Three Nicholson-supported Community Healthcare Coalitions Certified by the State of New Jersey as Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
6.30.2015
News
The New Jersey Department of Human Services has announced the certification of three community healthcare coalitions to implement the Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Demonstration Project. The new Medicaid ACOs are:
- Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers
- Healthy Greater Newark ACO
- Trenton Health Team
In each of these communities, hospitals, healthcare providers, grassroots organizations, and residents created these coalitions to facilitate healthcare payment and delivery system reform. The State’s certification now enables the communities to apply this unique approach to improving the quality and reducing the cost of healthcare for Medicaid patients.
Over the past several years, in keeping with its philanthropic principles, The Nicholson Foundation has invested more than $10 million in a program of complementary projects to advance the development of the ACO approach to healthcare delivery. For example, Foundation funding helped the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers and the Trenton Health Team build their infrastructure and organizational capacity so that they could become successful Medicaid ACOs. The Foundation also funds education and technical assistance efforts and supports the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute’s QI Collaborative, a statewide learning network for the community coalitions.
Nicholson funds data analyses that identify opportunities for the ACO communities to improve care and reduce costs. For example, it is funding the Camden Coalition to conduct “hotspotting” analyses, which identify specific areas within the communities whose residents are high users of hospital services. Rutgers Center for State Health Policy analyses of low-income New Jersey communities have provided additional valuable data on healthcare utilization and costs, behavioral health conditions and avoidable hospital use, social and economic indicators, and use of emergency departments for dental care.
Understanding the lessons learned from the ACO Demonstration Project will be a critical component of this effort. Therefore, The Nicholson Foundation is helping to support a comprehensive evaluation of the project. The evaluation will be conducted by the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy.
This certification announcement marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in ongoing efforts by New Jersey communities to deliver better, smarter care for Medicaid recipients.
Learn More:
New Jersey Department of Human Services Medicaid ACO Pilot Launch Press Release
New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute Medicaid ACO Demonstration Project Teleconference:
Media Coverage: