ACN Advance: Provider Newsletter

Since 2015, Arizona Care Network has been fortunate to recognize and reward eligible primary care practices for the high quality, cost-efficient and coordinated care they provide their patients. ACN distributes these incentives each quarter through our Provider Rewards Program (PRP), and annually when the network earns shared savings from its various value-based agreements with governmental and commercial payers.

ACN is thrilled for our participating practices that earn these additional incentives under these payer contracts, which again occurred for the 2024 performance year within our value-based agreements with Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare (UHC).

In recognition of the network’s performance in caring for attributed Mercy Care and UHC patients, ACN will issue gainshare payments to eligible primary care practices in December.

Eligible practices will also receive additional details and supporting information related to this 2024 gainshare distribution from their dedicated Clinical Performance Consultant (CPC).

Congratulations to all eligible primary care practices! These gainshare incentives are a testament to your dedication, hard work, and proactive approach in delivering and arranging your patients’ care needs from the specialists, facilities, and other ancillary providers that participate with ACN.

For eligible primary care practices that participate in ACN’s Provider Rewards Program (PRP): Additional updates, enhancements, and education materials for the 2026 PRP will be forthcoming from your dedicated Clinical Performance Consultant during Q1.

Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or feedback about any of these gainshare opportunities for your practice, or if your organization is interested in participating in these incentive programs.

Arizona Care Network’s new Care Scorecard is now available for attributed Mercy Care and Intel Connected Care members online, as well as the Apple iOS and Google Play app stores.

Expansion to additional payer populations is expected in 2026 and 2027.

The Care Scorecard is a new patient-facing digital tool designed to improve quality measure awareness, streamline care coordination, and support practices in closing care gaps.

Initially introduced in June, the Care Scorecard provides members a way to keep track of open and completed Quality measures, while reinforcing the role of their assigned provider(s) in guiding both preventive and chronic care.

The Care Scorecard enhances a member’s own care journey experience, supports your patient care plan, helps close Quality care gaps, and potentially reduces administrative/scheduling burdens on your practice through:

• • • Improved Member Awareness: Members can clearly see which preventive and quality measures apply to them, reducing confusion and unnecessary inbound calls to practices.
    • Aligned Care Navigation: Each member is linked to their assigned provider and practice, reinforcing continuity of care and encouraging appropriate follow-up and promoting care referrals within the network.
    • Actionable Quality Focus: Measures are explained in plain language and include available online Resources for additional reading — helping members understand why screenings and visits matter.
    • Reduced Administrative Burden: Proactively informing members of care needs means your practice can spend more time delivering care.
    • Support for Value-Based Performance: The tool supports quality outcomes tied to shared savings and pay-for-performance incentives, and risk-based contracts.

Care Scorecard Support

The Care Scorecard includes a concierge support feature, allowing members to request ACN’s assistance with scheduling appointments or navigating care step(s). Support and scheduling requests are coordinated to ensure alignment with each provider’s availability and practice workflows to help close care gaps without disrupting your office operations.

More information and support from your dedicated Clinical Performance Consultant will be forthcoming during Q1 2026. Please contact your CPC or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or feedback.

To further improve Network efficiency, as well as improve ACN’s Find-a-Provider search engines, your practice can easily update provider and organizational information via the Participating Provider Update Form. 

The Provider Update Form allows your organization’s owner/administrator to:

• • • Add a new provider to your organization
    • Remove a provider from the organization
    • Add/update a provider’s name/demographic information (i.e., office locations, phone/fax numbers, email address)
    • Update any ownership-level changes (i.e., TIN name, billing address)

Data accuracy ensures:

• • • Patients have correct provider and office information available within ACN’s online Provider and Urgent Care/Facility searches
    • Payers also receive the correct information for their online directories
    • Timely credentialing completion and claims payment

Participating practices and administrators are encouraged to bookmark the Participating Provider Update Form for easy access.

Note: Please have your Legal Name and 9-digit Tax ID Number available to submit provider/organizational updates via the Provider Update Form.

Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org for a copy of your organization’s current roster to review for accuracy, or with any questions.

Here is a quick overview of ACN’s Payer partners in 2026:

• • • Aetna (Commercial & Medicare Advantage)
    • Alignment Health Plan (Medicare Advantage)
    • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (Abrazo Health employees and dependents)
    • Cigna (Open Access Plan, LocalPlus)
    • Employers Health Network (EHN) (Whole Foods Market employees)
    • Humana (Medicare Advantage)
    • Intel employees (Connected Care with Arizona Care Network)
    • Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) (Medicare Fee-For-Service)
    • Mercy Care (Medicaid, Medicare Advantage)
    • UMR (Dignity Health employees and dependents Preferred/Premier)
    • UnitedHealthcare (Choice Plus PPO, Navigate/Nexus ACO, Medicaid Community & State)

Members within these plans who visit an ACN-participating provider(s) may be automatically eligible for Care Coordination and other in-network support services as part of their coverage benefits.

