News

CONTACT:

Fred Haag, M.S.
(703) 838-0033 ext. 329
fhaag@amga.org

1 October 2010

Industry Partners Join AMGA in Supporting the Development of Accountable Care Organizations

HOLLYWOOD, FL - The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today announced the corporate supporters of its initiative to promote the development of accountable care organizations (ACOs). Representatives from these organizations joined leadership teams from 22 leading medical groups and organized systems of care at the inaugural meeting of the AMGA ACO Development Collaborative, the first event of the initiative.

"AMGA welcomes the support of these organizations as we try to aid our members in becoming hihg-performing care organizations that will qualify as ACOs," said Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE, president and chief executive officer at AMGA. "Recent reform legislation has inspired members to use the ACO model as an impetus to transform the delivery and financing of care, and these corporate sponsors will help them realize their goals to transform their organizations from early adopters into successful ACOs and provide best practices for future adopters."

The supports of the AMGA ACO Initiative include:

Abbott
Bosch Healthcare
Daiichi Sankyo
OptumHealth
Ortho-McNeil
Phytel, Inc.
Premera Blue Cross
sanofi-aventis
VHA, Inc.

For information on how to become an initiative sponsor, contact Fred Haag at fhaag@amga.org or (703) 838-0033 ext. 329.

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 meeting 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," and the collaboratives continue the work of the regional meetings by bringing groups from across the country to share their insights and strategies. The support of these organizations will enable aMGA to continue its ACO Initiative.

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 110 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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