DALLAS – Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), the clinically integrated network which blends the strengths of UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Texas Health Resources system, is participating in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ACO Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (REACH) Model in 2023. The goal of the new model is to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries via enhanced treatment coordination and increase support for underserved segments of the population. Primary care providers will continue to lead in the critical and expansive role in accountable care.
“CMS has clearly intended to focus on primary care with ACO REACH, and we are working to reduce the administrative burden for PCPs so they can allocate more time and attention to the care and relationship with the patient,” said Dr. Kristen Woods, Chief Network and Physician Experience Officer Southwestern Health Resources.
In its final year as a Next Generation ACO, Southwestern Health Resources achieved a quality score greater than 98 percent, one of the highest scores of any Next Generation ACO. Since 2017, SWHR has generated more than $168 million in Medicare savings, making it a leading organization in total savings, according to performance data made public by CMS.
“These results underscore the effectiveness of value-based health care while still providing high quality care, and it supports CMS’s work to have all Medicare beneficiaries in an accountable care relationship by 2030,” said Dr. Jason Fish, Chief Medical Officer Southwestern Health Resources.
Accountable Care Organizations were originally created to manage care for Medicare patients, reduce overall healthcare spending and allow efficient organizations to benefit from the money they saved keeping patients healthy.
In the new ACO REACH Model, providers have increased responsibilities and are incentivized to deliver high quality, well-coordinated health care to Medicare beneficiaries. It requires participants to develop and implement a robust health equity plan to identify underserved communities and launch initiatives to measurably reduce health disparities within their patient populations.
The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document.
