IQL conference explores development of ACO model

The American Medical Group Association is convening nearly 600 participants, representing the leaders of the nation's preeminent healthcare provider organizations, at IQL 2011: Creating High-Performing Care Organizations, September 19 - 21 at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. This year's annual meeting of the association's Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL) explores the development of the accountable care organization (ACO) model beyond the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Under the theme "Better Care / Better Health / Better Value," AMGA is continuing to pursue the creation of high-performing care organizations. Capping off a series of regional meetings, the IQL Annual Conference is once again serving as a National Summit on ACOs. The summit will bring together leaders from the nation's best healthcare delivery systems to provide practical tools and strategies, including guidance on clinical integration and practice redesign, that will help them position their groups to become high-performing care organizations. Also, presentations will feature various models of ACOs and innovative partnerships between health plans and medical groups that are changing the way care is delivered and financed.

"These groups are committed to reforming our healthcare delivery system," said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, AMGA president and chief executive officer. "Despite the inadequate proposed regulations from CMS, the ACO model still holds the most promise of bending the cost curve while promoting higher quality, more efficient patient care. This meeting reveals the way many groups are forging ahead to create a health system that delivers real quality and value to patients."

The summit is part of AMGA's Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL), devoted to improving the quality of care delivered in the U.S. healthcare system through the advancement of knowledge and the education of healthcare professionals.

In addition to the leadership of medical groups, a host of healthcare vendors exhibited at the conference, and many provided educational grants to support the conference.

Gilfillan and Group Leaders Featured

Richard J. Gilfillan, M.D., Acting Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, will deliver a keynote address at the IQL 2011: Creating High-Performing Care Organizations on Monday, September 19. Dr. Gilfillan will be discussing alternate routes to becoming an ACO and the evolution of value-based care. Other general sessions will explore various models of ACOs and the leadership required to manage the challenges and opportunities each presents, as well as ongoing ACO pilots in the private sector involving insurers and medical groups.

Breakout seesion presentations will feature leaders from the following AMGA members: Advocate Physician Partners, Affinity Medical Group, Brown & Toland, Carilion Clinic, Cornerstone, Crystal Run Health Care, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, Geisinger Health System, HealthCare Partners, HealthPartners Medical Group, Manhattan Physicians Group, The Medical Group of Ohio, Mount Kisco Medical Group, Mayo Clinic Health System, North Texas Specialty Physicians, Norton Healthcare Physician Services, Orlando Internal Medicine, Park Nicollet Health Services, PriMed Physicians, Reading Hospital Medical Group, and Vanderbilt Medical Group.

Acclaim Award Presentation

AMGA also will present the 2010 AMGA Acclaim Award to Geisinger Health System for " Transforming Care Delivery: Patient-centric, Value-driven Innovation," a patient-centered system redesign focusing on quality and safety, cost, innovative care delivery, and interdisciplinary care coordination across the large healthcare organization. The award, granted through AMGA's philanthropic arm, the American Medical Group Foundation (AMGF), will be accepted by Dr. Steven Pierdon, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Geisinger Northeast; Dr. Frederick Bloom, Assistant Chief Quality Officer; Elizabeth Boyer, Senior Director, CPSL Best Practice/Care Gaps; Dr. Maria Kobylinski, Department Director; and Diane Littlewood, Director, Population Management Operations, Geisinger Health Plan.

Through the award-winning initiative, Geisinger Health System has been designing and implementing innovative value-driven approaches to improving health care. With strong commitment from leadership, which invested in superior infrastructure, Geisinger has focused on patient-centered primary care and redesign of inpatient and specialty care. In their move away from traditional fee-for-service, Geisinger's engaged physicians and stakeholders collected and assessed data to define quality and performance drivers that would result in a redesigned care delivery model. The new model integrates technology into clinical care, involves the patient and family, insures total accountability through aligned incentives, and reduces variability through care redesign and performance feedback to improve patient outcomes, thereby decreasing costs.

Three additional groups will be named as Acclaim Award Honorees:

• Carolinas Physicians Network: "Operational Innovation Drives Clinical Integration""
• Gould Medical Group: "Rediscovering Greatness: Using Our Founding Values to Guide Our Future"
• Health Texas Provider Network: "Transforming Healthcare Delivery Through Patient-centered Care"