![]() Largely driven by the industry’s move towards value-based care, the next generation of hospice leaders will need to be well-versed in emerging technologies and data management, Susan Hunt, board chair for North Hawaii Hospice, told Hospice News earlier this year. The company remains Steward’s exclusive provider of value-based management services for its Medicare business. The transaction helped make CareMax one of the largest independent senior-focused value-based care platforms in the United States, with a presence in Medicare Advantage, MSSP and the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) model. As of the transaction’s closing, Steward’s equity holders owned 41% of CareMax’s common stock. Steward also developed a value-based care and chronic disease management platform that it sold to CareMax (NASDAQ: CMAX) last year for $25 million in cash and 23.5 million CareMax shares. “It demonstrates how the industry can successfully shift toward a more cost-effective, local, and coordinated approach that puts patients first.” “Our physician-driven, accountable care model focused on keeping patients healthy is completely transforming the health care industry,” Steward CEO and Chairman Ralph De La Torre said in a statement. The health system reportedly generated more than $68 million in cost savings for Medicare that year. The company also operates a large ACO that in 2020 received the second highest payout among 513 participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), according to CMS. All told, the company covers close to 1.5 million full-risk beneficiaries through its managed care and health insurance services. I think what’s very exciting for all home care and hospice providers is that the need and projected use of home care and hospice services continues to grow.Steward Health Care, an integrated health system, has extensive relationships with commercial, Medicare Advantage and risk-based Medicaid organizations across every state in its footprint. “I understand intimately the importance of value-based care, and how home care and hospice fit into that continuum,” she said. Ultimately, Tortorella believes AccentCare will be well set up for the future, so long as it continues to focus on the patient, and, in turn, value-based care and positive health system partnerships. ![]() That’s certainly what we’ll be thinking through over the next few months.” And in a value-based environment, clinical outcomes and high-quality clinical solutions are key in driving that patient experience. But I think what has always remained the same is that the patient is at the center. ![]() “Having worked in health care for many years at this point, I know it’s constantly evolving. “ is certainly something I’ve been been thinking about,” Tortorella said. With the final payment rule looming, she believes its best for AccentCare to simply focus on strong clinical outcomes for its patients. That’s the approach Tortorella is taking from the outset: focusing on the controllable factors. “To really understand how we can continue to partner with them to put the patient first, and to drive those seamless transitions that drive really good clinical outcomes.” “As it relates to AccentCare and its various partners out there, that’s going to be part of the many conversations that I will be having over the course of the next few months,” she said. Now, making sure those health system partners are satisfied will be one of her key focuses over the first few months on the job. Prior to her time there, she worked at Boston’s Children Hospital. Tortorella held multiple other executive roles at Steward Health Care before working her way up to COO. “Having been on that side of the health care continuum for many years, that health systems really need and want to partner with very high-quality post-acute providers to help transition patients seamlessly, successfully and smoothly from the acute care walls into the post-acute setting.” “Every decision we make should be with the patient’s best clinical interests in mind,” Tortorella said. Maintaining positive relationships with referral sources has also become tougher, as providers deal with staffing constraints that make it hard to take on patients being referred to them. At the same time, CMS is trying to slash fee-for-service rates. There are more Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries than ever, and managed care companies tend to pay far less for home health services than traditional Medicare. Home-based care’s popularity is rising, but payment is becoming more difficult.
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