This issue brief from the Integrated Healthcare Association summarizes a roundtable discussion at the 2011 Second National ACO Congress, which featured a case study of HealthCare First South Los Angeles, a safety-net initiative that is evolving into an accountable care organization (ACO). The current initiative involves LA Care (as the health plan payer), Daughters of Charity Health System, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, St. Francis Medical Center, Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers, Service Employees International Union, Los Angeles Department of Health Services, and private practice primary care and specialty care physicians. The initiative is leveraging infrastructure resources from HITEC-LA, a health information technology regional extension center, and from the Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services (LANES), a countywide health information exchange.
The roundtable speakers highlighted the necessity of evolution in the health care delivery system, the difficulties in delivering integrated and coordinated care when there are access and demographic challenges, the importance of gaining and maintaining support from a wide variety of stakeholders, and the centrality of a strong primary care base to build accountable care organizations. The roundtable and issue brief were funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation and The California Endowment.
Ignatius Bau 