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PARTNERSHIPS
eBrightHealth ACO delivers high quality care while reducing costs
In 2016, its first year of participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), eBrightHealth
ACO has improved the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries while also reducing Medicare spending by $860,000.
In partnership with Christiana Care Carelink CareNow, eBrightHealth ACO clinicians enhanced quality of care by:
• Achieving high performance in a variety of areas, including chronic disease management, preventive health and patient satisfaction.
• Preventing unnecessary emergency department visits for beneficiaries by increasing care coordination and improving access to office visits.
• Decreasing the amount of time that beneficiaries spent in the hospital and in skilled nursing facilities through increased focus on transitions of care and use of community resources.
For 2016, the eBrightHealth ACO included more than 200 primary care clinicians employed and affiliated with Bayhealth, Christiana Care Health System, Nanticoke Health Services and Westside Family Healthcare who collectively cared for approximately 26,000 covered lives.
“These results show our partners are aligned and working together to improve care coordination and build a sustainable care model that is essential, as reimburse-
ment is increasingly tied to performance,” said Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D., president and chief executive officer of eBrightHealth ACO. “In partnership with our participating providers and health systems, eBrightHealth ACO is steadfast- ly committed to even greater performance in the coming years.”
“With more emphasis on transitions
of care out of the hospital and into the ambulatory setting, we are decreasing the amount of time that beneficiaries spend in the hospital and in skilled nursing facilities,” said Gary Siegelman, M.D., MSc., CPE, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Bayhealth. “These efforts have resulted in improved quality of life for beneficiaries, as well as a reduction in health care spending.”
“This is great news for eBrightHealth, but more importantly for our beneficiaries who are seeing the highest-quality levels of care by our providers and targeted follow-up through our population health efforts,” said Harry C. Anthony Jr., M.D., Nanticoke physician network board member. “Commitment and teamwork by all our providers are truly making a difference in the lives of our patients, and keeping them healthier longer.”
“By proactively coordinating care, attending carefully to care transitions between providers and greater use
of information technology, we are improving patient outcomes and the patient experience while achieving
cost savings,” said Tom Stephens, M.D., chief medical officer at Westside Family Healthcare.
In 2017, eBrightHealth ACO expanded to include Beebe Healthcare, Atlantic General Hospital, LaRed Health Center and seven additional community practic- es. Having grown to more than 300 pri- mary care clinicians, eBrightHealth ACO is responsible for the cost and quality of health care for more than 48,000 Medi- care beneficiaries throughout Delaware and areas of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created the MSSP to allow groups of health care providers to collaboratively provide coordinated, high-quality care to Medicare beneficiaries. ●
“In partnership with our participating providers and health systems, eBrightHealth ACO is steadfastly committed to even greater performance in the coming years.” Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D.
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