The Care Centered Collaborative, a new Harrisburg-based health care company founded by thousands of Pennsylvania physicians statewide, is now open for business and says it has the tools to help independent physicians enhance the patient experience through higher quality care, cost savings, and greater customer satisfaction.
“We are in a new health care world that is evolving every day,” says Jaan Sidorov, MD, president and chief executive officer of the Care Centered Collaborative. “As healthcare delivery becomes more focused on value, both physicians and their patients are keenly interested in having access to care options that reduce the burden of chronic disease and improves well-being.”
Formed by the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED), the leading advocate for Pennsylvania patients and their physicians, the Care Centered Collaborative supports the provision of value-based care by Pennsylvania physicians. One new service will enable care excellence in the federal government’s Quality Payment Program (QPP). Established by the landmark Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (“MACRA”), QPP is designed to promote high quality healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries.
In addition to fostering excellence in QPP, Care Centered Collaborative will partner with physicians to gain greater efficiencies to build superior access to care and services for Pennsylvania’s patients including accurate insurance claims handling, care management services, and health informatics technology. Joint programs designed to improve patient care with other health care organizations are also planned.
“Today’s health care is about providing high quality care at the lowest costs possible while increasing patient satisfaction,” Dr. Sidorov says. “That’s what we all want and that’s why we’ve built a Pennsylvania-specific company with local expert staff who know the Keystone State’s health care environment inside out. Through the Care Centered Collaborative, we’ve made a very a strong commitment to advancing access to high quality care for our friends and neighbors … the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
Dr. Sidorov says this company will improve care because they fully understand how ever-changing regulations are forcing independent medical practices to transform, while still preserving physician-led team based care and the doctor-patient relationship. Care coordination becomes the linchpin of this health care environment.
“The culture of health care is transforming,” he says. “Physicians were once service providers and now they need to be clinical managers, handling the most complicated cases but also supervising day-to-day care and management by other clinicians.”
According to Dr. Sidorov, funding by PAMED for up to $15 million for the Care Centered Collaborative was preceded by months of advance work and preparation. This set the foundation before the PAMED House of Delegates, representing 18,000 members of the organization, unanimously voted to move forward with the new company. The Care Centered Collaborative will be headquartered at 777 East Park Drive in Harrisburg, and currently is growing to include 10 full-time employees.
“There is growing evidence that physician-led care through a team of health care professions is excellent care, and this can create value to patients, payers, and health care professionals,” says Charles Cutler, MD, president of PAMED. “As we look into the future and what it holds, we believe the Care Centered Collaborative will be an asset to Pennsylvania’s physicians and their patients. We’re very excited to see this new company up and running.”
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