Carle and Christie Clinic patients 65 and older who are eligible for Medicare but aren’t on a benefit-rich Medicare Advantage plan will now receive additional wellness services without added cost.
With this important shift for patients, Carle and Christie Clinic join healthcare providers across the nation becoming part of an Affordable Care Organization (ACO). Part of essential population health initiatives that shift the healthcare industry from volume to value, ACOs target certain groups of patients and closely measure outcomes to ensure they’re providing the care patients need when and where the need it.
“ACO’s bring together different elements of patient care to ensure all of the individual care components work well together,” Christie Clinic CEO Kenny Bilger said. “It is a transformational initiative to improve the patient experience and achieve better health outcomes by focusing on disease prevention and wellness through the seamless sharing of information. Christie Clinic is pleased to join Carle locally and our other national partners in offering patients these added services as an ACO.”
Care-delivery changes impacted Carle and Christie Clinic patients could see include:
- Communication before appointments to make the most of in-person visits.
- Focused time and healthcare from an experienced population health nurse.
- Physicians and advanced practice providers focusing on diagnosis and acute needs.
- Advanced care planning.
- Additional support based on patients’ individual needs.
Impacted patients need only watch for notification from Carle, Christie Clinic and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prior to their next Annual Wellness Visit or their Welcome to Medicare visit.
Carle President and CEO Dr. James C. Leonard, MD, said: “The ACO is another example of how our vertically integrated system – complete with hospitals, clinics and a health plan, as well as strong community and national partners – can efficiently join forces in even better and bolder ways to target both patients’ most pressing health challenges, as well as the preventive care they need to stay well.”
Caravan Health, the nation’s leader in accountable care, assembled the consortium of seven high-performing physician groups formed a new Pathways to Success ACO named Stratum Med ACO. Stratum Med is a collaborative alliance of physician-led groups and organizations. In addition to Carle and Christie Clinic, the inaugural participants are Confluence Health in Wenatchee, WA; Hutchinson Clinic in Hutchinson, KS; Jefferson City Medical Group in Jefferson City, MO; McFarland Clinic in Ames, IA; and The Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines, IA.
Categories: Staying Healthy
Tags: Carle, seniors, Medicare, Original, Christie Clinic, ACO, accountable