A Pioneering ACO in Nebraska

Over the holiday break I talked with Nebraska state Senator Jeremy Nordquist about an accountable care organization in the state. In addition to his many duties in the Nebraska legislature, Senator Nordquist also served as the Chairman of the Health Committee for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and serves on its Transforming Health Care through Technology committee.

During our discussion, Senator Nordquist told me about an ACO of two competing hospitals that started in July 2010. The Nebraska Medical Center and Methodist Health System created The Accountable Care Alliance. Senator Nordquist also shared with me that his vision for future healthcare in the United States would include many of these new accountable care organizations.

“This ACO and others like it, and the efforts they are putting forth, are making patients healthier as well as saving taxpayers money as we lower healthcare costs for our citizens. Here in Nebraska, the Accountable Care Alliance (ACA) is designed to bring providers, payers, and eventually patients, together in a common platform where incentives are aligned to reward higher quality, cost-efficient care.”

If you have followed my monthly blogs, you are aware that I am teaching many family members about ACOs. While I was in Florida recently, I directed family members to a You Tube presentation by Ken Klaasmeyer, FACHE, and Peter Whited, M.D., that explained how the Accountable Care Alliance would focus on improving patient outcomes, and the overall quality of healthcare provided.

Through the power of the Internet, and especially through multiple You Tube presentations, people are starting to understand they are responsible for their own healthcare. They are also learning that preventive care prescribed by their doctors will result in a healthier lifestyle.
                                                                                                                                                               I have been able to use the Accountable Care Alliance in Nebraska as an example when I explain that, in the very near future, it is clear that reimbursements will be different. Because of these differences, our country should finally get some of our healthcare costs under control and improve the health of our citizens.
                                                                                                                                                                             Has anyone else used the power of the Internet to explain accountable care organizations and how they will make the patient more responsible and more productive, and as a result, improve their quality of life?

Read more about pioneering accountable care organizations.