Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), the clinically integrated network created by UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Resources, has announced its participation in the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model (GPDC), an innovative, new model designed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to achieve high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care. SWHR most recently participated in the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model that ended on Dec. 31, 2021 and was selected to participate in GPDC in December 2021.
SWHR’s voluntary participation in GPDC exemplifies our commitment to connecting physicians with their patients and promoting primary care. Keeping populations healthy and reducing costly acute care admissions, stems from our ability to leverage data, remove inefficiencies, and target proactive interventions when patients need them most.
Essential to GPDC’s vision is to transform risk-sharing arrangements in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) by offering a partially capitated, population-based payment model that moves away from traditional FFS. SWHR network providers will have a reduced set of core quality measures and their aligned beneficiaries will have access to additional benefit enhancements than traditional Medicare currently offers. Beneficiaries will also access engagement initiatives, empowering them to take an active role in their own healthcare.
The model’s emphasis on better health through patient outreach and empowerment is key to improving population health, according to Jason Fish, MD, Chief Medical Officer for SWHR. “Encouraging patients to participate in their own care is key to delivering a superior patient experience. We’ve seen one-third of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with no relationship to a primary care physician (PCP),” said Fish. “At SWHR, it is our charge to encourage beneficiaries to engage with a PCP, which can improve their overall quality of life.”
By meeting specific performance measures and demonstrating effective high-quality care through GPDC, SWHR is confident it will continue to reduce the total cost of care and propel value-based care forward in North Texas.
About SWHR:
Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), which blends the strengths of UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Resources, includes a clinically integrated network of 29 hospital locations and more than 5,500 physicians and other clinicians, is committed to being the national leader in population health. With more than 650 points of access to care, the network provides higher value and allows patients to access services across a full continuum of medical needs. SWHR serves people across 16 counties in North Texas, coordinating care for more than 730,000 patients, aligned with commercial healthcare plans and Medicare programs.
For more information, call 214-389-7272, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., email swhrnews@southwesternhealth.org, or visit southwesternhealth.org
The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in
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