A quick reference guide featuring ACN partners’ member ID card samples and claims information will be available from your Clinical Performance Consultant during Q1 2026.

Please contact your CPC or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org to receive copies of this .PDF document

If your office(s) and provider(s) are taking well-deserved vacation during the holidays, your patients can still receive the care they need while avoiding preventable and costly Emergency Room visits.

Several of NextCare’s 55 urgent care locations across Arizona are open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day

Note: Patients should refer to NextCare’s website to confirm each location’s hours.

NextCare is considered a Tier 1 in-network service for patients covered under ACN’s various value-based and narrow/exclusive network arrangements. NextCare is also contracted with a wide range of additional payers to support your broader patient population.

In addition to injury and illness diagnoses capabilities, NextCare services include:

• • • Online appointment scheduling
    • Virtual and telehealth care availability
    • Extended hours (many locations are open until 8 p.m. and on weekends)
    • Immunizations and vaccines (COVID, flu, hepatitis, tetanus, and more)
    • Physicals (sports, employment, school)
    • Prescribing certain medications
    • Pediatric care
    • X-rays
    • Lab and blood services
    • STD testing
    • Antibody testing (strep throat, Valley Fever, and more)

Your patients can easily find a convenient urgent care location and specific location information through ACN’s Find-a-Facility search engine, or the NextCare location finder.

As the stressors of inflation continue and many are forced to make difficult financial decisions, medication adherence is a critical component toward keeping your patients healthy and reducing out-of-pocket costs. This priority lies especially within daily or preventative medications for conditions such as:

• • • Asthma
    • Blood Pressure
    • Cholesterol
    • Diabetes
    • High-risk (Beer’s Criteria)
    • Statin Therapy

Pharmacy resources and tip sheets for Providers

Studies in the past five years suggest a lack of medication adherence contributes to more than 125,000 lives lost and cost more than $500 billion annually, while increasing avoidable hospital and emergency room usage.

Fortunately, there are feasible alternative solutions which may benefit your patient’s overall health and finances:

• • • Is a Biosimilar alternative available?
    • Cost savings for Patients
    • Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
    • 90- or 100- day prescription availability
    • High-risk medications (Beers criteria)

Biosimilars, particularly for name-brand and more expensive medications such as Humira, Stelara, and Remicade, can provide the exact same formula, benefits, and efficacy while making a significant difference in a patient’s pocketbook. 

Need support?

ACN can help your patients schedule an appointment or support medication adherence with your practice by calling (602) 406-7226. Members can text us at (602) 613-5797, or email members@azcarenetwork.org.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) can have an adverse effect on your patients’ health and ability to receive timely, cost-effective care. This is especially important during the Holiday season, as well as potentially difficult financial/economic times.

SDOH barriers include:

• • • safe housing
    • transportation to/from a provider office, grocery store, and/or pharmacy
    • access to quality foods
    • mental or emotional behaviors (anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc.)
    • financial limitations and/or job opportunities
    • language or literacy

Any SDOH can have a detrimental effect on a patient’s health, contribute to a physical or mental condition, or prevent your patient from seeking the care he/she needs:

• • • not consistent with appointments or no-shows
    • not following up on labs or referrals
    • not taking medications as prescribed
    • not appearing alert, well-nourished, and/or well-groomed
    • not adhering to prescribed diet
    • not following up at Emergency Room or Urgent Care, if provider recommended

An annual SDOH Screening for any patient 18+ years old is recommended. Any member of a patient’s care team may conduct a screening at any time.

Additional Support Available from ACN

As an included patient benefit of your practice’s participation with ACN, no-cost Care Coordination services can help your patient(s):

• • • schedule appointments
    • ensure necessary transportation
    • provide free or low-cost resources, and other available services that support your patient and supplement your patient care plan.

You may contact ACN’s Care Coordination team by calling (602) 406-7226, text us at (602) 613-5797 or email carecoordination@azcarenetwork.org.

