
Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries whose providers participate in an ACO maintain all of their Medicare rights, including the right to choose any doctors and providers that accept Medicare.
ACOs are motivated to provide the highest quality of care to its Medicare Fee-for-Service patients. When an ACO succeeds in both delivering quality care and spending healthcare dollars wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the government’s Medicare program.
An ACO’s coordinated care helps ensure that Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors.
ACO Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
ACO Name and location:
Via Christi Health Alliance in Accountable Care, Inc.
Previous Names: N/A
8200 E. Thorn
Wichita, KS 67226
ACO primary contact
Edward Hett, MD
Primary contact phone number: 316-858-4970
Primary contact email address: ed.hett@ascension.org
Organizational information
ACO participants:
ACO participant | Participant in joint venture (Y or N) |
---|---|
Via Christi Clinic, P.A. | N |
Kansas Nephrology Physicians, P.A. | N |
Via Christi Rehabilitation Hospital, Inc. | N |
GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc. | N |
Kansas Imaging Consultants, P.A. | N |
Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, P.A | N |
Wamego Hospital Association | N |
ACO Governing Body:
Member | Member's voting power, expressed as a percentage or number | Membership type | ACO participant legal business name/DBA, if applicable | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Last name | First name | Title/position | |||
Nickel, DO | Terri | Chairperson | 1 | ACO participant | Via Christi Clinic, P.A. |
Hett, MD | Edward | Vice Chairperson | 1 | ACO participant | Via Christi Clinic, P.A. |
Benning, MD | Timothy | 1 | ACO participant | Kansas Imaging Consultants, P.A. | |
Ross, MD | Dennis | Secretary | 1 | ACO participant | Kansas Nephrology Physicians, P.A. |
Jansson, MD | Kenneth | 1 | ACO participant | Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, P.A. | |
Neff | Phil | 1 | Medicare beneficiary | N/A | |
Reed, DO | Jacob | Treasurer | 1 | Community stakeholder representative | CEP America |
Elder, DO | Julie | 1 | ACO Participant | GraceMed Health Clinic |
Key ACO clinical and administrative leadership:
Edward Hett, MD | ACO Executive |
Terri Nickel, DO | Medical Director |
Jenni Meyer | Compliance Officer |
Moneeshindra Mittal, MD | Quality Assurance/Improvement Officer |
Associated committees and committee leadership
Committee Name | Committee Leader Name and Position |
---|---|
Network Committee | Jacob Reed, DO, Chair |
Quality in Action Committee | Moneeshindra Mittal, MD, Chair |
Finance Committee | Thomas Flynn, MD, Chair |
Terri Nickel, DO, Chairperson, Medical Director, Chief Quality Officer
- ACO participant, Via Christi Clinic, P.A.
- Board certified in Family Medicine
- Develops and manages the ACO quality assurance and improvement program
Edward Hett, MD, Vice Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
- ACO participant, Via Christi Clinic, P.A.
- Board certified in Family Medicine
- Manages and oversees the operational aspects of ACO to promote the three-part aim of improved care for individuals, improved health for populations, and lower growth in expenditures for beneficiaries
Moneeshindra Mittal, MD Chief Quality Assurance/Improvement Officer
Jenni Meyer Chief Compliance Officer
Associated committees and committee leadership:
Quality Assurance Committee: Moneeshindra S. Mittal, MD, chair
Develops and manages quality assurance and improvement programs for patient care outcomes, safety and services; Provides oversight for management of the clinical evaluation/operations, and improvement of healthcare for beneficiaries, including development of the following care paths:
ADHD
Adult obesity
Asthma
Back pain
Bipolar disorder
Bronchiolitis
Chronic kidney disease
Community-acquired pneumonia
COPD
Depression
Diabetes
Heart failure
Hypertension
Osteoarthritis
Pediatric diabetes
Pediatric obesity
Preventative screening
Network Management Committee: Dr. Lowell Ebersole, chair
Develops and manages the participant network to ensure a comprehensive continuum of care to meet goals of the three-part aim.
Compliance/Finance Committee: Dr. Thomas Flynn, chair
Provides oversight for the development and management of the ACO compliance plan and shared savings distribution methodology.
