Medicare

Medicare

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.

MSSP Participation Waivers

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 NickelTerri 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 HettEdward 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

2017 Quality Performance Results

ACO#Measure Name RateACO Mean
ACO-1 CAHPS: Getting Timely Care, Appointments, and Information 80.74 80.60
ACO-2 CAHPS: How Well Your Providers Communicate 91.97 93.13
ACO-3 CAHPS: Patients’ Rating of Provider 92.07 92.31
ACO-4 CAHPS: Access to Specialists 84.39 83.32
ACO-5 CAHPS: Health Promotion and Education 58.53 62.30
ACO-6 CAHPS: Shared Decision Making 74.09 75.85
ACO-7 CAHPS: Health Status/Functional Status 71.27 73.05
ACO-34 CAHPS: Stewardship of Patient Resources 34.42 25.68
ACO-8 Risk Standardized, All Condition Readmission 14.26 15.01
ACO-35 Skilled Nursing Facility 30-day All-Cause Readmission measure (SNFRM) 15.86 18.46
ACO-36 All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Diabetes52.63 53.95
ACO-37 All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Heart Failure 71.02 79.16
ACO-38 All-Cause Unplanned Admissions for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions 56.85 61.74
ACO-43 Ambulatory Sensitive Condition Acute Composite (AHRQ* Prevention Quality Indicator (PQI #91)) 1.30 1.93
ACO-11 Use of Certified EHR Technology 100.00 98.48
ACO-12 Medication Reconciliation 74.16 75.32
ACO-13 Falls: Screening for Future Fall Risk 72.16 74.38
ACO-44 Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain 63.74 67.32
ACO-14 Preventive Care and Screening: Influenza Immunization 83.53 72.52
ACO-15 Pneumonia Vaccination Status for Older Adults 83.13 72.92
ACO-16 Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up 66.54 70.69
ACO-17 Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention 94.98 90.48
ACO-18 Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-up Plan 41.94 61.98
ACO-19 Colorectal Cancer Screening70.43 64.58
ACO-20 Breast Cancer Screening 73.12 70.05
ACO-42 Statin Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease 80.40 79.89
ACO-27 Diabetes Mellitus: Hemoglobin A1c Poor Control 13.60 16.74
ACO-41 Diabetes: Eye Exam 50.80 50.37
ACO-28 Hypertension (HTN): Controlling High Blood Pressure 70.42 71.47
ACO-30 Ischemic Vascular Disease (IVD): Use of Aspirin or Another Antithrombotic 92.02 86.86
Please note, the ACO-40 Depression Remission at 12 months quality measure is not included in public reporting due to low samples. Note: In the Quality Performance Results file(s) above, search for “Via Christi Health Alliance in Accountable Care, Inc.” to view the quality performance results. This ACO can also be found by using the ACO ID A36517 in the public use files on data.cms.gov.

Payment Rule Waivers

  • No, our ACO does not utilize the SNF 3-Day Rule Waiver