Spring 2026 Conference Agenda
April 22–24
Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
NAACOS conferences are the only events organized exclusively by ACOs.
Schedule: Wednesday (pre-conference workshops): 1:00–5:00 pm ET
Thursday (Main Meeting): 7:30 am–6:30 pm ET
Friday (Main Meeting): 7:30 am–3:00 pm ET
Plenary Presentations:
Keynote by Jennifer Goldsack
MChem, MA, MBA, OLY
CEO
Digital Medicine Society
Plenary Session
AI in ACTION: New Solutions that Advance Accountable Care
Thursday, April 23
| 7:00 am | Registration Open Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Premier | Key 3-4 |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Alliant VBHS | Key 9-10 |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Persivia | Key 11-12 |
| 8:30 – 10:30 am | Opening Plenary The Promise of AI-enabled Tools and Technology to Advance Accountable Care and Population Health Moderator: Arshad Rahim, Mount Sinai Health System Panelists: Tamra Ruymann, Physicians of Southwest Washington, Tesha Simpson, CEO, Millennium Physicians; Micky Tripathi, Mayo Clinic; Zachary Yoder, St. Anthony’s Health/OSF Healthcare Hear from leaders transforming healthcare delivery how they are incorporating AI into their work to improve the health of the populations they serve. You can count on this group to separate fact from fiction, promise from pitfalls, and add a dose of reality as they build out this work from pilot to production moving through governance, strategy, clinical delivery and back-end operations. This session will tee up a year-long series of forums to help NAACOS members get smarter, faster about tech-enable care use cases and enterprise solutions that can scale your work and improve outcomes. | Key 5-8 |
| 10:30 – 11:00 am | Coffee Break Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Community Health Centers: Putting the “Value” in VBC Chair: Joe Pierle Objectives: • Explore advantages of including CHCs in your VBC network and how to engage and partner with CHCs • Understand how CHCs drive improved outcomes and efficient spending for Medicaid populations • Learn how CHCs, community care hubs, and VBC organizations can work together to amplify success • Learn how CHCs use technology and analytics to drive performance | Key 1-2 |
| 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Cost, Capitation, and Care Accountability: Leveraging Cohesive Payment Strategies that Align Meaningful Incentives Chair: Natalie McGann, Tandigm Health Objectives: • Explore downstream payment model design and provider compensation models, assessing their impact on performance, cost, and care accountability • Understand the operational challenges and approaches for aligning incentives between upstream and downstream risk | Key 3-4 |
| 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Using AI in population health operations OR predictive modeling Chair: TBD | Key 9-10 |
| 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Revolutionize home-based primary care Chair: Rebecca Adkins, Jefferson Health Objectives: • Newest advances in home-based primary care with a positive outlook sustainability • Payment models to best support advanced home-based care models • Challenges and considerations for new home based primary care programs • Highlight 4 successful models across the U.S. | Key 11-12 |
| 12:30 – 2:00 pm | Networking Lunch Exhibits Open | Key 5-8 Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 2:00 – 3:30 pm | Leveraging Risk for Reward: Navigating a Shifting Payment Environment Chair: Mark Gwynne, UNC Health Objectives • Analyze current trends shaping risk-based and value-based payment models and their implications for ACOs, providers, and payers. • Discuss actionable approaches to align clinical and financial incentives to achieve success with payment changes | Key 1-2 |
| 2:00 – 3:30 pm | Population Health Best Practices for Managing Heart Failure Chair: Ashish Parikh, Summit Health/VillageMD Objectives: • Explore high-value strategies for managing heart failure at the population level • Evaluate how to design, implement, and sustain initiatives to address key chronic conditions through your VBC network | Key 3-4 |
| 2:00 – 3:30 pm | End of Life Care in a Value-based World Chair: Mark Angelo, Tandigm Health Objectives: • Identify opportunities for integration of primary and specialty palliative care into risk contracts and value-based care models for delivery of goal concordant care • Outline key components of effective palliative care programs in accountable care • Demonstrate the impact on quality and utilization outcomes as well as financial performance through delivery of goal-concordant care at the end of life | Key 9-10 |
| 2:00 – 3:30 pm | Engaging Specialists in Care Delivery Transformation: Applications from NAACOS Specialty Care Guidebook Chair: Erin Hurlburt, Lumeris Objectives: • Identify change motivators unique to specialty care when advancing VBC and driving care transformation • Apply lessons and best practices from specialist engagement toolkits to drive alignment | Key 11-12 |
| 3:30 – 4:00 pm | Break Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 4:00 – 5:30 pm | Affinity Group – Compliance and Legal | Key 1-2 |
| 4:00 – 5:30 pm | Affinity Group – Clinical and Performance Improvement | Key 3-4 |
| 4:00 – 5:30 pm | Affinity Group – Operations and Executive | Key 9-10 |