Types of ACO participants or combinations of participants that formed the ACO:
- Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)
- ACO professionals in a group practice arrangement
- hospital employing ACO professionals
Shared Savings and Losses:
Amount of Shared Savings/Losses- Second Agreement Period
- Performance Year 2017: $0.00
- First Agreement Period
- Performance Year 2016: $0.00
- Performance Year 2015: $0.00
- Performance Year 2014: $0.00
Shared Savings Distribution
- Second Agreement Period
- Performance Year 2017
- Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
- Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
- Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
- First Agreement Period
- Performance Year 2016
- Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
- Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
- Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
- Performance Year 2015
- Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
- Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
- Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
- Performance Year 2014
- Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
- Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
- Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
Quality Performance Results
2018 Quality Performance Results
ACO# | Measure Name | Rate | ACO Mean |
---|---|---|---|
ACO-1 | CAHPS: Getting Timely Care, Appointments, and Information | 87.19 | 86.14 |
ACO-2 | CAHPS: How Well Your Providers Communicate | 93.42 | 93.93 |
ACO-3 | CAHPS: Patients’ Rating of Provider | 92.07 | 92.45 |
ACO-4 | CAHPS: Access to Specialists | 79.79 | 81.50 |
ACO-5 | CAHPS: Health Promotion and Education | 51.89 | 59.26 |
ACO-6 | CAHPS: Shared Decision Making | 55.74 | 61.94 |
ACO-7 | CAHPS: Health Status/Functional Status | 72.66 | 73.35 |
ACO-34 | CAHPS: Stewardship of Patient Resources | 29.60 | 26.26 |
ACO-8 | Risk Standardized, All Condition Readmission | 14.61 | 14.98 |
ACO-35 | Skilled Nursing Facility 30-day All-Cause Readmission measure (SNFRM) | 18.10 | 18.59 |
ACO-36 | All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Diabetes | 34.65 | 37.01 |
ACO-37 | All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Heart Failure | 63.30 | 76.75 |
ACO-38 | All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions | 53.13 | 59.00 |
ACO-43 | Ambulatory Sensitive Condition Acute Composite (AHRQ* Prevention Quality Indicator (PQI) #91) | 1.64 | 1.98 |
ACO-11 | Use of Certified EHR Technology | 100.00 | 98.20 |
ACO-12 | Medication Reconciliation Post-discharge | 94.65 | 85.91 |
ACO-13 | Falls: Screening for Future Fall Risk | 86.61 | 79.73 |
ACO-44 | Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain | 56.52 | 64.36 |
ACO-14 | Preventive Care and Screening: Influenza Immunization | 74.48 | 72.71 |
ACO-15 | Pneumonia Vaccination Status for Older Adults | 89.47 | 75.97 |
ACO-16 | Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up | 75.20 | 76.83 |
ACO-17 | Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention | 79.69 | 72.81 |
ACO-18 | Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-up Plan | 70.68 | 66.74 |
ACO-19 | Colorectal Cancer Screening | 72.12 | 68.27 |
ACO-20 | Breast Cancer Screening | 74.60 | 71.96 |
ACO-42 | Statin Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease | 81.30 | 81.47 |
ACO-27 | Diabetes Mellitus: Hemoglobin A1c Poor Control | 16.61 | 15.51 |
ACO-41 | Diabetes: Eye Exam | 59.41 | 52.42 |
ACO-28 | Hypertension (HTN): Controlling High Blood Pressure | 70.92 | 73.10 |
ACO-30 | Ischemic Vascular Disease (IVD): Use of Aspirin or Another Antithrombotic | 93.36 | 88.92 |
- For 2017 Quality Performance Results please visit: https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-Medicare-Shared-Savin/2017-Shared-Savings-Program-SSP-Accountable-Care-O/gk7c-vejx/data
- For 2016 Quality Performance Results please visit: https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-Medicare-Shared-Savin/2016-Shared-Savings-Program-SSP-Accountable-Care-O/3jk5-q6dr/data
- For 2015 Quality Performance Results please visit: https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-Medicare-Shared-Savin/Medicare-Shared-Savings-Program-Accountable-Care-O/x8va-z7cu/data
- For 2014 Quality Performance Results please visit: https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-Medicare-Shared-Savin/Medicare-Shared-Savings-Program-Accountable-Care-O/ucce-hhpu/data
Payment Rule Waivers
- No, our ACO does not utilize the SNF 3-Day Rule Waiver