AJMC to Host 1st ACO Coalition Event to Focus On Improving Care Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 12, 2014

AJMC to Host 1^st ACO Coalition Event to Focus On Improving Care Management

PLAINSBORO, N.J. — The American Journal of Managed Care will host the first gathering of its ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, a group of more than 60 accountable care organizations (ACOs), payers, integrated delivery networks, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), quality organizations, retail and specialty pharmacy, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Those gathering will share insights into current ACO physician challenges and seek best practices for setting up successful ACOs.

The meeting will take place May 15-16, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency, 300 Light St., Baltimore, Md., with registration opening Thursday, May 15, at 3 p.m. For information about the event or join the ACO Coalition, contact Nicole Beagin at (609) 716-7777 x 131, or nbeagin@ajmc.com.

For 20 years, The American Journal of Managed Care has been the leading peer-reviewed publication providing original research and insights into healthcare delivery systems. “At AJMC, we have viewed the arrival of healthcare reform as an opportunity to embrace our leadership role, and the ACO Coalition is the embodiment of our commitment to providing direction during a time of change,” said Brian Haug, president of The American Journal of Managed Care. In December, AJMC launched The American Journal of Accountable Care to publish research and commentary specifically related to implementing the Affordable Care Act, including the emergence of ACOs, the importance of transitions of care, and the implementation of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model.

“This initial gathering of the Coalition with be the first of many essential activities that will benefit members, giving them opportunities to hear from leaders and learn from each other,” Haug said. “A key feature of the meeting will be multi-stakeholder workshops, where Coalition members can apply what they have learned in earlier sessions. We hope and expect that participants will come away from this meeting with the seeds of new partnerships.”

Besides the workshops, key components of the two-day meeting include:

• Presentation of results from a pre-meeting survey of attendees on priorities for collaboration, including top issues facing ACOs.
• Presentations Thursday evening by Coalition co-chairs Ira Klein, MD, MBA, FACP, senior medical director for Aetna, and Anthony Slonim, MD, DrPH, CPE, FACPE, executive vice president and chief medical officer, Barnabas Health System.
• A presentation by Kelly Conroy, Palm Beach ACO, on physician-owned delivery models.
• A presentation by Michael A. Evans, BS, RPh, Geisinger Health System, on ways to improve quality and safety through medication therapy disease management.
• A presentation, “Leveraging the PCMH Model” by Paige Cooke, assistant director for engagement from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Participants in the ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition receive many benefits, including a second live meeting scheduled for October 16-17, 2014, at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay. Other member benefits include:

• Ongoing customer interchanges, including virtual meetings and teleconferences.
• Continuous research opportunities, including participation in AJMC Pulse surveys and proprietary questions in syndicated studies.
• Complimentary subscriptions to AJMC journals, publications, and newsletters.
• Advertising opportunities on AJMC.com and in print publications.

Membership in the ACO Coalition is diverse and growing, Haug said, giving early members a chance to gain advantages in their markets, as the best practices emerge on how to thrive in today’s changing delivery climate.

“Now is the time to collaborate,” he said. “Partnerships are forming, and those who wait to take part in multi-stakeholder events may learn a year from now that they are too late.”

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Beagin (609) 716-7777 x 131

nbeagin@ajmc.com

www.ajmc.com