Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2016 - (Page 261)

S T U D E N T E S S A Y Strategic Plan for Maximizing Shared Savings in Accountable Care Organizations Savanna B. Williams, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y One of the major benefits to a provider beginning or joining an accountable care organization (ACO) is the potential for achieving shared savings from the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This essay provides a strategic plan for ACO participants to maximize their shared savings through a physician-led structure and the creation of a high-value referral network. Physician-led ACOs are generally more flexible than those affiliated with a hospital and can implement more effective cost-saving initiatives, focus more intently on lowering the cost of delivering primary care, and achieve higher shared saving rates. Combining the strategies presented in this essay allows ACOs, no matter their size, to maximize their shared savings and become a model for future ACOs. For more information about the concepts in this essay, contact Ms. Williams at swilliams@aledade.com. Ms. Williams is the first-place winner of the undergraduate division of the 2016 ACHE Richard J. Stull Student Essay Competition in Healthcare Management. For more information about this competition, contact Sheila T. Brown at (312) 424-9316. 261

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2016

Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2016
Contents
Interview With Eric S. Weaver, FACHE, FACMPE, FHIMSS, President of the Central Texas Market for Innovista Health Solutions
The Value of Physician Leaders
Four Ways to Better Time the Transition to Value
Strategic Plan for Maximizing Shared Savings in Accountable Care Organizations
Seven-Step Pathway for Preventing Errors in Healthcare
Assessing the Cost of Prophylactic Antibiotic Use After Cleft Lip and Lip Adhesion Procedures
Funding Accountable Care in Oregon: Financial Models in Two Coordinated Care Organizations

Journal of Healthcare Management - July/August 2016