A valuable guide to starting and running a successful accountable care organization. Health care in America is undergoing great change. Soon, accountable care organizations—health care organizations that tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the cost of care—will be ubiquitous. But how do you set up an ACO? How does an ACO function? And what are the keys to creating a profitable ACO? Pathways to a Successful Accountable Care Organization will help guide you through the complicated process of establishing and running an ACO. Peter A. Gross, MD, who has firsthand experience as the chairman of a successful ACO, breaks down how he did it and describes the pitfalls he discovered along the way. In-depth essays by a group of expert authors touch on • the essential ingredients of a successful ACO • monitoring and submitting Group Practice Reporting Option quality measures • mastering your patients' responses to the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey • how bundled payments and CPC+ can meld with your ACO • how MACRA and MIPS affect your ACO • the role of an ACO/CIN • the complexities of post-acute care • data analytics • engaging and integrating physician practices Dr. Gross and his colleagues are in a perfect position to guide other health care leaders through the ACO process while also providing excellent case studies for policy professionals who are interested in how their work influences health care delivery. Readers will come away with the necessary knowledge to thrive and be rewarded with cost savings. Contributors: Joshua Bennett, Allison Brennan, Glen Champlin, Kris Corwin, Guy D'Andrea, Joseph F. Damore, Mitchel Easton, Andy Edeburn, Seth Edwards, Jennifer Gasperini, Kris Gates, Shawn Griffin, Peter A. Gross, Brent Hardaway, Mark Hiller, Beth Ireton, Thomas Kloos, Jeremy Mathis, Miriam McKisic, Morey Menacker, Denise Patriaco, Elyse Pegler, John Pitsikoulis, Michael Schweitzer, Bryan F. Smith

Chronic conditions and diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Europe, accounting for 86% of total premature deaths, and research suggests that complex conditions such as diabetes and depression will impose an even greater health burden in the future - and not only for the rich and elderly in high-income countries, but increasingly for the poor as well as low- and middle-income countries. The epidemiologic and economic analyses in the first part of the book suggest that policy-makers should make chronic disease a priority. This book highlights the issues and focuses on the strategies and interventions that policy-makers have at their disposal to tackle this increasing challenge. Strategic discussed in the second part of this volume include (1) prevention and early detection, (2) new provider qualifications (e.g. nurse practitioners) and settings, (3) disease management programmes and (4) integrated care models. But choosing the right strategies will be difficult, particularly given the limited evidence on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. In the third part, the book therefore outlines and discusses institutional and organizational challenges for policy-makers and managers: (1) stimulating the development of new effective pharmaceuticals and medical devices, (2) designing appropriate financial incentives, (3) improving coordination, (4) using information and communication technology, and (5) ensuring evaluation. To tackle these challenges successfully, key policy recommendations are made.

The decade ahead will test the nation's nearly 4 million nurses in new and complex ways. Nurses live and work at the intersection of health, education, and communities. Nurses work in a wide array of settings and practice at a range of professional levels. They are often the first and most frequent line of contact with people of all backgrounds and experiences seeking care and they represent the largest of the health care professions. A nation cannot fully thrive until everyone - no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make - can live their healthiest possible life, and helping people live their healthiest life is and has always been the essential role of nurses. Nurses have a critical role to play in achieving the goal of health equity, but they need robust education, supportive work environments, and autonomy. Accordingly, at the request of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, on behalf of the National Academy of Medicine, an ad hoc committee under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study aimed at envisioning and charting a path forward for the nursing profession to help reduce inequities in people's ability to achieve their full health potential. The ultimate goal is the achievement of health equity in the United States built on strengthened nursing capacity and expertise. By leveraging these attributes, nursing will help to create and contribute comprehensively to equitable public health and health care systems that are designed to work for everyone. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity explores how nurses can work to reduce health disparities and promote equity, while keeping costs at bay, utilizing technology, and maintaining patient and family-focused care into 2030. This work builds on the foundation set out by The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011) report.

The third installment in the Pathways to Quality Health Care series, Rewarding Provider Performance: Aligning Incentives in Medicare, continues to address the timely topic of the quality of health care in America. Each volume in the series effectively evaluates specific policy approaches within the context of improving the current operational framework of the health care system. The theme of this particular book is the staged introduction of pay for performance into Medicare. Pay for performance is a strategy that financially rewards health care providers for delivering high-quality care. Building on the findings and recommendations described in the two companion editions, Performance Measurement and Medicare's Quality Improvement Organization Program, this book offers options for implementing payment incentives to provide better value for America's health care investments. This book features conclusions and recommendations that will be useful to all stakeholders concerned with improving the quality and performance of the nation's health care system in both the public and private sectors.