true partnership among our six organizations, not a merger or consolidation. It will allow us to more rapidly learn from each other, share best practices, and serve the needs of patients and families more efficiently."
The partnership is open to expanding its membership to include other health organizations that have a demonstrated record of delivering quality, value-based care.