NAACOS Recognizes ACO Members for Quality Improvement

April 28, 2022

In one example, St. Joseph’s Health ACO was able to decrease readmissions from skilled nursing facilities from 24 percent in 2019 to 15.9 percent in 2021

David Raths

At its annual spring conference in Baltimore, the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) recognized three members for their work to improve patient care in their communities.

St. Joseph’s Health ACO, UNC Health Alliance, and Summit Health were winners of the 2022 Leaders in Quality Excellence Award.

St. Joseph’s Health ACO in New Jersey was able to decrease readmissions from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) from 24 percent in 2019 to 15.9 percent in 2021 through a quality improvement program. Mission Health Coordinated Care ACO of St. Joseph’s Health System implemented a post-acute care nurse navigator position to monitor patients at SNFs and collaboratively work with nursing homes on discharge dates, patients’ progress, and to assist with the transition to the home setting.

Summit Health, another New Jersey-based health system, launched a project focused on improving annual wellness visits (AWVs) through education, engagement, and support for primary care providers, care teams, administrators, leadership teams, among others. To sustain the program, they also developed a value-based care boot camp with AWVs representing one of the seven, one-hour education sessions for new providers. By closing care gaps, Summit Health improved preventive quality measure performance. As an example, fall risk screenings increased from 77.7 percent in 2017 to 97.9 percent in 2020, and influenza vaccination rates rose from 78.5 percent in 2017 to 91.1 percent in 2020.

UNC Health Alliance in North Carolina was awarded for a project focused on reducing disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates in the community. They improved vaccination rates for those with social vulnerabilities by using tools to target vulnerable populations with varying forms of outreach, including automated calls/texts, direct scheduling and mobile vaccine units. As an example, UNC Health Alliance identified transportation needs and access to care close to home as critical to their success.