WESTMED Accountable Care Collaboration with UnitedHealthcare and Optum Yields Significant Health Improvements

PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- WESTMED Medical Group,  a large multi-specialty group medical practice based in Purchase, NY, announced that its accountable care organization (ACO) program -- launched in mid-2012 with UnitedHealthcare and Optum -- improved on nine of 10 health quality metrics, increased patient satisfaction and reduced healthcare costs.

WESTMED has seen significant improvements in patients taking their prescription medications properly; and for diabetics, more routine screening and better control of blood sugar levels.

The ACO is performing above the 90^th percentile of National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Quality Compass for providing the highest level of coordinated care for breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings.

More than 13,000 UnitedHealthcare plan participants who reside in Westchester County and are covered under an Oxford Health fully insured commercial plan were part of the initial ACO collaboration. WESTMED and UnitedHealthcare will expand the ACO program in the coming year to measure a greater number of metrics, and increase the number of plan participants in this program, including Westchester-based UnitedHealthcare fully insured plan participants, while continuing to improve healthcare quality and satisfaction for people in the initial group.

"We're committed to providing best-in-class care to our patients, so in joining with UnitedHealthcare and Optum, we were optimistic that with greater physician commitment, enhanced technologies and data, and cooperation from our patients, we would improve care, while reducing costs," said Simeon Schwartz, M.D., WESTMED's president and CEO.

"Our initial results exceeded our expectations. We'll continue to look for ways to collaborate and share accountability for patient care to surpass these already strong results," said Barney Newman, M.D., WESTMED's medical director.

WESTMED received a nearly $1 million bonus under its ACO agreement with UnitedHealthcare by reducing practice variation, decreasing duplications in care and promoting the proper setting for care.

"WESTMED physicians successfully achieved what they set out to do -- reaching their quality objectives while reducing overall costs in their first year as an ACO," said Chris Pricco, senior vice president of Accountable Care Solutions at Optum. The physicians used detailed health intelligence provided by Optum's analytical tools.  Regularly updated reports enable physicians to collaborate across specialties, helping them make informed medical care decisions based on a complete picture of each patient's situation.

"Our initial results with WESTMED are a clear indication of the positive results that can be achieved when medical professionals and insurers come together for a common goal -- getting patients to the right care at the right time in the right setting for the best outcomes," said Sam Ho, M.D., chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare. "We look forward to the next phase in our ACO collaboration as we strive to help patients achieve better health."

WESTMED Medical Group is a large multi-specialty group medical practice, with headquarters in Purchase, NY.  It is staffed by a team of 260 physicians dedicated to providing coordinated, efficient and the highest quality of patient care at its nine locations in central and lower Westchester County. The practice, known for its one-stop-shopping medical experience for patients, uses state-of-the-art systems and electronic medical records. WESTMED has medical offices in White Plains, Rye, Yonkers, Purchase, Scarsdale and New Rochelle. 

CONTACT:  Linda Martin, 914-681-5282, [email protected]

SOURCE WESTMED Medical Group