Providence, Physicians Form Joint Alliance To Boost Care Delivery
Providence Health & Services in Southern California has partnered with physicians to form an alliance aimed at improving quality and accountability in health care delivery, Modern Healthcare reports (Selvam, Modern Healthcare, 10/5).
The alliance, called Providence Partners for Health, marks a preliminary step toward the creation of an accountable care organization.
Providence Health & Services COO Kerry Carmody said that the new venture "is not currently an ACO but could evolve that way." He added, "We want to participate in various facets of health care reform initiatives, including pay-for-performance, bundled payments, narrow networks and eventually ACOs."
About the Alliance
The alliance -- which will be jointly owned by Providence Health and participating physicians -- will focus on collaboration and standardizing best practices among physicians and hospitals (Payers & Providers, 10/6).
Under the initiative, physicians will be required to share data on quality and will receive feedback from their peers to demonstrate compliance with Providence's care guidelines.
In addition, the alliance will create teams of doctors, clinicians and experts to identify ways to improve care and standardize best practices (Modern Healthcare, 10/5).
Participation in Providence Partners for Health
Physicians who practice at Providence's five Los Angeles-area hospitals or at the health system's affiliated medical groups are eligible to join the alliance (Payers & Providers, 10/6).
The initiative is expected to launch by the end of the year with 500 participating physicians (Helfand, "Money & Company," Los Angeles Times, 10/5).Â
Participating doctors will be required to provide some sort of financial investment in the effort, but Providence officials declined to disclose specifics (Payers & Providers, 10/6).
Carmody said that the hospital system and physicians will share any savings produced through the new effort ("Money & Company," Los Angeles Times, 10/5).Â
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