UC San Diego Health, AccentCare jointly create home health services agency to improve patient outcomes

UC San Diego Health and AccentCare have created a jointly owned home health services agency to serve UC San Diego Health patients in San Diego and surrounding communities. The new agency is designed to provide a comprehensive continuum of care after patients have been discharged from the hospital to facilitate efficient communication, improved safety, and faster healing.

"UC San Diego Health is committed to improving patient care, clinical quality and overall patient experience, even after a patient leaves one of our hospitals," said Paul Viviano, CEO, UC San Diego Health. "In collaboration with AccentCare, protocols and processes will be established that focus on early interventions to prevent falls, infections and medication errors in the home."

Under the agreement, UC San Diego Health will be responsible for clinical oversight of post-acute services provided by the new agency while AccentCare will provide day-to-day operational management, including patient intake, staffing and services, such as physical therapy, medical social work and skilled nursing services.

"This is a valuable strategic partnership for AccentCare and UC San Diego Health that directly benefits patients," said Steve Rodgers, CEO, AccentCare. "The agency will extend UC San Diego Health's services and expand AccentCare's community reach with the overall goal of achieving comprehensive care and exceptional health outcomes for our patients."

The formation of the new post-acute agency aligns with the shared strategic vision of UC San Diego Health and AccentCare to develop innovative approaches to manage and deliver high-quality care across the healthcare continuum. The agency is expected to be fully operational within 12 months.

The new agency will enhance UC San Diego Health's ability to more efficiently manage inpatient capacity and flow and provide patients with post-acute services that link to their UC San Diego Health physicians for optimal clinical oversight. The partnership will also position UC San Diego Health to better serve diverse populations of patients with chronic diseases while responding to changing reimbursement methodologies.

UC San Diego Health and AccentCare will immediately leverage the agency for support of a new bundled payment initiative with Medicare while also laying the groundwork for future value-based payment opportunities.