He says: “Twenty-four months ago, Phoenix Children’s Hospital launched a bold initiative to create a first-of-its-kind pediatric clinically integrated organization, or PCIO — a value-based approach to improving care and controlling costs.”
“The clinically integrated organization is different from the ACO {Accountable Care Organization} in that an ACO is limited to a product offering from a contractual perspective, i.e., Medicare. Clinically integrated organizations can operate in multiple platforms, including Medicare, Medicaid and commercial products. This model’s flexibility allowed us to provide the best possible care specifically focused on children.”
“As we built the infrastructure of our clinically integrated organization, we recognized that 92 percent of all care interactions occur outside the hospital, requiring a proactive approach to patient care. Our PCIO, the Phoenix Children’s Care Network, is a collaborative and integrated system of care encompassing general pediatricians, pediatric specialists and sites of service, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the hospital-owned urgent care and surgery centers. The PCCN is governed by physicians, the majority of whom are independent.”
