CMS Innovation Center’s Pioneer ACO

In a sign of the increasing difficulties of being a hospital system chief executive in these tumultuous times in healthcare, Rulon Stacey has resigned (or ”been resigned”?) 0 as chief executive of Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services.

Modern Healthcare reported:

“A statement from Fairview indicated that the departure was due to a combination of professional differences and personal considerations.”

“Stacey was hired in 2013 after the academic medical center went through several high-profile controversies. The not-for-profit system was widely criticized for aggressive collection practices employed by third-party contractor Accretive Health. Fairview also called off a proposed merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health after the deal met resistance from Minnesota officials.”

“….Fairview is part of the CMS Innovation Center’s Pioneer ACO program, the government’s learning laboratory for accountable care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. And the system has not yet achieved any savings, which may have raised questions about how ready Fairview is to take on the risk required under the Pioneer model.”