ACN Advance: Provider Newsletter

As Arizona and the country continues its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the numerous challenges faced by your practice and staff continues to grow.

So, too, does ACN’s support for your practice.

Whether it’s on-demand availability to hear important updates from June’s Provider Update meeting, peace of mind for our primary care providers who will benefit from an additional year of participating in the Next Generation ACO model (more information is available in this newsletter), or the COVID-19 Resources Page, we’re committed to providing your practice and staff with relevant and timely information possible.

Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions, feedback, or additional support.

Your exceptional hard work and dedication to patients is gratefully appreciated during these challenging times. Together, we will successfully navigate this pandemic and, in turn, become a stronger community.

Conley Cervantes, CEO

In welcome news, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the Next Generation ACO (NGACO) model through December 2021.

The NGACO model was due to sunset at the end of 2020. Many of the 40 ACO’s participating in the model nationally, including ACN, were preparing to transition to either the newly established Direct Contracting Model or the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) for 2021.

The extension provides a fifth year of stability for primary care providers. It further provides:

• Additional upside gainshare for providers, without requiring capitation for primary care providers (a required component of the Direct Contracting Model)
• Continued opportunities to welcome and designate preferred providers in the ACO as a key part of the Provider Rewards Program (PRP)

ACN will be reaching out to those primary care providers currently participating in the NGACO model to share important updates on the extension and confirm that no further action is required to remain in the NGACO.

Primary care providers that wish to join our NGACO, along with specialists, facilities, and ancillary providers that are interested in being designated as a Preferred Provider should immediately email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org for more information.

In lieu of in-person Regional Provider Meetings, ACN held a “virtual” meeting of important news and updates in late June.

Topics discussed during the 90-minute session included:

ACN CEO Conley Cervantes shared current and future initiatives related to COVID-19 support for your practice, data and analytics, quality care, and payer relations and contract updates.

Updates from Abrazo Health were shared by Christina Oh, the CEO of its West Campus.

Todd Ricotta, ACN Chief Operating Officer, shared details related to the 1-year extension of Next Generation ACO (NGACO) for 2021. He also shared results from Q1 of the Provider Rewards Program (PRP) with its updated metrics for 2020.

Tanya Wilkinson, Executive Director of Clinical Services, shared her team’s initiatives for 2020, including enhanced presence in the field, and an emphasis on building post-acute partnerships through in-network transitions of care.

ACN Population Health Pharmacist Jason Kwan, PharmD, introduced the Opioid Toolkit expected to be available to practices and patients in the coming weeks.

ACN Clinical Performance Consultant Manager Jonee Christensen shared upcoming initiatives related to the Hypertension Control Program. Clinical Performance Consultants began “virtual” Hypertension Gap Analysis meetings with practices in July, sharing information and resources for both providers and patients, including:

• Identify potential at-risk patients and foster warm hand-off referrals to ACN’s Care Coordination team
• Provide supplemental patient education classes and resources
• Share ACN’s Hypertension toolkit of resources and tips for patients

Please reach out to your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org if you would like to schedule a Hypertension Gap Analysis meeting.

A recording of the meeting is available in the Provider Portal.

To better provide primary care practices with relevant, detailed and updated data to address any possible care gaps within your patient population, Arizona Care Network is quickly moving forward with data analytics improvements for 2020 and beyond.

ACN Senior Director of Analytics Keith Knutson anticipates that once the migration is completed later this summer, providers will quickly benefit from having improved access to patient-specific data that can improve outcomes for your patients.

Three key phases define ACN’s migration to a new population health platform:

Reporting and Data Warehouse

• Uses a single source of “truth” for all ACN Population Health data, regardless of its original source
• Upgraded query and reporting tools strengthen our ability to understand network performance and identify improvement opportunities that can be shared with providers
• A new system to maintain provider demographic information that will improve performance reporting and our ability to communicate network changes to our payer partners and fellow ACN providers

Clinician Workflow

• Configurable work processes improve clinical activities performed by ACN’s care coordination and quality teams in collaboration with providers, including:
• • Transitions of care
  • Quality improvement
  • Chronic Care programs
  • Pharmacy programs
  • Hierarchal Condition Categories (HCC) risk capture

Provider Engagement

• Two-way data integration with select electronic health records systems, including opportunities to phase in additional integrations in the future
• Upgraded Provider Portal featuring a patient panel, risk stratification of populations, recommendations for quality improvement, and patient-specific records

Watch for additional information and details on each of these initiatives in future newsletters.

