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Andrea Bartolomeo
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abartolomeo@amga.org

29 July 2010

New Speakers Confirmed for Panel on Payment Reform at AMGA National Summit on ACOs

Two new speakers have been confirmed for a panel discussion at IQL 2010: AMGA National Summit on ACOs. The plenary session will take place on Friday, October 1, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m., and is entitled “Payment Reform and the Future of the ACO Model.” Joining Nicholas Wolter, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Billings Clinic , who was announced earlier, will be Martin Hickey, M.D., M.B.A., Chief Accountable Care Officer, Alegent Health Clinic; and Lawrence Casalino, M.D., Ph.D., Chief, Division of Outcomes and Effectiveness Research, Weill Cornell Physician Organization. In this interactive panel discussion, the speakers will discuss the implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on reimbursements to medical groups and ACOs, touting the benefits of the ACO model. Panelists will share their views on payment reform and their possible effect on healthcare delivery.

IQL 2010: AMGA National Summit on ACOs will take place September 28-October 1 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida. Presentations will feature leaders from the following AMGA members: Advocate Health Care, Alegent Health Clinic, Billings Clinic, Carilion Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, Dean Health System, The Everett Clinic, Geisinger Health System, Henry Ford Health System, Holzer Clinic, Intermountain Healthcare, Lahey Clinic, Lehigh Valley Physician Group, Marshfield Clinic, Mayo Health System, Northwest Physicians Network, Physician Health Partners, The Permanente Federation, PriMed Physicians, Spectrum Health Medical Group, St. John's Health System, University of Utah Health Care Community Clinics, Virginia Mason Medical Center, WellStar Health System, and Western Washington Medical Group. 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.

"We're excited that AMGA is hosting this important event," said presenter Nicholas Wolter, M.D., CEO of Billings Clinic. "The recent health reform legislation has begun the process of aligning incentives for value, and the organizations presenting at this summit are at the forefront of delivering care more efficiently and effectively. We look forward to lively discussions and information sharing as we explore how to become truly high-performing care organizations."

In addition to the national summit, AMGA is convening two collaboratives focused on ACO development: a Development Collaborative and an Implementation Collaborative. The collaboratives will offer access to content experts and provide a forum in which peer organizations can learn from one another as they begin to build and refine business and care processes to develop high-quality, efficient, and sustainable systems of care that provide high-value care to their patients and communities. The first meeting of the ACO Development Collaborative will take place in conjunction with the AMGA National Summit on ACOs. The first meeting of the ACO Implementation Collaborative will take place in January 2011.

Background
For many years, AMGA has pushed for reform efforts that foster the creation of community-based entities accountable for comprehensive healthcare services-referred to as ACOs in the newly passed healthcare legislation-that promote accountability and build on the practice patterns of high-performing organizations. The organization, in fact, provided guidance to congressional leaders on the appropriate language regarding ACOs and lobbied aggressively for its inclusion.

As part of its continuing efforts, the association hosted a series of regional meetings in 2010 that brought together the thought leaders of healthcare delivery systems to educate medical groups on how to develop, operate, and maintain high-performing ACOs. The meetings focused on physician-led, patient-centered ACOs and went beyond the theoretical by bringing together actual case studies presented by medical group leaders with firsthand experience in providing accountable care to their patients. AMGA's Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL), subtitled the "AMGA National Summit on ACOs," will continue the work of the regional meetings and by bringing groups from across the country to share their insights and strategies.

The American Medical Group Association represents medical groups, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious medical practices, independent practice associations, and integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA's mission is to improve health care for patients by supporting multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care. The members of AMGA deliver health care to approximately 106 million patients in 49 states, nearly 1 in 3 Americans. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for medical groups, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs and publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org

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