Additional Resources

• • • ACN’s SDOH Tip Sheet
    • CMS’s Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool (.PDF)
    • American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Screening Tool
    • SDOH-related Z-Codes
    • Local Community Resources Available to Patients

Additional resources are also available from your Clinical Performance Consultant or by emailing practicestransformation@azcarenetwork.org.

• • Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for additional news, health-related content for providers and patients, organizational updates, and more.
  • Read previous ACN Advance quarterly provider newsletters anytime.
  • Learn more about ACN’s Care Coordination program and services designed to partner and support your practice in achieving healthy, cost-effective patient outcomes in this video.
  • 2026 Q1 Quality member text message campaigns: Annual Wellness Visits (Adult), Asthma Medication, Blood Pressure, Breast Cancer Screening, Colorectal Cancer Screening, Diabetes, Flu Vaccine.
  • To help your practice stay connected with important news, new initiatives, and other updates throughout the year, ACN is requesting your provider(s) email addresses to improve ACN’s outreach efforts. Simply click on the Provider Update Form to add or update your provider(s) contact information. (Email address information shared with Arizona Care Network is never shared with any outside organization and not used to market or solicit any product. This is strictly for informational purposes, directly from ACN).
  • A wealth of updated documents and resources will be available from your dedicated Clinical Performance Consultant or practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org during Q1 2026, including:
    • • • Specialist Neighborhood Maps/Listings
        • Improved Quality Measure Tip Sheets and Toolkits
        • Payer ID Cards quick reference document
        • Intel Connected Care TPA quick reference document
  • Amanda Torres is ACN’s newest Clinical Performance Consultant, supporting participating practices in the East Valley (Mesa, Gilbert).
  • Abrazo Scottsdale Campus has expanded its advanced surgical capabilities with the addition of the ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation Platform that integrates robotic precision with real-time navigation to enhance patient safety and surgical accuracy in spine procedures. The robotic navigation system will be used for a wide range of spinal procedures: lumbar and cervical spinal fusions, decompressions and laminectomies, revisions of prior spinal surgeries, scoliosis and spinal deformity corrections, and minimally invasive screw/rod placement.
  • Abrazo helped raise $315,000 for the American Heart Association’s West Valley Heart Walk. Abrazo’s 295 employees were among an estimated 8,000 total participants at Goodyear Civic Square, and represented the largest number of employees from a single company at the 3-mile non-competitive event annually at Goodyear Civic Center.
  • Robert (Rob) Matura joined Alignment Health as VP/Market President for Maricopa County. Rob will be responsible for leading and executing Alignment’s market performance, P&L, and operational excellence strategies for Maricopa County. Rob previously spent 19 years at Cigna. Dan Peterson, VP/Market President, will continue to lead for Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
  • Alignment Health offers The Care Anywhere (CAW) program that supports vulnerable patients with 24/7 access to care through an interdisciplinary care team that conducts in-home and virtual visits. Providers may refer your Alignment Health members by calling 1-833-902-1665 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., PDT. Or by emailing careanywherecoordination@ahcusa.com.
  • Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center was awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. This designates Mercy Gilbert as a “Straight A” hospital, defined as hospitals that have an ‘A’ for fall 2025 and have sustained that grade for the last five or more grading rounds. Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center received an ‘A’ grade for its performance. The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as prevention systems within hospitals.
  • Dignity Health’s Norton Thoracic Institute and Creighton University are co-hosting the annual Esophageal Symposium Feb. 6-7 at
    St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center (Barrow Research Library in SJHMC basement), and Creighton University School of Medicine. Organized by Dr. Sumeet Mittal, the two-day event includes hands-on courses related to dysphagia, endoscopy, endoFLIP, GERD, manometry, and more. CME credit opportunities are available for PCP and GI providers, and breakfast/lunch are included. More information and registration are available here.
  • Phoenix Children’s was designated a network site member of the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet), joining an elite group of just 14 pediatric centers across the United States and Canada recognized for excellence in caring for children with complex pulmonary hypertension. The distinction recognizes facilities that provide specialized, high-quality care to premature infants and children with this rare, life-threatening condition.
  • Phoenix Children’s was recognized with the prestigious ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support, achieving Platinum Center of Excellence status from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). This distinction represents the highest level of recognition for programs providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy – an advanced life support treatment for critically ill children whose hearts and lungs are unable to sustain life on their own. PCH is the first and only center in Arizona to achieve Platinum status, and among 48 programs worldwide to earn this designation out of more than 700 ELSO centers globally.

• • • Bridge Consulting Services
    • Mountain View Headache and Spine Institute
    • Southwest Spine & Back

You can also view a list of provider organizations no longer participating with ACN.