NAACOS Virtual Conference Agenda

Tuesday through Thursday
June 9 – June 25

The in-person NAACOS Spring 2020 Conference was cancelled due to the pandemic.  As a result, we will be holding the conference virtually during the month of June.  The conference sessions will take place Tuesdays through Thursdays, June 9–June 25.  There will be 18 60-minute sessions.  The first session will be held from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET and the second session will be held from 2:153:15 p.m..  All sessions will be streamed on naacoslive.com and all registrants of the spring conference will receive log-in information at the beginning of June.  All sessions will be recorded and will be available to all registrants on naacoslive.com

If you did not register for the Spring 2020 Conference and would like to participate in the virtual conference, register now!

If you are looking to view the live conference, use your login and join us live!

Presenter Slides

WEEK 1

Tuesday, June 9

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Opening Keynote

Accountable Care Thought Leader Don Berwick, MD

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Successful Strategies for Physician Engagement and Motivation
Chair: Elissa Langley, Triad Healthcare Network
Speakers: Jami Berger, Arizona Care Network; Victoria Farias, Rio Grande Valley Health Alliance, LLC 

Learn innovative and unique strategies from experienced ACO panelists for creating direct “lines of sight” for improved quality performance and maximized physician incentive payments. 

 
Wednesday, June 10

1:00 – 2:00 pm

ACO Waivers: Considerations, Planning, Implementation, and Management
Chair: Melody Danko-Holsomback, Geisinger/Keystone ACO
Panelists: Chris Butters, UnityPoint Health; Sharon Kimball, UNC; Cindy Yeager, Keystone ACO 

This session will cover potential ROI for ACOs who implement the available waivers including SNF, Telehealth, other. Information on creating a comprehensive implementation plan including technology and staffing needs and application document requirements. Tips for hiring staff to carry out the waiver required processes and educating both staff and providers. Lastly, program management post-implementation with continued quality, ROI data or reporting needs.

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Critical Policy Update for ACOs
Chair: Allison Brennan, NAACOS
Panelists: Jennifer Gasperini and David Pittman, NAACOS; Sandra Van Trease, BJC ACO

This session will review key regulatory issues for ACOs including Pathways to Success policies that have recently taken effect, new Quality Payment Program requirements for 2020, and other recent policy developments ACOs should be aware of.

 

Thursday, June 11

1:00  2:00 pm

Innovation Center Outlook: Understanding Recent Announcements and Participation
Chair: Allison Brennan, NAACOS
Panelist: Dave Ault, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Emily Brower, Trinity Health; Melanie Matthews, Physicians of Southwest Washington and MultiCare Connected Care; Perry Payne, CMMI; David Pittman, NAACOS

The CMS Innovation Center recently announced how it will make adjustments to various Alternative Payment Models (APMs) to account for the COVID-19 public health emergency. These include an extension of the Next Generation ACO Model, a three-month delay in the Direct Contracting Model, and financial methodology updates for COVID-19, among others. Following this news, organizations have a renewed interest in understanding these models, the changes made, and how it effects their work moving forward. This session will review recent changes, revised application deadlines, and considerations for those participating or wanting to participate. NAACOS staff will provide an update on current policies and Next Generation ACO Model participants will offer their perspective on the model. 

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Care Management: Structure and Process to Drive Success in Value-Based Care
Chair: Rob Fields, Mount Sinai Health System
Panelist: Nancy Adler, Maria Basso Lipani, and Kristin Muzina, Mount Sinai Health Partners 

Care management is a critical element in value-based care but how ACOs execute on their care management strategy varies greatly as do the outcomes for the patients that are served. In this session, the panel will discuss different models of care management as well as particular types of infrastructure and processes that are designed to improve quality and reduce cost. Topics will include social determinants, use of technology including remote monitoring, and the use of data and analytics to drive your care management strategy.

