Overview

What is an Accountable Care Organization?

Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) are groups of doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who voluntarily come together with the goal of delivering: 

  • Better care for patients 

  • Better health for communities 

  • Smarter spending through improvement 

As one of Wisconsin's first ACOs, UW Health ACO is a partnership between UW Health, UnityPoint Health — Meriter physicians, clinics, hospitals, Access Community Health Center and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Together, UW Health ACO participants work to better coordinate your care whether you are in the primary care office, seeing a specialist, admitted to the hospital or at home.

Here are some of the ways that UW Health ACO works to improve your care and overall health: 

  • You are the center of care, and your providers are better able to keep you informed and honor your choices.

  • Care providers communicate with each other to provide better-coordinated care. 

  • Care providers have more information about your medical conditions, prescriptions and visits enabling them to provide the right care at the right time in the right setting. 

  • Care providers will be accountable to you and to payers for providing better care and better care coordination. 

UW Health ACO participates in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model.

More information on the ACO REACH model

Resources

ACO public reporting

ACO name and location

UW Health ACO, Inc.
749 University Row
Madison, Wisconsin 53705 

ACO primary contact

Ann Sheehy, President UW Health ACO, Inc.
UW Health ACO, Inc.
uwhealthaco@uwhealth.org
(608) 821-4998

 ACO joint ventures

We are required by CMS to identify all joint ventures between or among UW Health ACO, Inc. and any of its ACO REACH participants or preferred providers. UW Health ACO, Inc. does not have any joint ventures at this time.

ACO providers

ACO clinical and administrative leadership

Ann Sheehy, MD
UW Health
President and CEO, UW Health ACO, Inc.

David Childers
UnityPoint — Meriter
Vice President, UW Health ACO, Inc.

Sancia Ferguson, MD
UW Health
Medical Director, UW Health ACO, Inc.

ACO governing body

Elizabeth Trowbridge, MD (chair)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Katie Brietzman (Consumer advocate)
NewBridge Madison
Voting power: 10%

Thomas Bugliosi, MD (member)
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
Voting power: 10%

Sarah Davis, JD (member)
Center for Patient Partnerships
Voting power: 10%

Kiah R. Calmese Walker (member)
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
Voting power: 10%

R. Allan Jhagroo, MD (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Farah Khan, MD (member)
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
Voting power: 10%

Julieanne Pofahl (Medicare beneficiary)
Voting power: 10%

Michael Sloan, MD (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Kevin Fehr, MD
Access Community Health Centers
Voting power: 10%

ACO REACH model results

UW Health ACO began participation in the ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model on January 1, 2023. Financial and quality results for performance year 2023 will be reported in Fall 2024.

Next Generation ACO Model results

Shared savings and losses

Performance Year 3 (2018): $4,587,813
Performance Year 4 (2019): $9,182,423
Performance Year 5 (2020): $8,772,746
Performance Year 6 (2021): $2,758,988

  • The proportion of shared savings invested in infrastructure, redesigned care processes and other resources necessary to improve outcomes and reduce Medicare costs for beneficiaries:

    • Performance Year 3: $2,587,813

    • Performance Year 4: $3,384,672 

    • Performance Year 5: $2,772,746

    • Performance Year 6: $1,439,758

  • The proportion of shared savings distributed to Next Generation participants and preferred providers:

    • Performance Year 3: $2,000,000

    • Performance Year 4: $5,797,751 

    • Performance Year 5: $6,000,000

    • Performance Year 6: $1,319,230

Quality performance

Direct contracting professional model results

UW Health ACO began participation in the Direct Contracting Professional Model on January 1, 2022. Financial and quality results for performance year 2023 will be reported in Fall 2024.

Shared savings and losses

Performance Year 1 (2022): $2,439,046

  • The proportion of shared savings invested in infrastructure, redesigned care processes and other resources necessary to improve outcomes and reduce Medicare costs for beneficiaries:

    • Performance Year 1: $1,411,546

  • The proportion of shared savings distributed to Next Generation participants and preferred providers:

    • Performance Year 1: $1,027,500

Quality performance

Contact information

Connect with the ACO

If you have questions about UW Health ACO please contact: 

For UW Health patients:
(800) 552-4255

For UPH-Meriter patients:
(608) 417-6027

Population Health

Striving to help you live healthier

UW Health Accountable Care Organization is part of Population Health at UW Health.

Population health partners with our providers and staff to develop programs designed to improve health. These programs may take place in the hospital, clinic, community or in your home.

We also work in partnership with our colleagues in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Community Relations on initiatives that promote health equity.

Learn more about Population Health at UW Health

Learn about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UW Health

Learn about Community Relations at UW Health