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.
Resources
ACO public reporting
ACO name and location
UW Health ACO, Inc.
749 University Row
Madison, Wisconsin 53705
ACO primary contact
Peter Newcomer, Interim 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
Peter Newcomer, MD
UW Health
President and CEO, UW Health ACO, Inc.
David Childers
UnityPoint - Meriter
Vice President, UW Health ACO, Inc.
Peter Newcomer, MD
UW Health
Interim 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.
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 2022 will be reported in Fall 2023.
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
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