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    Sutter Health Supports Accountable Care Concept

    SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 31, 2011 - As the U.S. Health and Human Services Department today unveiled the long-awaited federal rule on Accountable Care Organizations, the not-for-profit Sutter Health network continues its work in transforming health care to achieve the highest levels of quality, access and affordability for patients.

    Sutter Health supports accountability for high quality, affordable care and taken steps over the past several years to achieve this goal.

    • In 2010, Sutter Health-affiliated hospitals performed among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide in all quality measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
    • With nearly 5,000 doctors, Sutter’s physician network – the Sutter Medical Network – is working toward integrating services across 100 Northern California communities so that patients have a consistent quality experience no matter where they access care.
    • Accelerating technology innovation, including an electronic health record, enables all of this progress and helps increase patient access to health care services.
    The accountable care concept enables Sutter Health’s existing strategy to transform health care. Sutter Health has work underway that positions the network to potentially apply for accountable care organization (ACO) status with Medicare. This includes:
    • Sutter Health has design teams focused on population management, the patient experience, financing models and information technology infrastructure.
    • Sutter Health also is committed to making health care personal and proactively infuses this dedication to patient in designs under development.
    • Sutter Health continues to explore ACO-like commercial options.
    Delivering high-quality care as efficiently as possible will become even more important in the years ahead. While Sutter Health has made great strides toward making health care more affordable for patients – work is far from done. Sutter remains committed to transforming care for patients and doing its part to support fundamental change in health care delivery.

    About Sutter Health
    Serving patients and their families in more than 100 Northern California cities and towns, Sutter Health doctors, not-for-profit hospitals and other health care service providers share resources and expertise to advance health care quality and access. The Sutter Medical Network includes many of California’s top-performing, highest quality physician organizations as measured annually by the Integrated Healthcare Association. Sutter-affiliated hospitals are regional leaders in cardiac care, women’s and children’s services, cancer care, orthopedics and advanced patient safety technology.

    For more information about the not-for-profit Sutter Health network, please visit:
    SutterHealth.org/about/ | www.Facebook.com/SutterHealth | www.YouTube.com/SutterHealth


    Contact
    Sutter Health Media Line
    (916) 286-6695