|
The PBACO Team (l-r): Chad Chung, Elizabeth Prol, Lindsey Erekson, Medical Director Dr. Hymin Zucker, Jackie Utrilla, Executive Director Kelly Conroy, Sue Ann Yockey, Chief Information Officer David Klebonis, and Colin Campbell.
|
The staff of the Palm Beach ACO and South Florida ACO hosted more than 80 physicians at the Delray Beach Marriott recently to reveal savings results, brainstorm ideas for improving patient care and hear comments from a high-level executive from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The physician-owned Palm Beach ACO (PBACO) is based in Palm Springs, FL.
Executive Director Kelly Conroy opened the meeting with the challenge to the physicians that they have the opportunity to “Change the World” through more efficient, patient-centered care. Medical Director Dr. Hymin Zucker reported that PBACO had achieved significant savings compare to other ACOs around the country but that the opportunity to save substantially more exists.
“So far, our research shows that we’ve saved more than $5.4 million,” he said, “but we have the potential to save $54 million.”
Several physician board members and owners spoke about their personal commitments to and experiences with the ACO and provided a menu of tips for providing the right care to the right patient at the right time. Presentations were made by Lenny Sukienik, D. O., Chairman of the Board; Irma Lopez, M.D., Finance Chair; Rohit Dandiya, M.D.; David Milbauer, M.D.; Kenneth Jaffe, M.D.; Sharab Mohamed, M.D.; Raj Bansal, M.D. , chairman of the executive committee; and Z. Fareal Abad, who is a member of the South Florida ACO. Saeed Khan, M.D., a SFACO board member, also participated. Other PBACO Board members include Manuel Bornia, M.D., and Jerry Bailin, who serves as the Medicare advocate.
Participating via teleconference was Terri L. Postma, M.D., a trained neurologist who serves as the medical officer and advisor, performance-based payment policy staff for CMS in Baltimore, MD. She discussed the move toward physician payments based on quality and cost.
“We’re focused on value-based purchasing initiatives,” she said. “The concept of the ACO grew out of extensive research with a physician group practice model, which demonstrated quality improvement and savings.”
“Organizations like yours,” she added, “are helping us reinvent care for the modern age. We have to let go of today’s very fragmented health care system that has little thought toward connecting the pieces. We believe the Medicare Shared Savings Program brings together the pieces to form patient-centered care.”
Out of the existing 220 ACOs in the country, 50 percent are physician led like PBACO. According to Dr. Postma, physicians are the key to making a real positive difference in the health care delivery system. “Providers are the ones who make the difference,” she said. “They have the patient relationships and know which patients need the most coordination and where the opportunities exist for making the most improvements.”
The event culminated with physicians breaking up into small work groups to share cost savings and quality patient care ideas.
