ACO SERVICES

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have been in the spotlight since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decided to launch an ACO pilot for Medicare.  ¨Much of the academic literature and research speaks to the strategic competencies ¨required to create and sustain a successful accountable care organization.

We've taken this a step further in our whitepaper "Accountable Care: Are You Ready?" by outlining ten practical steps to assess readiness for and to launch an ACO. We have the perspective and expertise that will not only help you develop a strategy for accountable care, but realistically transform that strategy into successful execution.


METHODOLOGY

Phase 1: Mobilization
Successful projects result from proper planning/mobilization, committed team members, effective project management and sound planning. Effective project mobilization optimizes resource utilization and the project outcome by allowing clients time to gather required input materials for Harpeth Consulting and by providing the joint core project team requisite time to perform the necessary tasks.

Phase 2: At-Risk Payment Arrangement Impact & Gap Analysis
In order to understand the current state ¨of operations and the client's ability to manage at-risk payment arrangements, Harpeth Consulting will gather and evaluate data from the client. This analysis will be the basis for the Impact and Gap Analysis and ACO Strategic Options. Recognizing that the client will evaluate and select implementation projects on the basis of this assessment, it is imperative that these activities be well structured and comprehensive.

Phase 3: Develop & Execute Implementation Plan ¨powered by onFocus™
Once an ACO strategic option has been selected, Harpeth Consulting will work with the client’s management team and staff to develop a road map for ensuring that the client is ready to go at-risk within the desired timeframe. In order to affect ¨"quick wins", we will use a modified Lean™ approach during the assessment phase, meaning if we come across readiness opportunities that can be implemented quickly and with minimal impact on cost, we will communicate those to management and staff during the course of the engagement rather than waiting until the official report is delivered. Regardless, all readiness opportunities will be captured in our technology-driven execution tool, onFocus™. Each opportunity will have associated tasks, subtasks, resource requirements, projected timeliness, estimated costs and will be organized by chronology, prioritization or both.