The Opioids Program is a 2020 transformation initiative with the objective of decreasing the number of members at a high risk of misuse and overdose on prescription opioids by providing care coordination, a toolkit on patient/provider resources, and social support.

The Opioids Program was approved by the Quality Performance Management (QPM) Committee in May as a multipronged approach consisting of:

• Provider resources to support patient care
• Member outreach by ACN
• Pharmacist review of members at high risk from opioids

A toolkit for providers has been developed in conjunction with feedback from QPM and pain specialists. The provider toolkit highlights the CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.

The opioid toolkit features information and resources, including:

• Topics on non-pharmacological options and opioid alternatives
• List of in-network providers to refer members for these non-pharmacological options such as physical therapy
• Screening tools for patient’s risk before initiating opioids and while on long-term opioid therapy
• Algorithms on initiating and tapering opioids
• List of in-network providers to refer members diagnosed with opioid use disorder for medication-assisted treatment
• Naloxone in overdose prevention
• Resources on Arizona opioid prescribing guidelines
• Continuing medical education courses
• Patient education handouts on overview of opioids, how to administer naloxone, lifestyle modifications, etc.
• Resources for patients on support groups and drug take back locations

ACN will outreach members based on multiple criteria that may indicate a member is at a higher risk for opioid misuse. The team will provide resources and support such as lifestyle education. The team will assist in connecting members back to his/her primary care provider and/or specialists.

Lastly, a pharmacist review will be conducted, analyzing member’s prescription history such as concurrent use of benzodiazepines and/or muscle relaxants with opioids. Members who are at a higher risk from opioids will be outreached first along with collaborating with their provider on their pain treatment plan.

The Opioids Program is expected to begin at the end of July, with the hopeful outcome of reducing the prevalence of opioid use disorder and opioid overdose-related deaths.

The Opioid Provider Toolkit will be available on Arizona Care Network’s website in the coming weeks. Your Clinical Performance Consultant may also reach out to share the toolkit with your practice.

At Arizona Care Network, one of the many ways we can support your patient care is by providing educational resources so patients can improve their overall health.

ACN’s Resources page offers regularly updated content for patients and providers on topics related to chronic illness, general wellness, and much more.

These resources frequently include a clinician’s perspective for additional context, creating opportunities for providers in the network to recommend, evaluate and/or contribute to these resources when relevant to their scope of practice.

If you are interested in being part of ACN’s Subject Matter Expert Advisory board, please e-mail communication@azcarenetwork.org. Please include your:

• Name
• Preferred e-mail address
• Preferred phone number(s)
• Type of practice (ex. primary care practice or specific specialty)

An ACN communications specialist may reach out to you for feedback when putting together resources related to your area of expertise.

• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for additional news, organizational updates, and more.
• Dignity Health’s Center for Diabetes Management now offers Zoom visits for patients and will soon reinstate in-person visits. Additionally, Dignity offers Diabetes Education Classes, both in-person and virtually.
• Dignity Health’s My.Care app now includes turn-by-turn directions between locations inside any of its hospitals and facilities.
• Abrazo is offering adjusted payment options and plans for surgeries (required or elective) during COVID-19.
• To support your patient care, ACN has put together Resource blogs focused on maintaining preventative care during COVID-19, as well as local community resources that may be available for your patients during the pandemic (and beyond).

• Advanced Reconstruction and Aesthetics, PLLC (Glendale)
• Alium Health (Scottsdale)
• AZ Premier Chiropractic and Rehab (Queen Creek)
• Cactus Foot & Ankle (Chandler)
• G & K Medical Associates (Avondale)
• Integrative Psychotherapy and Assessment Services (Phoenix)
• Iridescent Counseling Centers (Chandler)
• Leila Peterson, MD (Gilbert)
• Sozo Health & Physical Therapy (Chandler)
• Synergy Physicians (Scottsdale)

You can also view a list of practices and providers no longer participating in ACN.