Across hospitals and health systems, COOs remain focused on improving patient access. As many organizations face growing demand and a need for additional capacity, they are implementing various strategies, including expanding their ambulatory networks and launching telehealth programs. How have their efforts to track access — such as new dashboards and top operational key performance indicators— evolved in 2025?…
CMS has clarified that only select Medicare claims will be held amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, walking back an earlier notice that suggested a broader payment pause. “In light of the continuing government shutdown, CMS will continue to process and pay held claims in a timely manner with the exception of select claims for…
On Jan. 1, CMS will begin implementation of a new alternative payment system for select hospitals. The Transforming Episode Accountability Model will hold participating hospitals responsible for the care quality, costs and post-acute coordination associated with five surgical procedures. The model is intended to mark a shift toward shared accountability and a test of whether healthcare providers…
Out of U.S. News & World Report’s top 50 heart hospitals, Phoenix-based Mayo Clinic Arizona and Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic had the highest total performance scores in CMS’ Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program for fiscal 2025, at 51.5 and 51.08, respectively. Through its HVBP program, CMS pays hospitals for “inpatient acute care services based on the quality of care, not just…
Care New England Health System in Providence, R.I., has participated in value-based contracting for years with some success. But over the last 12 to 18 months, the health system has reframed how they think about “value” to serve the community better. “The Rhode Island landscape for value-based contracting has been financially challenging, and those pressures…
As the second half of 2025 approaches, hospitals and health systems are taking stock of their annual quality improvement initiatives and pushing forward. Three healthcare leaders shared with Becker’s the quality metrics they are tracking most closely, including efficient discharges and fall prevention. Question: Looking ahead to the second half of the year, what is one specific quality…
Albany Med Health System, a nonprofit health system serving northeastern New York and western New England, has entered a strategic partnership with Honest Health to advance its value-based care capabilities. The collaboration, announced in April, will equip Albany, N.Y.-based Albany Med’s advanced practice providers, nurses and more than 800 physicians with real-time insights, predictive analytics and population…
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health — now a 32-hospital system after the 2024 acquisition of Lehigh Valley Health Network — is prioritizing integration and financial sustainability post-transaction. Joseph Cacchione, MD, who has been CEO for the last two and a half years, said the health system — which also includes a nearly 400,000-member health plan and a…
Question Did spending for patients attributed to accountable care organizations (ACOs) differ from other patients enrolled in Medicare in the first decade of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP)? Findings In this difference-in-differences study of more than 8 million patients, ACO formation was associated with a mean differential reduction of $142 (1.2%) in annual per-patient spending over…
As the aging population continues to shift into Medicare eligibility and toward Medicare Advantage programs, provider organizations are seeing their margins shrink to worrisome, unsustainable levels. For health systems, the time is now to pursue smart strategies for sustainability and growth. This was the main theme during an executive learning session at Becker’s 12th Annual…