| 4:00 – 5:30 pm | Affinity Group – Data and Analytics | Key 11-12 |
| 5:30 – 6:00 pm ……………………………………… | Reception Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers ……………………………………… |
Friday, April 24
| 7:00 am | Registration Open Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Milliman | Key 3-4 |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Wellsky | Key 9-10 |
| 7:30 – 8:15 am | Business Partner Sponsored Breakfast – Infor | Key 11-12 |
| 8:30 – 9:15 am | Plenary Keynote by Jennifer Goldsack, MChem, MA, MBA, OLY CEO Digital Medicine Society | Key 5-8 |
| 9:15 – 9:45 am | Break Exhibits Open | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 9:45 – 11:15 am | Applying Successful VBC Strategies across Duals Populations Chair: Franke Elliott, Bloom Healthcare Objectives: • Apply lessons from high-performing MA dual-eligible special needs plan (D-SNP) programs to dual-eligible populations in accountable care • Explore operational, financial, and clinical opportunities for integrating Medicare and Medicare benefits | Key 1-2 |
| 9:45 – 11:15 am | Radical Collaboration: Building Payer-Provider Partnerships for a Stronger Health Ecosystem Chair: Robert Millette, Astrana Health Objectives: • Design partnership frameworks that yield results and embrace collaboration to scale VBC across multi-payer strategies • Discuss strategies for maintaining strong payer-provider partnerships and contract sustainability through policy changes and market shifts | Key 3-4 |
| 9:45 – 11:15 am | Innovative Outpatient Strategies to Prevent Hospitalizations and Improve Health Chair: Gene Quinn, Envoy Integrated Health ACO Objectives: • Describe ACO-based outpatient strategies used to reduce preventable hospital admissions and emergency department utilization • Compare different organizational approaches to chronic disease management, care transitions, and whole-person health aimed at keeping patients in the outpatient setting • Explain the role of pharmacists in improving medication adherence, safety, and chronic disease outcomes to reduce avoidable hospitalizations • Identify how community health workers can be integrated into care teams to support patient navigation and address social drivers of health • Apply practical lessons from ACO leaders to their own clinical or organizational settings to improve outcomes and reduce total cost of care. | Key 9-10 |
| 9:45 – 11:15 am | The Future of Fraud, Waste and Abuse: Tech-enabled Solutions for Early Detection and Reporting Chair: Joyce Colton, Ascension Objectives: • Learn about the recent Crushing Fraud Chili Cook Off Competition and what that means for your ACO • Understand Center for Program Integrity and how they are collaborating with ACOs on combating FWA in Traditional Medicare • Learn key talking points on educating executives, providers and patients on FWA. | Key 11-12 |
| 11:15 – 11:30 am | Break | Key Ballroom Foyers |
| 11:30 – 1:00 pm | Maintaining Independence in a World of Consolidation Chair: Stephen Nuckolls, Coastal Carolina Quality Care Objectives: • Provide insights and strategies for provider groups to maintain their independence with payment and operations challenges today • Evaluate joining a convener or utilizing PE funding in risk arrangements | Key 1-2 |
| 11:30 – 1:00 pm | Advancing Value-Based Care in Rural Communities: Partnering with States to Leverage Rural Health Transformation Grants Chair: Rick Goddard, Lumeris Objectives: • Understand the unique challenges and opportunities in implementing value-based care (VBC) models within rural healthcare systems • Explore how state-led rural health transformation grants and initiatives can support sustainable VBC infrastructure, innovation, and financial stability | Key 3-4 |
| 11:30 – 1:00 pm | CMMI Model Developments Chair: Aisha Pittman, NAACOS | Key 9-10 |
| 11:30 – 1:00 pm | Cross-Payer Strategies in the Move to Digital Quality Chair: Megan Reyna, Bon Secours Mercy Health Objectives: • Understand what the transition to digital quality reporting approaches means for your organization • Evaluate how organizations are designing quality strategies to drive alignment across contracts while preparing for the shift to digital quality measures • Explore effective strategies to prepare your VBC organization for the digital quality shift, including through provider education and data analytics | Key 11-12 |
| 1:00 – 2:45 pm ……………………………………… | Closing Plenary AI in ACTION: New Solutions that Advance Accountable Care AI promises a world of efficiencies, with the power streamline clinical burdens and enhance patient experience, but what tools and use cases align with the principles of accountable care to drive value in health care? Hear from your fellow members how they are incorporating AI into their work to improve the health of the populations they serve. Moving beyond clinical documentation and population segmentation, these leaders will share specific solutions they have put in place and the results they are seeing, with key learnings for you as you explore and implement tools and build out AI use cases. This session is the first in a year-long series of forums to help NAACOS members get smarter, faster about tech-enable care with use cases and enterprise solutions that can scale your work and improve outcomes. | Key 5-8 ……………………………………… |