WEEK 2

Tuesday, June 16

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Understanding Data Analytic Platforms and Services
Chair: Travis Broome, Aledade
Panelists: Edwin Miller, Aledade; Sandy Nesin, Community Care Partnership of Maine; Anna Taylor, MultiCare Health System 

No one in health care has access to a greater variety of data than an ACO. The ways ACOs process and use that data are just as varied. Hear from three ACOs who have taken different approaches. (1) Build: Hire your own developers and build your own, (2) General contractor approach: Hire several vendors for specific things and pull it together yourself, or (3) Partner approach: Hire an end to end solution vendor.

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Telehealth Policy and Regulation
Chair: David Pittman, NAACOS
Panelists: Mark Foulke, Privia Health; Shishir Khetan, Privia Health; Emily Yoder, CMS; Mark Foulke, Privia Health; Ron Tamler, Mount Sinai Health System 

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically shifted the way care is delivered, as traditional office visits are replaced by telehealth services. Congress and CMS have granted freedoms to providers to improve access to and use of telehealth. This panel will update attendees on those recent changes. ACOs will share how they’re using telehealth in their practices. Attendees should leave with a better understanding of the current telehealth landscape and how it can be better implemented in their ACOs 

Wednesday, June 17

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Implementing a Care Management Strategy for High-Risk Populations (Lessons Learned from COVID-19)
Strategies to Keep Patients Healthy and At Home Before, During and After the Potential Surge
Chair: Debbie Welle-Powell, Essentia Health 
Panelists: Tom Kloos, Atlantic Health ACO and Optimus; Jamie Reedy, Summit Medical Group - NJ; Michael Van Scoy, Essentia Health

In an effort to keep people healthy, lessen the potential risk of exposure to other patients and staff, decrease the impact of a surge on the health system’s ED, and financial impact through cost-avoidance, the panelists will discuss their system’s approach to responding to Covid 19. Learn the details of its preventative outreach and care management plan to keep patients healthy and at home.

  • Examine the CDC criteria used to identify patients at highest-risk for COVID-19, including age, chronic conditions, and comorbidities
  • Stratify patients based on risk to create a target group for high touch care management
  • Discuss the process, staffing, and infrastructure necessary to provide that target group education and resources for virtual visits and remote monitoring
  • Integrate behavioral health screenings, social needs assessments, advance care planning, medication reconciliation and more into the care management plan
  • Envision a new care model, post CV-19, to better manage chronic conditions and more efficiently deliver care at home

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Care in the Home: Health Care's Next Frontier
Chair: Rob Mechanic, Institute for Accountable Care
Panelists: Amina Ahmed, CareOne; Susan Erickson, Scripps ACO; Bruce Leff, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Dianne Schultz, UnityPoint Health 

More than half of potentially preventable Medicare spending is incurred by frail elderly patients who frequently have difficulty accessing timely ambulatory care. For such patients, home-based care can reduce hospitalizations caused by exacerbation of chronic conditions, improve quality, increase patient and caregiver satisfaction, and identify and address social determinants of health. This session will examine a range of models adopted by ACOs including their design, impact on health spending, success factors and implementation challenges

 

Thursday, June 18

1:00 – 2:00 pm

The Pop Health Model’s Essential Elements for Addressing the COVID Pandemic and Beyond: Post Acute Care
Chair: Anthony Reed, Ascension
Panelists: Andrea Ortman, Geisinger Health Sytem; Ronda Winans, Trinity Health

During the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, ACOs can benefit from a standardized process for discharging inpatients recovering from COVID-19 and inpatients who have not been infected with the virus to the safe next level of care. This session will explore components and approaches for successful post acute discharge planning.

2:15 – 3:15 pm

A Foot in Two Canoes - Succeeding in both Fee-For-Service and Value-Based Care
Chair: Rick Foerster, Privia Health
Panelists: Ashish Parikh and Jamie Reedy, Summit Medical Group NJ; Ben Sparks, UnityPoint Health; Sam Starbuck, Privia Health 

While the healthcare industry is moving towards value-based care, fee-for-service remains a reality for nearly everyone. How do ACOs balance managing that reality? Panelists will discuss the reality of juggling FFS and VBC contracts and how they’ve achieved success.

