3. A health system has established an ACO and has assumed risk for a substantial number of patients who have been attributed to this ACO. As a result, it is important that the organization now focus on population health as opposed to its historical position of medical intervention when a patient needs surgery because it is rewarded for keeping a person healthy as opposed to performing surgery, lab tests, diagnostic surgery, and so on. However, the patient base that is a part of the ACO represents a range of individuals.

As the vice president of medical affairs looks over the patient base, he realizes he faces a significant challenge. Calling together a planning team that consists of the head of data analytics, the chief clinical officer, and the head of marketing and planning, he says, “I am not sure how we should slice this group up. We are entering a new group of care management here after years of just taking care of patients as they came through the door. This represents a new and exciting challenge. I think managing people to stay healthy is what we have always wanted to do but restructuring ourselves to do it efficiently and well is a very different approach. How do we go after this elephant?”
The head of data analytics speaks up: “The one good thing is we now have an electronic medical record system that is functional, and people seem to have bought into pretty well.”
The chief medical officer then chipped in: “ I do agree that the clinical staff is excited about the challenge, but we need a plan fairly quickly that is clear and easy for us to lay out to all.” The marketing director is next. It is you.
Lay out the best approach.