Dive Brief:
- Bethesda, MD-based Aledade, Inc. has announced the formation of a new primary care physician-led Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in Arkansas that it describes as "the first of its kind in the state."
- The move expands on Aledade’s earlier work with Arkansas practices that previously participated in its multi-state Aledade Primary Care ACO.
- The new ACO already has ten independent practices lined up to participate, bringing more than 40 providers who serve more than 12,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
Dive Insight:
Aledade, founded in 2014 by Dr. Farzad Mostashari, former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, prides itself on its ACO model centered on care coordination, population health management, preventive care, and striving to allow physicians to focus on healthcare. To accomplish its goals it leans heavily on its provision of user-friendly technology and data analytics.
The company noted its new Arkansas ACO is also supported by the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. (AFMC), a quality improvement organization that will provide knowledge of the local healthcare landscape and guidance to the ACO practices.
“At a time when regulation and consolidation are making it harder for independent physicians to deliver quality, personalized care to the communities they serve, Aledade offers a new model of primary care that puts physicians back where they should be: quarterbacking their patients’ health care,” Mostashari stated.
Aledade highlights that the model also provides physicians with "unparalleled" regulatory expertise, best practices from a national network of primary care physicians, and face-to-face practice transformation support. Some of the Arkansas ACO practices also aim to participate in CMS’ new Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) initiative, the company said.