 

WEEK 3

Tuesday, June 23

1:00 – 2:00 pm

The Pop Health Model’s Essential Elements for Addressing the COVID Pandemic and Beyond: Redeployment of Resources
Chair: Emily Brower, Trinity Health 
Panelists: Ed Clarke, Banner Health; Michael Hebert, Reliant Medical Group; Tricia Wise, Mount Carmel Health Partners

Learn from ACO leaders how they redeployed their ACO teams – and in particular their population health expertise -- to quickly address needs raised by COVID-19.   Panelists will describe where they focused their teams, what worked…and what didn’t. 

2:15 – 3:15 pm

Optimizing the Impact of Drug Spending
Chair: Mark Angelo, Delaware Valley ACO
Panelists: Laura Balsamini, Summit Medical Group; Stephen Nuckolls, Coastal Carolina Quality Care; Ruchi Tiwari, Mount Sinai Health System

This panel will provide an understanding of the opportunities and challenges in managing drug spending within value-based care settings. Panelists will also present case studies demonstrating strategies that have succeeded in their ACOs.

 

Wednesday, June 24

1:00 – 2:00 pm

The Pop Health Model’s Essential Elements for Addressing the COVID Pandemic and Beyond: Telehealth
Chair: Travis Broome, Aledade
Panelists: Daniel Hyman, AllCare Health Alliance; Julia Jenkins, UnityPoint Accountable Care; Theresa Knowles, Community CarePartnership of Maine

2:15 – 3:15 pm

The Future of Population Health Management — Data Sharing Is the Change Agent
Chair: Melanie Matthews, Physicians of Southwest Washington and MultiCare Connected Care
Panelists: Anna-Noelle Routh, CMS, Anna Taylor and Ann Goldman, MultiCare Health System; Jen Perloff, Institute for Accountable Care 

Focus on new CMS initiatives to provide data to patients, clinicians and ACOs to improve lead time, formatting structure and ease for data retrieval for action. Get the insight on current and expected data releases and how big technologies are providing easy to use apps for various audiences in the healthcare continuum. Discuss perspectives on how ACOs need to be engaged with CMS directly in this process versus relying on EHR or population health platforms vendors. 

 

Thursday, June 25

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Lessons Learned from ACO Response to COVID Pandemic
Chair: Tom Kloos, Optimus Healthcare and Atlantic ACO
Panelists: Karen Cabell, Kootenai Care Network; Ashley Fitch, Mount Sinai Health System; Sandy Nesin, St. Joseph's Healthcare 

Join us for an interactive discussion of the many challenges and lessons learned during the initial stage of the COVID pandemic. Panelists from an array of ACOs will share their frontline experiences, and you will have an opportunity to share your story and ask questions.  Mt. Sinai in New York City used a proactive outreach strategy, taking into account the drivers of social determinants of health and developing community-based relationships. St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Maine adapted their organization’s policies and procedures to support physician needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) and use of telemedicine. Atlanticare in New Jersey addressed challenges with long term care facilities, including PPE, advanced care directives, staffing, and treating in place. Kootenai Care Network in Northern Idaho faced the unique challenges of a rural health care provider.

2:15 – 3:15 pm

CMS Townhall
Moderator: Allison Brennan, NAACOS
CMS Speakers: John Pilotte and Pauline Lapin, CMS
Additional Panelists: Tom Kloos, Optimus Healthcare and Atlantic ACO; Jessica Walradt, Northwestern Medicine

This session includes a town hall format and is an important way for ACOs and CMS to have an open dialogue about the Medicare ACO program, including discussion on evolving policies and how ACOs fit into CMS’s overall goal of improving Medicare payment and healthcare delivery. This is an excellent opportunity for ACO executives to pose questions and receive answers directly from CMS leaders and to hear the newest developments straight from the agency.