CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners, CommonSpirit Health, Lead Efforts in Value-Based Care Transition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 14, 2021) – CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners, the largest accountable care organization (ACO) in Kentucky, recently announced that it has generated a savings to Medicare for two consecutive years as a participant in the 2020 Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), achieving a savings of $4.5 million. CommonSpirit Health, of which CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners is a part, tallied a ministry-wide savings of $136 million.

Initiated with the Affordable Care Act in 2015, value-based agreements became the catalyst for transitioning the health care industry from the unsustainable fee-for-service model to reimbursement for value-based care. Since the adoption of the ACA, several private insurers have followed suit. As part of the shared savings model, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shares a portion of those savings with the local ACO for investment back into the health care system. Shared savings received for 2020 total $3.3 million.

The MSSP program works to lower the cost of care, specifically focused on documenting the quality of care. In 2020, CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners achieved a quality score of 97%, a 5-point improvement over 2019 performance, in spite of the industry’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, our focus shifted to ensuring our patients had safe access to care whether via telehealth or even by phone; ensuring medication delivery services were arranged for many; and addressing food insecurities,” said Dorothy Lockhart, market vice president, CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners. “Our team went into a mode of reaching as many patients as possible to ensure they were equipped with the tools they needed to safely shelter at home.”

CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners employs a cross-disciplinary team of nurses, social workers and administrators experienced in quality and documentation improvement, as well as a clinical pharmacist. In 2020, this team supported 1,690 providers across Kentucky to provide a streamlined health care experience for its 64,626 members, 21,267 of which participated in the MSSP program.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners

CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners (SJHP) fosters the relationship between patients and their primary care provider ensuring that the right care is delivered at the right time and at the right place. Uniquely positioned to make a real difference in the health of Kentuckians, SJHP is an ever-growing network of clinical providers who are dedicated to improving the health and quality of care for those we serve.  Focused on supporting patients’ health goals in conjunction with their primary care provider, SJHP provides a link for its network of providers which includes: hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory care centers and clinical offices.
To learn more, go to: www.chisaintjosephhealthpartners.org.

About CommonSpirit Health

CommonSpirit Health is a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 by Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. CommonSpirit is committed to creating healthier communities, delivering exceptional patient care, and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. With a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit Health operates 140 hospitals and more than 1,000 care sites across 21 states. Learn more at www.commonspirit.org.

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