The NCMS Quality and Health Care Financing Committee, at its meeting on April 24, 2010, appointed a Workgroup to develop policy concerning Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which are included in the federal health care reform law. Updates on ACO Workgroup activities will be published in the Bulletin and on the NCMS webpage, https://www.compassionatecarenc.org/. Questions may be directed to Melanie Phelps, [email protected].
The Committee heard a series of presentations updating North Carolina-based quality programs:
- Steve Cline, DDS, MPH, discussed the NC Health Information Exchange (NC HIE).
- Tom Bacon, PhD, addressed Regional Extension HIE Centers and the NC Health Care Quality Alliance.
- Derek Prentice, MD, spoke on the NC State Employees Health Plan Quality Program.
- Amy Dunatov provided an overview of the NCMS Foundation NC Physician Institute for Quality Enhancement.
- Carol Koeble, MD, updated the work of the NC Center for Hospital Quality and Patient Safety.
- Marianne Jackson, MD, gave a presentation on “Lean Healthcare.”
- Genie Komives, MD, presented an update on Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Quality Initiatives.
Chip Baggett, NCMS Director of Legislative Relations, briefed the Committee on the 2010 Legislative Session, which begins May 12.
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The AccessCare network within Community Care of NC, which includes NC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, may be a good choice for a “pilot” organization to explore the possibility of an ACO that integrates the CCNC methodology with the ACO concept. Steve Wegner, MD, is the medical director for AccessCare.